MR. J. C. VEITCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 22 (Supplement)

MR. J. C. VEITCH.

This artist was born in the garrison town of Stirling, Scotland. His father was a soldier, and his early life was spent in various towns in England and Scotland. He received a good deal of encouragement in his study of drawing from the officers and men of the different garrisons, and when in Glasgow he had a good opportunity to study in the Glasgow School of Art. At the close of the year 1874, when about 21 years of age, he was attracted to New Zealand owing to the many accounts which appeared in the different Home papers at that time. His father being unwilling to let him go, he worked his passage in the emigrant ship Invercargill. During the next three years he did a good deal of " roughing it," principally in North Otago. He then returned to the Old Country, and revisited London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Returning to the colony he took an engagement with the late John L. Hall, in the old Gaiety Theatre, and afterwards in the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, where he assisted the scenic artist, Colin M'Kay. In this way he first started to paint. Losing his engagement he drifted back to station life, but a horse fell on him and left him lame for life in 1879. During all these ups and downs Mr Veitch's pencil gave amusement to men of all conditions, the walls of his hut being profusely decorated with sketches, and his talent for caricaturing making many evenings pass pleasantly-

Pictures of the examples of Mr Veitch's art presented to our readers. The one entitled "At Home," represents two tigers with a jungle background. The study of the tigers (which were confined in one cage) was made at the HarmstonLove Circus, and the painting is now in the possession of Mr John Preece, Christchurch. The larger of the two is the portrait of the famous tiger " Duke." The second picture represents the Prince Imperial in Zululand, the central figure being enlarged from a print a little over an inch in length The Zulus in the foreground were sketched from life. The tiger studies were painted partly in the studio and partly in the circus. The latter place Mr Veitch visited in the early morning, when one or both of the animals were always on the move, which made their portrait painting very difficult. " Duke " was a very friendly animal, but as he had already killed one man the painter did not like to take any advantage of his seeming friendliness, though the manager of the circus

surely, we need not disturb the ashes of a primitive king to find a reason for the custom when perhaps a better one is right before our eyes. " When," says Puck, "we discover a pair of bright eyes sparkling with saucy invitation, a soft cheek, crimson with a demurely unconscious blush, and ripe led lips forming themselves into an acquiescent point, we are not obliged to go poking around in savage graveyards to find out why we kiss under the mistletoe. We kiss under the mistletoe for the same reason that we kiss on the back parlour's sofa or under the hall lamp just as we are saying ' good-night ' if we are sure that her mother isn't looking over the balusters. And when the merry Christmas bells ring crisply on the ear, we kiss the girls under the mistletoe, not, as may be meanly suggested, because they expect it and we are too courteous to disappoint them, but simply and solely because we can't help it. And we wouldn't if we could."