| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
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In one of Tolstoy's essays on art he says, "The characteristic of beauty lies not in
anything external but in the presence of a beautiful soul in the artist." When the artist expresses that beauty in a picture so that the soul of the observer is uplifted by it, the world is made that much richer. In so much as this is true, the life of Vancouver City is enriched by the activities of the Sketch Club. In the February exhibit of work by its members, there was much for which to be grateful. "End of Penticton Trail" with its rosy sky and mysterious green water is by Mrs. Kyall. It is full of delicate beauty and poetry. "On His Majesty's Service" is by Mr. J. Scott. There is a look of efficiency in the nurse's face that inspires confidence in the profession. The cool folds of the cap suggest the sweet immaculate linen of a hospital. "Old English Interior" is by Mrs. D. McLellan. The steaming pot over the grate-fire hints of domestic joys. The glazed blue of the mantel and the crisp blue of the dress and cap on the woman seated by the fire make a harmonious chord of color. In a Study by Mrs. G. Gilpin, a lifetime of rich experiences is shown in the eyes. One knows by the smile of understanding on the lips that here is a man to whom one could go in any trouble and find sympathy and the right word. Mrs. Irene Stephen's modelling in plasticine was listed "Basketball." The figure shows delightful freedom and abandon. Vigor of movement and the joyousness of play are the predominating ideas. Mrs. Maltby's "Cloud Study" shows us the "Lions" in a mood not usually portrayed. Clouds and mist half hide their contours and lend to them an atmosphere of mystery. "Silent Water" is the work of Mr. Blake Hunt. This picture has the charm of reflected colors. The water shows dark green, terre verte and silver-green. The mountains are mauve, cobalt and grey, reaching up to a bank of clouds that allow a patch of blue sky to shine through. To look at the oil painting by Mr. Fitzgerald with the sun lighting the trees to gold, is like spending a few moments in an enchanted wood. The sky shows luminous patches of blue between waving branches and the trees throw broad purple shadows. Miss Terry's water-colors of flowers are refreshing and inspiring. In one picture the rhododendrons are a gorgeous mass of color, while a pool margined with reeds reflects the varied hues. It is a picture that a flower-lover will often recall. The night scene on the water is Mr. Cowper's work. The moon showing through black clouds, dark waves crested with silver, the twinkling lights of the steamer, all seem to tell of the crystal poetry of night. "The Olympic-Victoria" a water-color by Miss Terry is a delicious visioning of nature. Wild hyacinths fill the foreground with blueness and fragrance. The water is paved with gold and the sky is gold and red. The mountains in the distance are blue with the haze of sunset. Mr. Fripp's "Indian Shack" is full of romance and charm, with all the magic of Mr. Fripp's inimitable coloring. Mrs. A. McCreery's "Cherry Orchard" is in the mood of early dawn, delicate sprays of white against a misty background. The night wind is still in the branches, one feels the stirring of the blossoms. There is not the slightest tremor of color in the petals of a cherry-blossom and the artist has expressed this pure whiteness most poetically. In Mrs. Verral's study of flowers the vase striped with flame strikes a gorgeous chord. Roses, canterbury bells, and fox-gloves mingle in a glow of color. Mrs. Harvey's view in Sooke Harbor shows distant mountains covered with snow and delicious cloud effects. Mr. Rawson has caught the silver coolness of morning in his water-color "A Winter Sunrise." The coral and primrose sky seems filled with dancing motes of crystal. "Lone Tree Island" by Miss Maud Sherman is a dawn of marvellous colors. The sun is hidden by clouds, but it sends out shafts of light like the spokes of a luminous wheel, filling the east and making of one glory all the sky. This picture is painted in the gorgeous key of C sharp major. "Dawn of Day" by Major Fowler is another dawn, but painted in the subdued and tender key of A minor. The sky is pale, and an opalescent mist seems to partially veil all nature. A crane on a boulder, silhouetted against the vaporous light, makes one even more alive to the sweetness of the early hour. "The Lull" by Miss Wrigley is in quiet contemplative mood. There is a faint light on the path, while trees, stirred by the wind, almost lose their outlines in a darkening sky. Miss Wake's "Harry" is a joyous piece of work. One feels sure the child has just been playing with his dog. There is a tenderness still in the eyes. The artist has caught the sweet unselfconsciousness of childhood. Miss Jessie Beldon's "Lost Lagoon" is a lovely bit of color. In the far distance Vancouver Island is hinted in a curve of misty rose. Point Grey is nearer and not so vague. Rosy clouds float in a daffodil sky, and the lagoon reflects all the tender colors of the fading sunset. |
| British Columbia Monthly. "Impressions of the Sketch Club" by Alice M. Winlow (Vol. XII, No. 3 March 1924): Canadiana, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_06940_60/4 |