THE SKETCHED ART

Evening Star, Issue 22947, 3 May 1938, Page 7

THE SKETCHED ART

DUNEDIN SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION COKMEHDABLY HIGH STANDARD (Review No. 2.) There are many works uniform in draughtsmanship represented m the annual sketch exhmitiun of the Otago Ait Society, and to be discernible tne lew of liner character have to be good, for it is conceded that tne display this year can itscif be singled out as the best in the history of tne sociccj. Of this select gallery, John V\. Brock’s works are iparticulurly notable, and they emphasise the selectivcness or his brush and the broad vision of ins artistic outlook. He has a Hair for a noble subject and a decided gift tor naturally translating the simplicity of a simple subject. An example of that is ‘Tomahawk Lagoon,’ with its foreground of sandhill and marram grass. 1 Along the Highclilf Road ’ is the piece de resistance of the exhibition. It is a very broad canvas, showing Nature in all her Iresh raiment. Ihe springing turf of the roiling downs fades into the distance, and overhead the scudding clouds are seen. The arrangement of this happy study is mipeccable. The light effects ot sunlight playing with shade are a. conspicuous feature of ‘ Goose Bay, Jiaikoura Coast.’ . Gordon Tovey’s art is very mature, and to the student his ability to apply the correct principles of direct painting without introducing any subterfuge touches is evidence of versatility. Incidentally he is the president or the society. A. M. Darling has depicted the luxurious beauties of D’Urvibo Island in her'three water colours, which have an attractive sparkle. A scene around the Pnrakanni district by 1 hyllis Butler is too sombre, but her ‘ Boat Sheds ’ is more cheerful and is particularly interesting, because it suggests a Japanese print. Without being too formal, the study of Mount Cook lily leaves by M. B. Holloway is very correctly painted, and is shown in a setting of waters that illustrate by their reflective detail a commendable attention to proper perspective. The composition of A. a. M'Millan’s ‘ Chrystall’s Beach’ is good, and the sense of distance and atmosphere is nicely conveyed. The turbulence of a boiling sea is unmistakably interpreted by means of a pencil sketch —a class of work in which the artist (F. Sykes) excels. He is one of the oldest members of the society, and also one of the most experienced. His representations can always be singled out, for ho possesses an originality of expression that is always interesting. The silver birch trees of ‘ The Town Belt ’ water colour throw shadows that are inclined to float, bub the treatment of the trees themselves is very natural, the autumn tints well illustrating the season. There is no solidity about A. Latham’s ‘ The Rock, Butterfield’s,’ but his impression of a reach of the Mataura River is suggestive.of sweet seclusion. This is an example of the painting of the old school. Three floral studies are the work of W. M. Cox, the mayoress, and of these her ‘ Roses’ is more advanced in technique than the others. All show the crispness of direct colouring that is so necessary in water colours. The breakers in both of P. M. Paterson’s oils seem as it they were never to dissipate in foam, but the sky effects are quite natural. The line of leafy sentinels portrayed by Elizabeth M'Crorie is in a setting of a hollow retreat that accentuates their loneliness. This is a clever water colour.

The ‘ Lily Pond, Hamilton,’ by A. de B. Hutton, illustrates a luscious scene, and the painter has used the shades of green very well. The frog gives the study a piquant touch. The church in ‘ Early Morning Scene, New Plymouth,’ in the adjacent picture is too formal, and clashes with the sylvan background. The expanse of the coastal line in John Scott’s ‘ Pipikau Head ’ has been happily suggested. This artist has an eye for the unusual, and where others would have made the picture a failure he has succeeded admirably. The exhibition, which will close on May 11. is housed in the society’s rooms in the Cromwell Chambers, opposite the old Post Office.