ACADEMY PICTURES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 5, 1 October 1929, Page 9

ACADEMY PICTURES

LANDSCAPES AND PORTRAITS LADY ALICE FERGUSSON’S WATER-COLOURS

(By

"A.R.T.”)

11. It is pleasing for the critic to be able to express an honest opinion of the work of the Lady Alice Fergusson, who exhibits five water-colours of unequal merit. During her present sojourn in New Zealand Her Excellency has found subjects which are particularly suited to her free and direct: style of painting. ,An acute observation and a ready brush have recorded in No. 253 "Cape Bret.t,” a scene which is full of movement. ' The swish of the waves and the action of the figures convey, in a simple manner, all the difficulties with which the men in the’boat are'confronted in making a safe landing. No. 249, "Mount Sefton,” with a fine harmony of colour, presents in an equally excellent manner the solidity and grim grandeur of our mountain scenery. Other water-colours by the same artist, while expressing honesty of purpose, are less complete by reason of the fact that facility with the brush seems to have so interested the painter that, in the excitement of the moment, form and composition have been insufficiently considered. Southern Artists. Miss M. O. Stoddart’s exhibits aire always sure of a warm welcome in Wellington. She combines delicacy with strength in her broad, fluent water-colours and is able to convey a sense of joyous exhilaration. Her flower studies make a universal appeal, for they are .well ■arranged. full of glowing colour, and painted in a very individual manner, . This year she is particularly well represented. “Spring” (14) is convincing in every re-

spect. The cherry-blossom is admirably ’ suggested with strong, broad touches, while the primroses are directly yet tenderly painted—a delightful picture.' No. 12, “Roses,” is a.successful variation of a theme Miss Stoddart has often given us. • ", . " ’■ Her landscapes are even more boldly treated. In “Mount Sefton from the Hooker Valley” (No. 13) the arrangement is unusual but very effective, the masses of rock and mountain and the velvety softness of the snow being skilfully suggested. This picture breathes the air of the Southern Alps. No. 5, “Mount Cook,” is a similar subject more decoratively treated, the pattern of rocks being most interesting. No. 15/ “The Franz Josef Glacier,”, is not so successful owing to the “spottiness” of treatment and its cold colour; but No. 16, “Shores of Lake Wanaka.” has real charm. It is a pity it is hung so high. Mr? Cecil Kelly may justly claim to be one of our foremost landscape painters, and in "The Boathouse” (No. 47) be has given us a picture which will enhance his reputation and extend his circle of admirers. . Any visitor to Christchurch, must' know this riverside scene, but it has been left to an artist of acute perception to discover its pictorial qualities. The sunlit boatsheds almost invite one to go a-canoeing.' • '

In his larger landscape (No. 78), Mr. Kelly commits to canvas a pastoral scene of great charm. Some will wonder why the artist has set himself such a difficult problem by ineludihg the sharply turning road bn the right. No. 46, “Sum-mertime,”-has the same feeling for pleasing pattern as “The Boathouse.” - Mr. and Mrs. Wallwork, of Christchurch, are not so well-represented as in former years. Indeed, the former has sent only three small seascapes. These will repa.W careful study, however, for the rise and fall of the water is skilfully suggested bv subtle modelling, particularly in No. 127, “Pacific Swell, Kaikoura”; and the rocks are firmly painted. No. .42, "Winter Afternoon,” and No. 56, The Incoming Tide.” are further interesting examples of Mr. Wallwork’s marine studies. . , ..... . Mrs. Wallwork’s principal exhibit is No. 123, “Fortune,” which, is sure to be much admired. A young girl gazes wistfully from the canvas. The expression of wonder in the eyes is cleverly conveyed and the arrangement of the hands and the cards particularly happy—a > work full of character, and deftly painted. No. 6, “The Letter,” and No. 77, “Portrait of Mrs. E. C. Huie,” are pastels which hardly do the artist justice. They are superficially pleasing, but lack the distinction and vigour which usually, characterises Mrs. Wallwork’s portraits in this medium. - Interesting Landscapes.

