THE ART SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16508, 25 March 1914, Page 7

THE ART SOCIETY.

ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

AMONGST THE PICTURES

THE WATER-COLOURS

The art of painting in water-colour is, perhaps, the eldest of all forms of painting. In fresco, tempera and other devices used by the ancient decorators, water was the chief medium. Since that time there has been a long list of water-colour painters, but to Girtcn and Turner the world owes the important position water-colour occupies now. It has grown from the stage of the tinted' drawing to the full tone and depth of cil painting. In the hands of a modern master like Lee Hankey water-colour attains the strength of oil-colour, and yet loses nothing of its own charm cf delicacy and transparency. In no medium is there greater possibilities of variety of treatment, and it is for this that the watercolour section cf tho Canterbury S ■•- ciety of Arts exhibition is so interestin £.

T!'i3 water-colour art of Mrs E. Hughe:; is essentially that of the later rchcol, that, of full tone, and her pictiiro cf a Ccrnisli cottage is an example of tlia strength and depth water-colour can give in the hand? of a capable exponent. Mrs Hughes in this picture has grasped what was requisite to explain her motive, and to the main idea she has subordinated all those minor details which, if they had been obtruded, would have obscured the moaning of the subject. This little picture telb well from any part of the gallery, and yet is interesting at close quarters. It is well drawn, full of light, and pleasing in colour. The three other picture? by the samo artist are equally interesting in design, though, perhaps, not as important from the point of view of subject.

MissM. 0. Stoddsrt-sends eight small pictures, all well composed and interesting in manner and subject. Her work " Snowdrifts, Yorkshire,'' possibly will appeal most because of its simplicity of execution and charm of colour. The cold feeling of snow and the general wintry atmosphere is beautifully felt. " Within Sound of the Sea " is another successful picture. Into this Miss Stoddart has infused a delicate, romantic atmosphere, which gives a fine poetic feeling and impression of the spirit of Nature. Mr Owen Morton again sends some clever work, of which "Coucarncan" perhaps is the most important. The tones and colour values in this picture aro well conceived, and the general handling is crisp and direct. Other notable pictures by the same artist are "Tho Moor's Castle, Ouate, Spain," and "The C'otswclds, Gloucester, '.both of which have a fine feeling of space. Mr R. Herdman-Smith is well represented with eight water-colours, delightfully treated. As a matter of fact. ''The Market Place, Rouen," claims the most ■ prominent position in the water-colour section of the exhibition. The fine old church of St Ouen is shown bathed in sunlight, while the approach to tho church, a narrow street, is in strong shadow. The contrast between light and shade at the end of the street makes a very effective focal centre. Everything else in the picture has been treated in a way that will not weaken this first impression. There is a wealth of detail in the old buildings and refined colours throughout. Composition, drawing and colour have been handled cleverly, showing that the artist is a keen observer and a master of his medium. Mr Herdman-Smith's other pictures a»e smaller, but all are charming and exquisite specimens of colour. There are eight pictures by Mr C. N. Worsley. In " Waning Summer, Sussex," which is his most successful achievement, he has reached a high level. His work, though masterly in the handling of the medium, very often lacks solidity. He is inclined at tunes to treat his edges in a thin manner; but in this picture he has presented a beautiful composition, full of colour, powerfully painted. In " Innsbruch, Austrian Tyrol," there is a suggestion of thinness which is apt to take away the weight of the buildings and give them a papery feeling. " Bridge Mill, Shropshire," is an interesting subject, in which a fine atmospheric feeling pervades. The river, with its limpid water and the great trees upon its banks, gives a sense of repose to the cluster of houses bathed in the quiet evening light. Amongst the too few figure subjects in water-colours Mr Edwin Bartley's picture " The Connoisseur," stands alone. It is an entirely pleasing picture, well drawn, and good in colour. His picture of a girl's head also has a fine scheme of colour running through it. "The Cabbage Patch" and "Mount Peel" are other interesting little pictures by the same artist. Mention must be made in this section of the three delicate pastel portraits by Mrs R. Walhvork. In all three there is a charm of colour, combined with excellent modelling and sound drawing, and there are character and portraiture as well. There are several impressionistic studies, with a good feeling for light and atmosphere, in the exhibits of Miss E. S. Barker. The little work, "Westminster from St James's Park," is very happy. There is a feeling of unrest in "The White Wall Saas Grand," caused by a lack of squareness in treatment. Figure draughtsmanship evidently is not Miss, Barker's strong point, for, wherever figures have boen introduced, they feel short and heavy. Mr A. W. Walsh sends several of his characteristic harbour subjects, but this time his work lacks the go and breeziness of former years. Mr A. E. Baxter has two very delicate and pleasing studies' of New Zealand mountain scenery in the manner of the older school of British water-colour. " Low Tide, Porirua," by Mr N. Welch, is a well composed and excellently painted little subject. Miss B. Wood s mite is a welcome addition to the water-colour section this year; her work is of the decorative order, simple in tone and good in colour. Miss D. K. Richmond has a very interesting subject in " A Summer Afternoon, 'Wairoa Gorge, Nelson," in which she depicts New Zealand scenery in a decorative way. Her picture of Wellington Harbour from behind Day's Bay is another example of what can be accomplished with simple means when treated in the right way. Mr E. W. Pftyton has changed his type of subjects this year, with a certain amount of success. His work is still hard and edgy. Mr Frank AVright sends two of his 'highly-polished New Zealand bush subjects, somewhat dry in feeling and lacking in atmospheric qualities. Mrs Oliver Pocoek has eight delicately treated little pictures, each with a certain charm of maimer that makes them pleasing. Mr Oliver Pocock's work lacks atmosphere ; his picture, " A Hot Day, New Brighton," is hard and dry in its technique Mr H. S. Wauchop has several interesting subjects. Tho one entitled " From the Hillside,' Wellington," has a pleasing arrangement of light, and the colour is well balanced throughout. Miss Hilda Edgar shows several cleverly handled sketches. She evidently works with a full brush, and gets the liquid quality possible in the medium. The large work entitled " A Cornish Landscape," by Mr R. M. Hughes, is not as happy as it might be. There is a ! peculiar shape in the sky, a white cloud I that is out of the plan of the rest of the sky; the lower sky does not seem part of the upper sky, there being too sudden a change in the colour passages, I resulting in dividing the sky into two distinct effects. T£a lower sk,y could

