ENGLISH WATER COLOURS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19803, 31 May 1926, Page 2

ENGLISH WATER COLOURS.

A MODERN SCHOOL. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 23. What la known as the Modern English Water-Colour Society Is holding Its fifth exhibition at the present time. It has a New Zealand Interest In that the distinguished painter, Mrs Eleanor Hughesg Is showing three of her pictures there. This, however, does not mean that her technlque is one and the same as that Qt tb'a modern school. Some four years ago Mr Bthelbert White, Mr Charles Ginner, Messrs John and Paul Nash, and Mr E. Wadsworth banded together with the Idea of consolidating some of the Ideas that were prevalent In regard to water-colour drawing. Amongst these new Ideas Is the great insistence In true drawing are distinct from the method of emphasising atmosphere and paying little attention to form. But ptobably a more important point Is the rhythmic design of the picture. Whereas a true copy of Nature might have little or no special design, the new school attempts to see a design in Nature, or. If not there, to put It there. Thus, we see In the sketches of this school a circle made by prominent features In the landscape, a zigzag apparent from the foreground to the background, or a series ot symmetrical curves. Every line Is put down Intentionally and with a purpose, and not accidentally, as In Nature. The result Is interesting, but not always true to life. The object aimed at, no doubt. Is to preserve the rhythmic design of the picture and at the same time be true to life. It Is among this distinguished group of painters that Mrs Hughes now finds herself. While she Is a master of detail, she has never adopted the rythmic principle ot design. She can hardly, therefore, be called a follower of the new school. On this occasion she exhibits three Cornish scenes. “The Cottage Among the Elms” gives her the opportunity of exercising her great skill In tree design, and “ Cornish Elms ” again provides that opportunity. Both these works stand out among the 42 other sketches on exhibition, but she has produced Nature faithfully as she found It and looked for no rhythmic design. “A China Clay Pit ” Is a clever sketch of one of Nature’s scars. It Is a dlverslan from her usual studies, but It shows that she can do well in other directions. . , Mrs Hughes Is at present getting work ready for an exhibition she Is holding In Christchurch next August.