N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 7, 3 October 1917, Page 6

N.Z. ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

NOTES ON THE PICTURES (By "Tlie Lay Figure/') THE OILS (Continued). Mr. n. M. Gore paints along sound lines. He has a keen eye for composition, his drawing is sound without being obtrusive, and his colour pleasing without being loud. His small pictures have a quiet and refujed appearance, and should look pleasant.and appropriate on. the walls of dr..wing looms, where doubtless many will, as heretofore, find nresting place. He tends, however, to repeat himself, and one generally finds the typical "Gore" sky, a mass of light grey with the usual little break of blue inserted wherever the composition demands. The treatment of the distance ifr in.neai'ly every case based on un unchanging formula* whilst' in the foreground the clump of rushes, and the cou-. v ple of light-coloured stones are introduced. This year I like best his "Poliara Beach" (No. 279). Another picture,, a Motueka. scene (274). is undeservedly skied. ... An old and Dver-welcom,o Mr. C. H. Howarth, sends a.sound and..: convincing Alpine landscape, "Mount Cook, From the Hermitage" (No. 205), interesting topographically, but not to be compared for artistic quality with his quiet, rural scene "Belmont, Wanganui" (580), in which there is an appealing tenderness of feeling and to < which, I am glad to notice, the all-imp'ortant red ticket has already been attached. Some years ago, Mr. E. Procter, once> of Christchurch, but 'now a' resident oF Auckland, visited Italy. He has .painted many Italian scenes since: This gives us .a picturesque figure study, "At: the Well, Sorrento" (200), in which therei is some rich, mellow colour) a somewhat conventional Neapolitan scene; with the inevitable Vesuvius smoking in the background; two Venetian canal scenes, of which "The Grand Canal, Moonlight" (258) is the better, and a street scene at Bavello (262) is by-far his best contribution this year. All these Italian, pictures are attractive enough in their way, but Mr. Procter might give his old sketch book a well-deserved rest, and. turn his attention to New Zealand subjects. • . Next to Mrs. Kelly's '.fine:. picture,' "Summer," hangs a portrait by. Dorothy Turner, No. 195, which is well-deserving of attention. The modelling of the lady's face is excellent, and the flesh tones are ■well harmonised. There is also some sound work in the painting of the furs. Another outsider, from whom we have had some promising work in past years, is Mr. A. S. -Wood. He sends but one picture, "A Dull Day" (235), but it is so distinctly strong ;ind .good that one would fain nave had more from the same brush.- Like too inany "pictures this year, it suffers from being "over-framed.' , Mr. C Hay Campbell, of' Wanganui, sends two quite delightful portrait studies, of children. "Mary" (246) is distinct: ly good. Tho other, "Olive Allan" (243) euffers from' a cbrtain crudity of colourin the cheeks. The pose, however, is delightful. Of Mr. Campbell's other contributions, "Somewhere in France" (211),. a war pictures-two soldiers supporting a. wounded coinrade—will please many visitors to the exhibition, but it is rather too suggestive of the' illustrated weeklies. I much prefer "A Cottage on the Marsh" (249) which deserved a. better position. The drawing is weak in "The College Ground, Wanganui" (286), but the colour is good. , , . A young and very promising Onnetchurch artist, Mr. W. S. Wauchope, is easily at his best (in this section in his moonlight and water .scene. (No. 240). The moon is just a trifle obtrusive, but thepoetic feeling of the composition is undeniable. Mr. Wauchope- also sends an. ambitious landscape, "Mount Tβ Kianga >57) The background is all that coiila, be desired, but there is too much muntesting foreground, which might Dave figure study, the subject taken I presume, from Maori mythology is Mr Tiller's "Hmauri" (No. 302). xms is quite the best work .this artist, a young; Wellingronian, has yet done, and well merits being purchased for he perm|n- «• ier ftJjSg freedom from conventional outlook and wmm is another^logl Ss?Sffffi3i SilSlfi tackled the "gMing ß' too, is studies ia the s^7p^or fK a^S^ % W V' (oL P^ which the figures are of Mff-fc i£ successful, u oth/'Uib S of these artists. (To be Continued;)