ARTIST'S VISIT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5391, 22 February 1929, Page 3

ARTIST'S VISIT.

| INTERVIEW WITH MR. J. A. BOND. EXPERIENCES IN QUEENSLAND. Commissioned by a number of art connoisseurs in Australia to visit Ne;w Zealand and execute paintings of some of the Dominion’s beauty spots, Mr J. A. Bond, the well-known artist, is at present visiting this districts Although himself a New Zealandter, this is Mr Bond’s first visit t<. his native country for many sears. Mr Bond spoke enthusiastically of the; beauties of New Zealand scenery ® from the painter’s point of vie,w, and' ® said that for variety it >vas probably unexcelled in the world. •Mr Bond is making oil paintings, pastels, and etchings in New Zealand, and has also done a considerable amount of modelling in plaster, up the Wanganui River some months ago he made models of a Maori chief and of a woman carrying a child'. After they had been finished • in relief they were painted in natural colours. An even more interesting, task was the modelling of a native pigeon and painting the plaster in the familiar purple, white, and gloss?' black of the bird’s plumage. j Before coming to New Zealand Mr ’ Bond spent about twelve months in Northern Queensland, where he journeyed into many out-of-the-way places in search of material for his •vbrush. . He was camped for four or I five months in the bush about 150 ’ miles past Cairns, studying; the remarkable scenery of the plac.e. His life in that deserted outpost was. by no means monotonous, on account of , the quaint customs of the inhabitants and the strange animal and insect and bird life. For example, at Malaytown one day he was walking near the mangrove swamps fringing the shore when he noticed a c,urious-looking oto jec.t moving about in the mud. On investigation he found! it to be a fish which was actually walking about among the tree roots on its fins. Had it not been for the softness of. the mud, which impeded his progress, he considers that he cjould) have captured it He learned later that it was callcjcl the “walking fish,” and! was found only in that part of the world, its chief characteristic being that it habitually went walking about the la,nd. on its side fins,, throwing itself ! from side to side in a curious manner. “The climate of the far north is usually considered to be steamy and. hot and tropical,” continued Mr Bond. “In reality it is wonderful. In the •summer the heat is not felt, at all. These northern Parts of Queensland are ideal for tourists. The scenery, too, is well worth seeing. In fact, I hope to go north again and spend a winter there. When I do so I intend - to make a picture of Cairns by night, with the; lights str.ung along, the seafront reflected in the water. “The healthiness of the cjimate is proved l by the fact that the children show no ill-effects. ; those I. saw in .'/“Cairns were quite as fresh and * looking as your New Zeala.ndeg’S. I have heard it said that the north is not fit for white people to live in, but the inhabitants, including the adults, are pictures of health. Cairns is a beautiful town, and contains many fine residences, some of the most expensive; houses costing up to £6OOO. Last, but not least, th<; Cairns residents ar.e the most charming people I have met in Australia and New Zealand.” While in Cairns Mr Bond was the guest of the Great Barrier Reejf Research Committee on a visit to the reef. He found it to) be an amazing pla.ce, and one well worthy of a visit by tourists. Below the shallow green waters of the; Coral Sea lay a panorama of marine life that could scarcely be matched anywhere. The strange and vivid hues of the shellfish and ’ starfish, lying in their beds df doral, made a sight never to be forgotten. Some' of. these mysterious inhabitants of the reef were repulsive, some gorgeously beautiful, and some dangerous. For instance, he once thrpst a /“stick into the gaping mouth of a huge clam-like shellfish that was lying in wait for food. The two sidejs of the shell crashed together instantly and broke the stick in two. Probably the most repulsive things were a kind of big shellfish known by the very descriptive name of “spiders.” Mr Bond pic,ked up ope of thqse one day and was, fortunately, carrying, it by one of the long spines with which the shell was decorated. Suddenly he noticed an indescribably ugly marine creature emerge and begin to puncture the shell with its powerful beak, a few inches from his hand. He learned afterwards that the creature; was. able to inflict, a dangerous and poisonous wound with its beak. The air of the reef was filled) with millions of seabirds, which literally darkened the sky and almost deafened-the visitor with their wild screeching. They actually had to be shoved 'out of the way when walking about the reef. On one occasion Mr Bond complimented the cook on the excellent “lamb” and "swede turnips” which he had P re " f pared. The turnips lated prpved to I be birds’ eggs mashed with butter. Mr Bend has made 250 pictures of. beauty spots in Australia, particularly in North Queensland. He spent three . months, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales before going to Queensland, but he favours North. Queenst land owing to its greater variety of cplour in the trees bn the tablelands. Mr Bond is proficient with the pen as well as with the brush, and is now engaged in writing a book based on his Queensland experiences. After completing his mission in New Zealand Mr Bond will return to Australia. On arrival there it is his intention to purchase a motor caravan and tour the commonwealth exhibiting his New Zealand pictures. The terminus of the; artist’s Australian tour will be Perth, where lie will sell the caravan and sail for Durman. After covering the whole of South Africa he will go on to England ; thus New Zealand will be indebted to Mr Bond for a great deal of advertising, Personal visits and lectures by like this who know our country do infinitely more good than all the printed propaganda possible.