ART NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 13

ART NOTES.

SOME NOTES ON LANDSCAPE PAINTING. The art of landscape.painting has been expounded theoretically in so many different ways that it is difficult for one to arrive at a conclusion as to the proper application of the varying right methods. All the matter one reads does not seem to go beyond the individual feelings of the writer in his use of paint, and how ho does paint, and there being no short cut to “ landscape painting in the true sense,” one can only attain satisfactory results by practice from nature. Ruskin’s writings about lumei fall short of imparting anything but word methods which are wanting, as far as application goes, because a man may write pages, as Rusk in has done, and still he as far away from being able to paint pure landscape' as Ruskin lias shown in his attempts to imitate Turner. It is therefore with pleasure that we should turn from those unhelpful influences to the real book of nature and put our thoughts and hands into practice.

Nature is the ever-varying paragon on which we should base our practical lessons, and Constable, the real founder of the present French and English schools of landscapists, and liis disciple, Cecil Lawson, never lost a moment which they could put to good use, participating in naturo’s beauties and mysteries, and with such raro results that the works will live as transcripts of pure natural beauty in landscape lacking, as they do, that curse to art “ meretricious detail.” Their works are full of individuality, air and light, sometimes calm and sunshine, sometimes storm and rain.

Y, r e should have a good school in Now Zealand of artists, having their stories to tell to the world, and it is necessary to liavo it well founded. Therefore, I say, learn to draw, aud then learn to look for colour in light and shade, not as common eyes see them, but as naturo tells you individually it is.

It is an artist’s mission to teach the uninitiated to look at naturo not as a camera, but in a broad sense, whenco conies tho grandeur. Assumption on the part of outsiders to dictate the right and wrong of art to artists, is a great hindrance to tho New Zealand ac vanco ; because some of tho less educated men, who call themselves artists, have, in a cowardly way, knuckled down to tho outsider or market patron, who. encourages him to copy weakly any little success which “ catches ou ” in a “ pretty ” way.

Landscape painting does not mean view painting, as is pretty generally believed, and iu painting portraits of places a dangerous trap is laid for young aspirants who want to be picture painters ere they learn the basis, viz., drawing in an artistic way.

Copying pictures of places means utter destruction to one’s individuality, as wo gain a weak experience from tho “flat” and have no idea of tho reason for a colour or lone, a light or shade, because ono paints not what he might see in naturo for himself but through tho. eyes of the other man who did tho original. Learn drawing first of all, then go to nature, stay with her and she will teach you why you should not paint snow peaks like tho tenth of a saw. Constable, Corot-, Lawson, and many others I could mention, would never liavo thought of painting Tho bounds. J. M. Nairn.