be very easily taken for a lake containing several islands, and the clouds for hills. ' Otherwise there is some beautiful drawing in the stems of the trees in tho immediate foreground. Two water colours by Mr G. P. Nerli, the painter or the picture'of the figures of a man and a woman driving a number of turkeys in the permanent collection, aro very disappointing. After the strong work -Mr iVcrli did in New Zealand a few years ago. it is hard to believe that the " Gld Street, Nice,'' is by the same hand. Tho drawing is very shaky, and tho colour thin and poor in quality. The subject, " Kensington Palace," is littlo if anything better. Miss Mabel Hill has several works of merit in the exhibition. The ono entitled " In the Studio," a portrait of an artist at work, is a cleverly balanced composition. It is somewhat forced in the darks, especially in the eyes and shadow from the nose; these feel black and colourless. Mr Menzies Gibb's two water colours are small, but contain quite a great deal of interest. " North Shore, Auckj land," is a quiet grey scheme of colour well managed. Miss iiosa Rower exhibits a number of studies of flower gardens, bright in colour and very careful in drawing. Her colour combinations are at times somewhat garish. Sho does not quite realise the value of greys, particularly in shadows. The general colour quality of a shadow is grey, or a shadow should bo cool in colour when compared with a light. There is some extraordinary work in the fantasy, " In the Land of Do-As-You-Please: A Mixed Party," by Mr James P. Quinn. It is a very grotesque piece of work, and weak in form, yet there is an attempt at something, an idea, at least, treated after the manner of Arthur Rackam, partly in outline and partly in colour. It falls short not on account of the idea, but, evidently, from the artist's lack, of technical skill with which to express his thoughts. His illustration to Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" is better, simply because it is less ambitious. Miss Daisy Osborn's illustrations, like her flower studies, are refined in feeling. She undoubtedly has the ability to make a successful illustrator. Her simple noster-liko treatment of colour and line would appeal strongly to children much in tho same way as tho late Miss Kate Greenaway's illustrations did. It is to bo regretted that there is so littlo opportunity to put this form of art to practical use in New. Zealand. The quality of tho water colour section is very high this year. Amongst the other contributors who must not by anv means be overlooked are Mr C. A. Dunn. Mrs B. D. Dunn, Miss 0. Packer, Mrs T. G. R. Blunt, Miss Helen Gibson. Miss C. Wilding, Miss Wimperis and Mrs C. Sawtell.