WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 255, 27 April 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

J (Conducted by "Eileen"). I SOCIAL NEWS. | NEW PLYMOUTH.' Bridge.—Last Tuesday evening a very jolly bridge party was given by Miss Mathews in her home .at Fitzroy, and ■ the prizes were won by Miss Standish and Mr. C. Webster. The table decora-' tions of the supper table were simply exquisite, the blending o£ all autumnal tints being so rich and mellow. Amongst those present were: Mrs. Mathews, pale saxe blue taffeta, corsage softly finished with cream lace; Miss Mathews, pale lilac colored silk; Miss Dempsey, reseda green silk, trimmed with gold embroderies; Miss Standish, white ninon 'over satin corsage, finished with silver; Miss F.. Evans, white embroidered silk; Miss M. Fookes, white velvet; Miss G. Fookes, black ninon over satin, sequinned berthe; Miss G. Shaw, shell pink satin, veiled in sUver embroidered ninon; Miss Kerr (Wanganui), pale blue ninon over satin charmeuse; Miss Brewster, cream velvet; Miss D. Bedford, white muslin, inset with lace; Miss Wade, china blue charmeuse, black lapels on corsage; Miss Saxton, cream voile, trimmed with rose pink silk; Miss Lea'•ain, oyster pink satin, veiled in silkfisher net; Miss Blundel, sage green silk, berthe of cream lace; Miss M. Thomson, white ninon. Amongst the gentlemen were: Messrs. E. Bay ley, C. Webster, A. ; Bewlev, K. Mathews", G. Pott, Kin" (2), |N. Arden. • n

A Dance.—ln the Brougham street liaU last Thursday evening there was a scene of revelry, the occasion being a dance, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. ,J. Morton, who are visiting New Plymouth, but returning shortly to Napier. The supper table was daintily decorated with autumn leaves, which were greatly admired, and the music was rendered by Mrs. Wood. Amongst those present were; Mrs. J. Morton, very pretty pastel colored satin charmeuse, "veiled in pale blue ninon, the corsage lightened with blue embroideries; Mrs. Glasgow, plum colored taffeta, veiled in emerald green ninon; Mrs. G. Kebbell, pale periwinkle blue satin charmeuse, with tunic of ninon; Miss D. Bedford, cream silk, trimmed with beaded passamenterie; Mrs. Paton, china blue taffeta, with an overdress of cream lace;, Mrs. Walker, handsome red taffeta, veiled in black ninon, the underskirt being panelled with rich cream insertion; Miss Glasgow, cream satin charmeuse, corsage swathed with silver net; Miss Kerr (Wanganui), dainty pale wedgewood blue charmeuse, veiled in ninon, the cross-over corsage finished with silken fringe; Miss Kirkby, cream silk, finished with silver; Miss Dempsey, moss green silk; Miss Ashdown, china blue satin, with tunic »f ;ninon; Mrs. T. Anderson (nee Miss Colson), very pretty white satin charmeuse, veiled in net, decolletage deftly finished with pale pink embroideries; Miss Grant, pale blue silk; Miss Bewley, pale blue crepe de chine; Miss K. Mills, cream j silk; Miss Penn, pale blue silk, cream lace berthe; Mies K. Penn (debutante), J dainy white lace robe over satin charI meuse; Miss Webster, cream silk; Miss Hanna, black silk. PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr. and Mrs. ,T. Morton, who are the guests of Mrs. W. D. Webster, leave at the' beginning of next week for their home in Napier. _ Miss Standish leaves in a few days' time for a trip to England, returning with Captain and Mrs. Ivan Standish. is* Kerr, wko k*s been the guest of Mrs. R. G. Gray, left this morning for her home in Wanganui.

