SALE OF ART WORK

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31835, 13 November 1968, Page 3

SALE OF ART WORK

Artists and craftsmen from throughout New Zealand have offered their work to the Girl Guides’ Association, which has organised an exhibition and sale in its hall in Armagh Street. The result is a display of almost 500 pieces, including paintings, pottery, spinning and wearing, canework, and sculpture.

There are 134 paintings in many mediums. Prominent among these are four ink drawings which Peter McIntyre has donated to the exhibition and two water i colours by the expatriate New i Zealand artist, Douglas MacDiarmid, whose work is now difficult to obtain in this | country. , Recently one of MacDiamid’s water - colours, I “Children on the Beach,” was ■ selected by U.N.I.C.E.F. for (inclusion in the fund’s 1970 1 calendar. i Austen Deans, like other artists in the exhibition has 'presented Canterbury in oils. I Apart from oils and water colours the painting section

i includes acrylics, lino cuts, wood cuts, pencil drawings, collage, ink drawings, crayons and prints. “Bushcraft”

An unusual technique em'ployed by an Auckland artist lis called “bushcraft.” With I coloured barks and leaves | from New Zealand native 'trees, she has depicted I recognisable scenes. Probably the most sought•after section of the exhibition I will be the pottery, which :has been rapidly dotted with ired stickers (to indicate the i article had been sold) at the (opening yesterday afternoon. There are beakers, jars, casseroles. bowls, ash trays, and jewellery. Jewellery in the pottery section offers enamel and ceramic work with beads, pendants, ear-rings, bracelets, and rings from polished gemstones.

The spinning and weaving section incorporates both the raw materials and the finished products. There are bags of fleece wool in various shades of black, contributed by a farmer who has many black sheep in his flock. This, along with white wool fleeces is being sold by the pound. There is a selection of garments for all ages which have

been knitted from home-spun wool, as well as a crocheted beret and woven bags and tea cosies.

Some artists have used the screen printing technique on scarves, beach bags and wall hangings. Weavers in the display have offered mats, aprons, shawls and skirts.

Invitations were sent out to i art clubs throughout New Zealand, and the association was rewarded with an excellent response. The association is operating the exhibition on a commission basis. Money from the sale of work will go towards the guide training centre at Arahina, near Marton, where a conference hall is being built. With $26,000 in hand the building, which will cost an estimated $56,000, hat? already been started.

The exhibition was opened yesterday afternoon by Mr Miles Warren, and the New Zealand Commissioner of Girl Guides (Mrs W. G. Turnbull) also attended. It will remain open today and tomorrow and will close at 9 p.m. on Thursday. Mrs Turnbull said an arts and crafts exhibition was a new venture of the Girl Guides Association and it was very proud of their first attempt.