ART IN BASEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20538, 12 April 1930, Page 6 (Supplement)

ART IN BASEMENT.

WIVES OF AMERICANS.

The wives of American delegates havo been commenting unfavourably upon the dingy and drab exteriors of many of tho Mayfair mansions, with beautiful and luxurious interiors, which they visited during their slay. ,

Tho lion. Mrs. Gordon-Ives, a sister of Lord Ridley, is to change all this by her discovery for brightening the blank walls that are tho only outlook of so many London rooms, states a writer.

Mrs. Gordon-Ives is a pupil at tho Slade School. Ono day she discovered that she could make designs with ordinary oil paint, such as is used by house decorators upon rougli brick walls, which, when varnished, would resist the effect of tho weather. Ono of her first completed works was a 30ft. high wall at tho back of Colonel Dodge's houso in Connaught Street, upon which every window on that sido of tho house looked directly. This was painted by Mrs. Gordon-Ives with a realistic design of a cottage, an inland sea with mountains, ships and a liltlo wood, in tones of orange, brown, bluo and green. At present she is designing a garden scene for the wall at the back of tho Hon. Mrs. Lionel Guest's new house in Stanhope Street. This is to consist of wisteria and roses, with birds 111 flight. " I think that mural painting is going to be the solution of many of tho problems of tho London basement," Mrs. GordonIves told an acquaintance. " Dark kitchens can bo lightened by cheerful paintings on tho basement wall in front of tho window, in colours which throw back the light into the kitchen. " Gardens country scenes and flowers arc most suitable.

" I have treated by bathroom walls in this manner, with paintings of fishes."