AN ARTIST'S IMPRESSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14854, 4 December 1911, Page 8

AN ARTIST'S IMPRESSIONS.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. -. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] Stdnet, November 29. Sous impressions ■ regarding New Zealand Australia from' an artist's standpoint havo been given to : the Sunday Times by Mr. J. Douglas Perrett, of Auckland, whose pictures of New Zealand scenery are well-' j known and admired. "! "There is unlimited scope for both landscape and ; figure- painting 'in new Zealand," Mr. Perrett . said :r.: " especially; painting scenes of Maori life, because the ; Maoris aro very fond of colour, and seem always to look artistic in whatever they; wear. They-t adorn, themselves in ;> many colours, in which white people could never d»re make an appearance, and yet, by reason of their darker skin, offer ever-ready material for the artist. The general scenery of New Zealand is wonderfully , varied. There are the" hot lakes, and geysers, and the rivers of the " North Island, which are entirely different to the scenery of the cold lakes and sounds of the South Island." "Docs the Dominion attract many artists from' overseas?"^ . "No, very few. But I fully expect that some day English and Continental artists will look that way for subjects." <: "Have they not all been covered?" " Decidedly not; there are plenty of ■ places where a. white man has not yet trod that must hold goms for the painter of pictures. My own impression is that wo . havo not yet started properly, on the West Coast Sounds, although I have heard complaints that they have been overdone We New Zealanders are so wrapped up in' our, own scenery that people might think we do not observe the beauties of this 'country; but we do. : Naturally, we are greatly im- ; pressed by the bigness and vastness of things here.' I have painted a number of , sketches both hero and in victoria, and I mlist say that some of the scenery, is magnificent; and in some respects quite different from what I have been used to." ,r : > "'Do the '.'.-, atmospheric conditions ' vary much?" ; ' " " Yes, considerably. There is a clarity about the Now Zealand atmosphere which does not permit of the work possible under the more hazy conditions of this, country. Altogether, there js a weird expansivenoss about Australia which is distinctively impressive; while, ai for your : wild-flowers, they at times seem to provide a beautiful and multi-coloured carpet. We havo nothing like them in the Land, of the Moa." v-