A GIFTED MAN

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1932, Page 8

A GIFTED MAN

VARIED WORKS OF ART. , v ■ . V . • \ ' ••• ' STEWARDS STRANGE HOBBIES. , ’ . . SYDNEY, July 30. Air J. -Shoubridge, one of the stew- • hras on the Shaw - SaviM, and, Albion motor-ship Taranaki, which i reached v Sydney last wepk ’ from Liverpool, is a man of parts. In his watch below he passes :tni& time -with ‘his many, .hobpies, which inc.udp’ painting \vitn his fingers, needlework, carpentry, and tlje construction of jinodei buildings from dough, ship’s matches, and card*, noard. r ' . .-I , At Sydney he proudly displayed a model church, compuet/i, with, spire, clock tower, in which a, real clock bhowi ied the correct time, memorial windows, and graveyard; It was made almost' entirely of dough, set hard, and strengthened by large match sticks, .n addition to being decorative, he pointed out, it served a double purpose. To jllustpaite the fact, he 1 turned,an eiectric light switch, which flooded the model with light from within. The memorial windows were only coloured paper, hand-painted, but they proved, realistic. From the entrance porch poured forth a soft white light, turning the model into an effective reading lamp, surmounted by a timepiece. Hung about the \walls were several large paintings,, depicting a rural church with its winter cloak of snow, a scene in Japan; a dainty dancing girl, and- the crest of the City of Ipswich. Mr Shoubr.idge explained that- they had oeen carried out with .ship’s paint- and thi'it, except in the/case of the finer linps, his brush had been his ten fingers. “I have never been taught; it .is' Wt a gift,” he said, in answer 1 to a question. A further inspection of the stewards’ lounge revealed dainty hand-sewn .table mats, hand-painted settee covers, and hand-made furnitur^ 1 , all Mr Shoubridge’s work. Fellow-members of the crew took pains to sho\V each and everyone of his productions. They demonstrated their pride in their clever shipmate.

OoThe Taranaki is duo at Wellington ! next month to load for London.