TECHNICAL SCHOOL AT WORK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1088, 14 February 1918, Page 6

TECHNICAL SCHOOL AT WORK.

AN INTERESTING EXHIBITION

After seeing the exhibit of art work at Turner's, by students of the Palmorstcm North Technical School, one cannot but be convinced that work of great value is being accomplished in the art classes at the local institution, and that the basic idea, oi technical education—to prepare- pupils to perform work of practical value to the community—is being fully carried out. The exhibits consist, of fine art work, such at paintings iti oil alid water colour, craft work and leather embossing, industrial work (which includes ticket writing and stenciling on fabrics), and modelling- in clay and plaster. The examples shown include, some exceedingly tine and delicate work, and prove that" in this branch of technical education the Palmcrston School is well to the fore. The work has all been done under the tutorship of Mr 0. H. Elliott, A.M.S.K., who has had charge of the art section of the school for a. number of years, and the fact that numbers of the school pupils have taken up• important positions in other art schools reflects great credit on his capability as it teacher.

Of the works on exhibition the paintings include three landscape sketches from nature by Misses Lynch and McLean. on< of the' former's, a delicate water colom sketch, is a beautiful; piece of work, and was awarded first prize at the Palmcrston Show. Miss McLean's, picture is her first essay from nature, and shows good tonal \alue, tho distance being particularly tine. Miss Lynch also shows some local sketches done at the Saturday afternoon naturt class, and these again displaythe delicati work of this clever young artist. Leading up to this work are the still life and watei colours, which include a. small sketch b\ Miss McLean, and two more, important works by Misses Harrison and Lynch, whicl show the advantage of study in colour anc composition in preparation for the Una. goal—landscape work. In lifework Mis: Lynch shows a very lino head of a young ma.n in chalk, it; which the tones and fori) are well rendered. In this work sufficient time is always given to make a t boroughl\ careful study, but in order to attain practice and quickness in the work, f inn sketches of figures in action are oftei: taken, one sheet of these in pencil and colour being shown by Miss Lynch. Somi clever sketches by Mis s Hewett, in watei colour, as,-designs for illustration work ar< good in composition and prove that this student, possesses distinct talent for this class of work, while another drawing- fron the figure in pencil, by Miss Lynch, show: good proportion. In the monochrome paint ing section are shown a. head from the cas of Venus and a group of cherubs' head from the cast, theso'being the work of Mis Callanan, a former student of the classes and now assistant art instructress in th Auckland Technical College. Both th paintings reveal the delicate perception pos sesscd by this .gifted young lady artist, an< are two of the- gems of the collection. Another important feature of the ar classes is the modelling" and casting work and the examples shown from this Depart ment are. perhaps, the most interesting of the whole collection. The detail and ex pression of the work, as shown in the tw< heads from life, is wonderful, and impart: to the casta quite a life-like appearance. 0 those, the two busls in plaster, by Misse: Callanan and Lynch, aro considered to b tho finest examples of plaster work t timet out from the sdiool, and they have obiainec first prizes wherever they had been shown In the craft work section, the students, as at introduction to designing, are taught tc draw from simple plant forms, and al. designs made are from the originals. 'l've line exhibits of leather embossed hand bags are shown, as examples of this work, ant the bags are not. only useful, but are also beautiful pieces of artistic designing. The majority of students in the art craft classes are learning- the ground work of tin glaziers and decorators, and jewellery trades and illustrating for window and show-card advertising. Much of the .work alroadj turned out compares more than favourable with that of the skilled artisans of tliest trades. Three, students showing- in this section are 11. Voyce, E. Watson, and C Foster, whose work shows lite result of careful training, the designs being equally fit to be exhibited in any window. The balanw of the collection is made'up with a numbei of paintings from the brush of Mr G. H. Elliott, in water colour and oil. all of which but further serve to show his great, capabilities a s an all round artist. .Mr Elliott has always striven to imbue his pupils with the idea, that sentiment, and not men photography-like exactness, is the soul of painting, and his picture, "Sunset through Smoke - ' conveys a subtle idea to his meaning, containing, as it does, a wonderful atmosphere, redolent of one of nature's most beautiful mood-. The head of Mephistophelcs is another exceedingly fine piece of work, displaying' good technique, and a. fine sense of proportion, while the sardonic 1 expression so well produced imparts to the picture a life-like appearance which could only be infused by an artist <>f rare skill. Several other landscapes by Mr Elliott tire shown, both finished works and sketches, all of whicl'. give further proof of his versatility, especially as a water-colour artist. As an example of all-round modern art work, the. exhibition is one that must be highly commended, representing- a.s it does the every-day work- of the school students. The highly creditable naturt' of the productions shows that the students love their work, and are not daunted by the fact that "art. is long." while they have such a. well equipped art department, and such a capable instructor to help them forward in their work.