ART WORK.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13903, 14 May 1909, Page 6

ART WORK.

GAItVTKG;ON VIEW

The Hon. T. Mackenzie, when lecturing in Tiinaru the other evening, suggested to lus hearers that they all should have .a hobby of some sort to till in spare time. As a hobby winch appeals directly to the home circle, re-lief-carving is one of the best, for it is an important factor in decorative art, and by its aid the home can be made the more beautiful. Carving is one of the subjects taught at the Timaru lecnnical School, and just now there is on view,in Mr Kadcliffe's show window, Beswick street, some specimens of what the pupils at -the school and otheis have done. The teacher is Miss B. K. Hall whose skill and taste are wellknown in education circles in *>f*™Ibo specimens are mostly pieces of iuiniture, kindly lent by the following.— Mrs Millar/ large mirror framed in kauri, and carved in design of grapes and vine leaves; .Kail seat, carved dragons; panel, of blackberries. Mis* Knight, Lull chair, carved dragon. Miss°Holdgate, oval frame, convolvulus and spinning chair. Miss Huggms, hall stand in oak, scrolls and acanthus leaves. Mr Low, mirror, medlar berries and leaves. Mr Irvine, coal vase, dragon. Mrs Hayes, frieze, carved ships and seascapo. Mr G. Campbell, table in incised carving. Mrs Gabitcs, photo frame. A hall seat and umbrella stand have also been kindly lent by Rev Mr Curnow and by Mr Morgan. As • usual when a number of. specimens come together, the skill shown and.the. workmanship generally, vary; this little collection is remarkable for some beautiful work, and some that is very crude. In small articles the panel m blackberries is a gem, the frieze running it very closely, for the latter, though showing delightful work is marred by the timber being so poor in figure. In the large pieces the hall stand is a grand specimen of what can be done in oak, the design is bold and splendidlv executed. The greater part uf the work (taking the specimens as a whole), shows that- firm hands wielded the tools; the lesser portion is rough and uneven. It will be noticed that ladies contribute most of the work. Wood carving is among the easiest of mechanical arts, so a good authority states, and is particularly well adapted to feminine hands. Wc understand that Miss 13. 11. Hall did the designing and the carving was under her skilled supervision. The results of the work are certainly a great credit _ to her, and to those who executed it. It is, however, rather a mistake to let pupils "copy" too much; they should take a hand in designing, and the days of the "dragon',' might then be numbered. !