Landscapes Popular

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31786, 17 September 1968, Page 3

Landscapes Popular

Landscapes easily outnumber all other categories of paintings in the Town and Country Art Club’s sixth annual exhibition, but this is not surprising when one considers the club’s organisation and present membership, according to the club president (Mrs D. L. Rutherford, of Culverden),

All but three of the art groups which make up the Town and Country Art Club are based in the country districts.

Monthly painting days are the essence of the club groups. Members meet for an all-day painting session. Because the club covers a wide area, it also embraces a wide variety of scenery and this is reflected in the paintings which hang in the exhibition. Mrs Rutherford said she liked to take the Culverden group to Hanmer Springs where there is always splendid scenery. WATER SCENES

When members visit the Governor’s Bay group for a painting day they have an opportunity of painting water scenes, and there are plenty of beaches and boats in the exhibition.

Rangiora, Cheviot and Southbridge groups also take their painters into their own particular brand of country so there are also mountains, plains and rivers depicted on canvas for later showings. There is a natural desire for members to paint outdoor scenes because many of them are housewives and they prefer to have a hobby which

takes them outside the house. Town people who join the country excursions are naturally attracted to mountains and other country scenes. Town groups such as the Hard of Hearing League or the W.E.A. might take their excursions to a particular building, said Mrs Rutherford. This year they went to Riccarton House and painted the buildings and the grounds. Both town and country groups arrange still life and indoor models as alternative subjects when the weather is not suitable for outdoor painting excursions. FARMERS’ WIVES Most of the club members are women and they include a large number of farmers’ wives in the country areas. Fourteen of the 15 members of the Culverden group are farmers’ wives, said Mrs Rutherford. ', Apart from the annual meeting, the annual exhibition is really the only occasion when the scattered membership comes together to view the work. Two club members and three outside artists choose the work for the showing. When the club held its initial exhibition prizes were awarded, but members have decided they would rather make the exhibition non-com-petitive and use the money to pay tutors and lecturers. The late Frank Gross used to teach painting to people in town and ; country areas and it was decided to form a group to embrace all these artists. The first annual exhibition was held six years ago.

Any profits from painting day excursions or any other club activities are put into the Frank Gross Memorial Fund to cover the cost of further tuition.