COLOURS OF NATURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1939, Page 6

COLOURS OF NATURE

STILL BEST FOR TWEEDS. For centuries the colouring of tweeds was mainly dependent on natural conditions: the soil, the flowers, the sun and the wind furnished dyes and made the colours. Since the invention - and development of the chemical dye these conditions have been changed. The advantage of this invention needs no emphasising; but it also has its drawbacks; while enabling the producer to use an unlimited amount of colours, it often tempts him to turn out a tweed which has no longer any connection with its natural character. "Blendings of attractive colours borrowed from nature are best” is the judgment of a leading English designer of tweeds. “We try to be as faithful to nature as possible and that can be greatly assisted if we follow artistic studies by famous artists whose association of ideas is likely to produce pleasurable emotions which will be lasting. One has only to visit the Burlington Galleries where some of the most famous paintings by Old Masters were recently lent for public view, to appreciate the fact that we may have Idst some of this art by modern methods.”