j A NEW PROFESSION FOR WOMEN. j MURAL DECORATION FOR THB j HOME. !' London, March 1. By a colonial woman—Miss Bertha Merfield, of Melbourne—has been discovered a new and beautiful work for j women. Suitable it is for men artists ■ also (since art knows no sex), but its | secondary nature is one that its creator, ' in common, with some of the greatest English architects, thinks a woman's touch improves—viz., that of co-opera-tion with an architect in the designing and arrangement of rooms. Miss Merfield herself is an artist who, after getting as near the top of the tree of the knowledge of art as she could in Melbourne, came, over to England, France and Italy to carry out her studies under the guidance of masters in these countries. After some years of work, she returned to Australia, and while back once moie among that -bQloved scenery felt an overwhelming desire to reproduce it, and to do so in a manner somewhat more expressive of its peculiar va-stness and atmosphere than other painters seemed, to her at least, to have power to make concrete. This, of course -since Miss Merfield is the least selfconscious of workers—implies no belittlement of the work of other painters, but' rather h specially ardent desire to do yet more to express the spirit of Australia. She was met by a difficulty that often confronts painters and writers, and felt impelled to go far away from the scenes of her work before she could feel satisfied with her results. So she came again to England, bringing with ! her now sketches and color notes of what she intended to do. Instead of J solidifying her ideas on to ordinary canvases, she chose, to paint Australian scenes as the old Italian masters designed their frescoes—that is to say, in such a fashion that the picture might seem, or, indeed, become, part of a room. As they are shown in London at present Miss Merfield's pictures are framed, but the long panels should undoubtedly be let into walls to show them with the distinction they deserve. That is her idea to raise the profession of interior decoration to a much higher level than it now occupies, and by working with the architect make of houses homes that the owners may cling to. She would reproduce, on .screens, friezes, dadoes, doors, etc., landscapes dear to the owners thus tor instance, Australians, transporting them on London's greyest day to the yellow sun, the gorgeous flora, or the ' stretches of blue water in which the continent of the south abounds. So, too, Londoners abroad might carry their country with them.

DIFFICULTIES AHEAD,

So far. the scheme being in its infancy, the idea] will be by no means easy of achievement, since the architecture of today wins little praise from the artists of to-day. For houses are not built to live for hundreds of years. for one thing. There is a restlessness in the age, too, that refuses to provide, as was'once done with pride, for work that generations ahead may enjoy. There is another stumbling block to be disposed of that aid not exist when the old Florentine masters designed their beautiful frescoes. No longer are there schools of helpers painters themselves, who yet would play the second part, who each would do their little bit under the intvuetions of the master, so that, bavin* designed one panel, the creator need do nothing further than act as overseer. In th°>c days the helpers wore workmen, and received workmen's wa»es \ow there is little doubt thov w.mld'require recognition as painters. Life altogether and conditions have altered since the old times. Nevertheless, In "spite of

(" possible barriers, Miss Merfield has rei eeived every encouragement since her i exhibition opened in London frojn deicorators and artists alike, who greet her as a pioneer of an important branch of art. She would like, il' that is possible, to institute a school here, so that women might learn the possibilities of mural decoration as a possession, and. if they wish, as a profession. Necessarily such work ;'s Miss Merfield does would be a good deal more costly than the most expensive wall paper.: Its restfulness and originality of effect could hardly be put into pounds, shillings and pence dimensions, however. The writer asks lief how, on giving an estimate for decorating a room the artist could fix her price, and this she acknowledged had been somewhat puzzling. Now, however, she arranges it oil a business-like basis, charging for her design, then for her time in carrying out that chosen. Her own studies that have been on exhibition for a few days in London treat of several subjects, all open-air scenes. For the portrayal of trees, it seems to an outsider in art, Miss Merfield lias something not far off genius—the gaunt guardians of plains, and seashore, and crags, the beautiful giants of fields and road side, river and cornfield, or the delicate young, soft-tinted bluegtims as expressed by her brush seeming not pictures but rather magic photographs of the moods and atmosphere of the land of the sun.