SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 8

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

AMONG "THE PICTURES

As is invariably the case, there are considerably more water-colours in the exhibition than oils, and, also as is usually the case, the proportion of works tliat are mediocre is larger. The reason probably is that dabblers in art consider that water-colour painting is very much easier than working in oil, and choose it as the medium through which to express their particular ideas and inspirations. As a matter of fact, it is probably easier to turn out moro effective work in oils than in water-colour, and these who fly to the latter medium are often sadly undone. It is very plain—after a glance round the gallery —that some aspirants are exceedingly unlikely to turn out anything worth while in either medium; then thero is a good deal of work which shows more or less promise—sometimes there is a very nice little piece of colour in an otherwise unimpressive picture that redeems it to a certain extent, and, last but not least, there are the pictures which compel one to pause and examine them with care and genuine admiration. To follow the kindly guidance of the catalogue onco again, wo come firstly to some of Mr E. W. Payton's work, tucked away among the oils. He has several pictures in the gallery, six, to be accurate, but none is better than No. 5, "The Chief's Yacht," a peaceful little study of an ancient Maori canoe, soft in tone and admirable in colour. Mr Pa,yton's other work shows a good appreciation of the quiet in art. and the in nearly every case is good, llrs Tripe's water-colours arei not as satisfying as her work in oil, and ..of the five she shows, the portrait of Mrs J. M. A. Ilott and her son (No. 87) is easily the_ best, though there is a rather nice piece of colour in No. 218, "The Top of the Hill." The samo remark applies to Mr F. Sedgwick, whose water-colours are inclined to be weak, though there is something quite attractive in his "Wind-swept Hill." In the' "Springtime of Life" Mr S. Rankin has failed to xnakc the most of a fairly good idea; the draughtsmanship seems to have broken down a # little, and is not very certain. Mr Oliver Pocock shows considerable versatility in his pictures, and probably his most successful one is No. 95, "Early Mornincr Tea," in which the colouring is designedly bright, and the_ whole picture treated rather decoratively. In his other pictures, particularly the two of Birch Hill House, tho treatment is unpleasantly hard, and the colour inclined to bo crude in places. Airs Pocock has as good a selection of her work in this exliibition as has ever been shown, and she shows a nice sense of colour and charming feeling. Her two best pictures are probably No. 253, "Vanity," and No. 104, "A Garden on the Sand," and a quaint little conception (No. 194) is worth more than a passing glance. Miss E. M. Munday has a careful and well-composed picture in "The Old Stone Bridge, Cashmere," which is easily the best of the five she shows. The colour in this picture is quite good, whereas in some of her other work it is inclined to be muddy and unpleasant. Mr E. Bartley has four pictures hung, three being lanscape and one a study af a girl's head. , They are clean and delicate in colour, and in No. 97, "Quietude," there is a charming aerial effect. The studv of totara trees from the-same brush is an Excellent one. Miss M. 0. Stoddart's pictures are always eagerly looked for. Her reputation as a painter of flowers is. solidly upheld by two exceedingly nice studies of roses, quite in her best style. Her landscape work is perhaps not quite so satisfying and her command of colour seems limited. Certainly one of her best is No. 101, "Morning Sunlight, Mt. Pleasant." It is a little thing, but there is a remarkable effect in it of pale watery sunlight which is wholly admirable. Mr C. X. Worsley is one of the surest and most skilful painters who exhibit in Christchurch, and he has a ripe experience which is usually lacking m the majority of exhibitors. For all that, ono cannot say that the selection of his work that is hung is fully representative of his best. He has several Italian scenes that leave one singularly cold, as does his large picture of Auckland Harbour, though in this he has a fine'sky. Undoubtedly his brat work is No. 103, "Babington, Warwickshire," which is stronger, of a richer colour, and altogether more satisfactory. Mr W. Menzies Gibb, who is usually rather more successful in watercolours than, in oils, has several particularly nice pictures displayed. The one that is the most pleasing in every way is No. 107, "The Lagoon, Collaroy, N.'S.W." This is a quiet composition, but very .pleasant in colour and arrangement. Two other prominent works are No. 108—in which there are some good cloud effects —and No. 136, "The Beach, Narrabeen, N.5.W.," which has ■ caught the spirit of a wind-swept expanse rather well. Mr H. N. Hawker exhibits several of his attractive landscapes, but his work this year, though clean m colour, as usual, strikes one as being not quite so effective as at some previous exhibitions. On the other hand Mr A. E. Baxter has grown in power perceptibly. He has eight works hung—uneven in character and merit, it is true—but the best of them are distinctly good. In No. 117.' "Sunset, Utira Gorge," the painter has caught the colour of the mysterious bushclad valley splendidly, and the whole picture lias nice feeling, and is very well handled. Mr A. F. Nicoll lias a style unlike any other painter in the exhibition, and a remarkably gcod stvle it is. JJree and simple nnd broad, tho effect is ver y g o °d- _ His best efforts in the present exhibition are No. 303 ''Arab Houses, ' a nice pieco of warm colour, and Ao. 321, Gossips, at Coneariieau. M lwo of Miss Beatrice Wood's pictures ar eamong the best water-colours in the exhibition She also has a distinctive sjyle,. and , an eye for quiet but very effective colour No. 129. "Tho River, near Pullborough, Sussex," and No. 230 are her best, and thev ar© well worth careful study. Miss Violet Nelson, in JNo. 14/ . has a very delicate child study a pencil sketch, faintly tinted. Miss Nelson can draw, and her skilful pencil, j guided by a quaint imaginative sense, lias produced three charming pictures in Nos. 260, 269, and 270. Miss Daisy Osborne is another exhibitor who wields a? original and pleasing pen. She shows several quaint fantasies most daintily executed." Mr Alfred Sinclair has two nice Australian river scenes, in which there is some good colonr, and also shows an effective studv of bluegums. Mrs Wallwork's two miniatures are of rare delicacy. Mr Bowring is not quite so striking in his water-colour work -as in his oils. Ho has some rather nice little land and i seascapes, affectinnr body-colour in some of his pictures. _ One, No. 257, "Sand and Sunshine,-' 1 is a daring conception— a vivid splash of colour, very effective, which met, liowever, with a" mixed reception. Mr L. Booth's black-and-white work is strong and masterly, and he is very successful in this most difficult of mediums. Mrs Madge Tennant's mo«|_ outstanding work in the smrj! /com is a charming drawing in red chalk, very delicate and sympathetic. Mr <C- Eyle's pen work in Nos. 277 and 278 is remarkably good, and he has managed to obtain gradations of tone in excellent fashion. Miss D. K. Richmond has a series of attractive quayside sketches in rather original style, which nro worth attention, and Mrs J. G. Collius's silhouettes are an exceedingly clever revival of an almcst lost art. Mr Cyrus Williams, whose statuettes carved in wood have , been a welcome feature of j the past few exhibitions, shows two this year. "Phryne" nnd "Galatea." Tho former is the more pleasing of the two, the anatomy of the latter being accentuated more than is actually necessary in a figure of this character. Miss H. j. Edgar shows a well-executed piaster cast, No. 346, though the drooping eyelids are; inclined to idve a rather deathly

expression to the mask. The cast shown by Mr W. T. Trethewey is bold and vigorous. Miss C. Dixon and Miss M. Todd show some excellent examples of copper work, embossed leather work, silver work, and jewellery, and there is some worthy work in the students' section also. »■