SUTER ART SOCIETY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 September 1932, Page 7

SUTER ART SOCIETY

EXHIBITION OF PICTURES OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTORS f • NO. 1. • I ... (Contributed). } In the exhibition this year several tilings strike -the visitor. There is a great variety of styles and technique. This, of course, is as it should be. Each artist must, within limits, develop Ills or her own style. One could wish, hovv- ! ever, that the society had more screens or fewer pictures, as the contrasts “on the same screen and oil the same side of it” (to paraphrase Euclid) are something rather violent. | The standard of technique in water colours is undoubtedly improving. Every years one notices’ an increasing proportion of clean, simple work, good in colour and good in drawing. There is still a proportion of niggled and “tight” work but year by year it. is diminishing. There are, however, quite a number of examples of tendency to run in the opposite direction, and to simplify a foreground into a few weak smudges. While this saves the artist a great deal of trouble it can be overdone. Foregrounds are tiresome and difficult, but there is of course a liappv mean between labouring it too much and not enough. Mrs Tripe lias sent several valuable pictures. “Exile” is a fine piecs of work and students should note how beautifully drawn the hands and arms are'. “The Survivors” (trees) is an interesting picture. A-katarawa Gorge is a well and simply painted little landscape. Mr Nugent Welch has two water colour landscapes, “Coast near Wellington,” and “The Camp, Napier.” His work is so well known that one need say no more except that our budding water colourists should study them closely. Marion Tylee has several pictures hung. She is at her best in “Girl Sewing” and “Pink Pearl.” Students should take note of the brush work, not necessarily for imitation, but as an example of a particular style. She also exhibits four water colours, but I -"refer her oils. Mr Heginbotham has several pictures on the walls, lie lias a style neculiar to himself, and one worth studying,. particularly his method of getting a sense of movement in water—see “Shipping. Dun-, edin,” arid “Saturday Afternoon.” R. Wagborn shows some good water colours, 'Tranquil Waters,” ‘Tn the Southern Alps,” and “Cinerarias.” Some of his sketches would perhaps be improved .by more strength in the foreground, e.g., “Morning from the Eastern Hills.” Marcus King always has some interesting work. He loves- to paint strong contrasts of 'light and shade. Some would say, that he carried it too far. Possibly so, sometimes, but bis vigorous style is very refreshing after some of the feeble drawing and colouring that ono sees. ■ The visitor should not miss his work, and should contrast it with i> e work of an artist of the opposite type on the other side of the same screen. Sydney Higgs lias some good work in “Looking Westward” especially. Anyone who lias tried to paint facing the sun (“into the light”) will appreciate that picture. “Totara Landscape” also is excellent. ’ Miss D. R. Richmond lias a variety of pictures on the wall and screens. She excels in still life, “Spray of Isabel Rose” for example. “Haymaking” is good. “Lake Rotoiti” is less successful, and has an unfinished foreground. Marjorie Rasmussen’s work shows great promise. She lias two nice sketches of poplars and ornamental water. If one who is not entitled to give it, may venture a word of advice he would say, do not be carried away too much by the present-day simplification. The Early and Mid-Victorians went to one extreme and painted everything they saw in hard focus. Nowadays we are leaving too much out sometimes, at least I think so. Esmond Atkinson lias a number of sketches on the screens, and his work is popular. Some of bis landscapes would I think he improved by greater strength and body. They seem to lack solidity and the gradation of tones from foreground to distance is certainly not their best feature. Mr Money has a number of pictures of Kashmir. I like the framed one with the mountains in the background best, but they all afford our local students good examples of clean handling of water colour. They are all good and the subjects interesting and well chosen. Carl Risberg has a handsome picture of Wellington Harbour. Mr H. L. Cole sends exhibits in several media, including pen and ink, and sepia wash. The best of these are .“Dawn, Port Nicholson,” and “Flood Waters,” evidently the Ganges, with a stern-wheel shallow draught steamer ferrying across and figures on the bank. Muriel C. Wilson exhibits some excellent etchings, as also does E. J. D. Turner, who also shows “The Palace of the Popes, Avignon” in aquamint—a fine piece of work. John Oakley, Christchurch, sends three or four attractive oil paintings curiously different in style and manner from one another. He also exhibits a portrait in chalk, and has a wide range of knowledge. “Lot’s Wife” and “The Tannery, Nelson,” are also good pictures. Mrs Brockett has fewer exhibits than usual, but what there is is good. She is particularly good at mountain scenery. E. L. Prince, “Primroses.” is good, as also are Nellie T. King’s “Fruit,” Vera Resberg’s “Gold and Blue,” and S. Hudson’s “Rimu Trees.” One cannot do better than to recommend the reader to examine the walls and screens for himself (or herself). Ho will find much to interest him in comparing and contrasting the work of the various artists.