Mr. Marcus King’s work would add interest to any exhibition. • He is essentially an experimentalist and a searcher after truth, his particular interest being in the recording of effects of light upon sea and land. His use of colour, always brilliant, is more effective this year—it has mote spatial value. His most important picture, No. 62, “Bathers,” has excellent decorative qualities, the rich, dark purples of the far bank of the river forming an excellent background for the sunlit bathers in the. foreground.. There is good pattern in this picture. No. GO, “Morning, Nairn Park,” is another pleasing - composition, the recession being ex- ■ cellent, and “In the Afternoon bun. (No. 44) is a most convincing figure study out-of-doors, pleasant in composition and pleasing in colour. No. bl. “The Picnic,” though showing an original outlook, suffers a little from a feeling of flatness. Other pictures by Mr. King show a wealth of knowledge m the handling' of paint. . .. _ _ — Pictures exhibited by Mr. W. S. Wauchop show him to be an. artist of considerable ability with a very personal outlook and a free style. There are gemlike qualities in "The Gold Country (199). which make it, in spite of its modest dimensions, one of the most notable water-colours in the .exhibition. ■ No less interesting, both in composition and harmony of colour, is his “Hokitika . River” (186). . . That this artist is equally successful in another medium is evidenced in his larger oil (41). “Rippling Waters.” The austerity and solidity of the mountain range and the tranquillity of the water are particularly well recorded. Mr. Wauchop is less successful in No. 272, which shows evidence of being too hastily painted. There is an originality of outlook and treatment in the work of Mr. T. A. McCormack which makes his water-colour landscapes of great interest and especial charm. He works very directly, and is . particularly happy in catching passing effects of sunshine and shadow. Always one'feels he has something to say. His works in the present exhibition are small, but none the less appealing. No. 205, “Cloud Shadows,” has a serene beauty in ■ its simple statement, and No. 204, “A Winter Afternoon,” is a vital little picture of the harbour. No. 203. “The Silver Sea.” very delicate with a luminous sky. almost demands that the critic should add. “and always calm and bright.” No. 259. “After Rain.” achieves an impression of wetness and No. 363. “The Pines,” will repay careful scrutiny. Mrs. Eleanor Hughes has sent only one picture No. 313, “Above the Valley. It is a line example of direct water-colour painting; the distance contains an interesting suggestion of detail, and the trees, typical of England, are drawn with consummate skill and a fine sense of pattejSr JL. Palethorpe has a delicate sense’of'colour and design. In his restraint he often achieves a beauty and grace sometimes missing in more vividly arresting pictures. This is the case w)tu No 215, “Pitcaithleys, a rural scene which he has invested with no little charm. The trees are admirably drawn and placed, and the illusion of air has been finely created. No. 234, The Winding River” is well designed, but not so happy in colour. His pastel, “Resting, which shows some cows in a very * green field, contains sound work, but is a little harsh in statement. A Newcomer. Th? naintintr of Mr. Christopher PerfciJs Who has uprooted himself from the wider field of English and Continental art to accept a teaching position in New Zealand wUI claim attention; but the ability of the artist cannot be gauged by

the works under review. Mr. Perkins has made a hasty record of his first impressions. Inadequately framed, they make an interesting contribution to the exhibition. “Tree Ferns” (No. 138). though cold in colour, is a notable picture and the filtration of light through the fern fronds is recorded in a masterly manner, while No. 106, “Man in Blue Coat,” exhibits sound ability in draughtsmanship. It is with interest that we shall look forward to Mr. Perkins’s more considered contributions to future exhibi- • tions. • Further Portraits. In his three interesting portrait studies, Nos. 100, 101, and 105, Mr. Vivian Smith, A.R.C.A., invests his sitters with a wealth of character; but, while being soundly drawn and painted, none can be said to be over-flattering. Perhaps the most successful is “The Blue Smock,” the wearer of which has been graced with an angelic expression which, it is hoped, he richly deserves. The tone values have been recorded in a scholarly manner, and show evidence of wide knowledge. Miss Ida Carey is hardly so well represented among the portraits as she was last year. Her painting is never uninteresting, for she handles her medium vigorously, and her modelling is generally sound; but she tends to over-emphasise # the shadows, especially around the eyes, giving her sitters a worried look. This fault may be observed in both her portrait studies this year, No. 76, “Anne,” and No. 94, “An Old-fashioned Dress.” The former is really well painted, but distressing in colour. Her still life, No. 57, “Treasures.” is a rich note, but her most successful picture is “Home” (No. 125), a little gem that should not be overlooked. Miss Julia Lynch has so many good qualities as a portrait painter that one wishes she had a better sense of colour and composition. All her pictures suffer from the surrounding of the figure with .a large margin of drab, uninteresting canvas which gives an unnecessary sense of isolation to the subject. Sometimes it even gives the effect of her sitters having slipped in their frames, as in Nos. 80 and 90. Such large pictures must be difficult to hang in the modern home. However, she has the faculty of getting a likeness to a marked degree. This is evident in No. 80, “The Custodian,” as all visitors to the exhibition will realise. It is her finest achievement this year and contains some excellent work. No. 90. “F. de J. Clere, Esq..” also attains a good likeness. Miss Lynch interprets childhood well, as her two pictures, Nos. 21 and 22, demonstrate, but both these suffer to some extent from the defects above-mentioned. Two Veterans.

Mr. H. M. Gore is to be congratulated on the three small oils he contributes. Each has the charm of delicate colour combined with poetic feeling. All are painted in a high key, but there is a sense of solidity in them, especially in No. 179, “A Hill Road, Akaroa,” which is a lovely little work. It is well composed. the figure on the road being placed with skill and the illusion of looking down the road to the harbour and the hills beyond is felt by the spectator. No. 178, “On the Waikanae,” and No. 180. “Estuary, New Brighton.” are serene and tranquil little pictures. Mr. W. Menzies Gibb is at his best in the oils in No. 111, “Sunrise, New Brighton,” a sea piece which will appeal to many; but his characteristic picture of sand dunes, No. 216, “New Brighton Coast,” shows him in more vigorous mood. It is crisply painted and very pleasing. Other typical “Gibbs” include No. 190. “Sand and Lupins," and No. 161, “Autunn. Hagley Park.” (To be continued.)