| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
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"To think, to dream, to conceive beautiful works is a delicious occupation. It is like
smoking enchanted cigars, like living the life of a courtesan as her fancy would have it.
The work then appears in the charm of infancy, in the unbridled joy of generation, in the
scented colours of the flower and the flowing juices of the fruit, already tasted. Such
is conception and its pleasures. He who can draw his ideas in words passes already for an
extraordinary man. This faculty all writers and artists possess. But to produce! to deliver! laboriously to bring up a child, to put him to bed, glutted with milk, every evening, to kiss him every morning with the unexhausted heart of a mother, to dress him a hundred times in the most beautiful coats which he unceasingly tears; yet not to be discouraged by the spasms of this mad life and to make of it that living masterpiece that speaks to every look in sculpture, to every intelligence in literature, to every memory in painting, to every heart in music - this is execution and its labours." It was in the mood, induced by reading the foregoing excerpt from Balzac's "La Cousine Bette" that the writer visited the School Board Offices to see the pictures displayed by members of the British Columbia Society of Fine Arts. In "Hope River" by J. Crease there are washes of color suggesting depths of foliage, a windy sky, purple mountains in the distance. In the shimmering water are deliciously cool reflections of the green foliage. Among Mrs. H. Bulwer's collection, a miniature of a lady with black lace scarf over her shoulder is exquisite. A band of blue silk holding glistening brown hair in place, repeats the wonderful blue of the eyes. Among Mrs. A.G. Hodgins' miniatures is the portrait of a child with starry blue eyes and golden curls, full of wonder and vitality. "Jelf" is the portrait of an adoring dog posing for an understanding master. His eyes seem to say "What do you want? I know it must be all right, so I'll keep very still." The artist is Capt. D.H. Russell. "At the Window" is by Frances Ashby. The child is in a contradictory mood. He is really unwilling to turn from his bunny and woolly dog, but since you wish to see his face, he will oblige. Hon. Mrs. R. Bloomfield's "Hyperion" is a noble picture. Rays of supernatural light illuminate the three horses, showing their giant strength and their lightning speed. It would seem that the horses represent the winds. Hyperion is the Sun. "When the might Of Hyperion from his noon-tide throne Unbends the languid pinions of the winds ... " "Breaking Weather" is by Stanley Tytler. Converging lines of furrows lead the eye to a blue lake. Beyond the lake are hills seen through shreds of mist, that lend poetry and atmosphere. "Ross Peak Glacier" by Mrs. Brydon-Jack is rich in prismatic colors; purple, orang, and green. The sky seems filled with atoms of living color. W.P. Weston's "Dingman's Cove, Gabriola" has brown trees in the distance with an intensely blue patch of sky showing through, a jewel-like stretch of water, sapphire and jade intermingling, the branch of a sunlit tree, and a sun-drenched floating wharf. All in holiday mode. In C.H. Scott's "Study of a Head" the eyes are deeply thoughtful, the face has an intense expression, the mouth forceful but capable of warmth and understanding. "Spring Morning, Stanley Park" by Duncan Davidson shows misty mountains in the background. The water of the narrows is misted over with early morning vapors. An olive green foreground has suggestions of yellow flowers, while a faint breeze stirs the tree. Theo. G. Adamson's "Harbor Lights" is done in a splendid purple key. There are tiny notes of yellow for illumination, and a red light on the masthead of a boat in the foreground. "Old Wharf, Victoria," by W. Menelaws, shows a boat at the wharf. The reflections of white, purple and green and the wavering reflections of the wharf piles are wonderfully full of life. A misty blue sky adds to the glamorous beauty of the picture. The whole essence of Mrs. Goodall's "Study of a Child" is expression. The child is the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Goodall. The flutter of a sudden stirring of love and utter trust is caught; the face is illuminated by this beautiful emotion, and the lovely blue-gray eyes are filled with it. A sturdy little tanned arm lies against the vivid red of the dress, and on the child's hair is a bow of the same vivid color. A picture to remember and dream of. "Martha" by Dorothy Thompson is a thoughtful study. The eyes are very expressive and the mouth kindly. The shadows in the folds of the nurse's white cap and the delicacy of the muslin fichu are irresistibly expressed. "Le Penseur de Rodin" is by Kate A. Smith. One is grateful for this presentation of a masterpiece where the physical strength of man is subservient to the intellect. Rodin "Shattered the Syntax of Stone" to tell of the deep truths he saw. In the picture, light is shown as filtered through the surrounding trees and casting a cool green radiance on the statue. In "Fishing Boats, Grand Canal, Venice" by H.T. Ritherford, (sic) we have vermilion sails, purple shadows under the arch, rose, green, cobalt and yellow reflections in the water. A rich and satisfying color study. Mr. C.A. Ferguson's "Plum Blossom in Japanese Garden" shows a pergola casting gray shadows, a delicate blue patch of sky and green trees with boughs laden with ivory-tinted plum blossoms. "Dawn on Lake Moraine" by G. Williams Ogden (sic: James) suggests a well-loaded brush. The purple mountains are tipped with coral, and near the base are glacial drifts of snow reflected in the water. The coral of the crests is caught in the rippling water in the foreground with lovely effect. "Laguna Grove" by Mrs. Schooley has a quietness, a solitariness that is restful. It is an andante of major melodies and chords. "In Stanley Park" is by Stateira Frame. It is filled with sunlight, and notes of air seem sparkling with life. Nothing in nature is definitely outlined. Everything is suggested in color of purple, crimson, orange, green, yellow. Mr. H. Hood's "Canadian National Railway Station" is done under the spell of commerce. The artist has invested the spirit of traffic with poetry; mauve mountains, in the distance, cobalt shadows filling the windows of the station, a tender twilight sky. Mr. W.P. Weston has unusually lovely misty effects in blue and green in "A Camp, Grantham's." A canvas covered shack is in the foreground, suggesting restfulness and quiet. In "Flowers of Spring" by Margaret Wake there are dewy tulips of mauve, rose, yellow, and full-blown delicate pink flowers. A mass of lovely color against a background so painted that the flowers stand out like living blooms. Melita Aitken's study "Pink Chrysanthemums" shows dreamy loveliness of shadows, the contours of the petals are lost in the purple background, and the green of the vase melts miraculously also into the purple. One leaf, soft and dewy as though seen for the first time at dawn, droops over the edge of the vase. "In the Fall of the Year" by J. Christisen has lovely Autumn coloring. The details are done with loving care. Only an ardent lover of outdoors could give such delicate details. The morning sky is pale and misty. It is a frosty morning, for as bruin, a very lively fellow, stalks along, you can actually see his breath turning to a faint spiral of vapor. Miss Conran's "Lost Lagoon" also has lovely autumn coloring. Vancouver Island shows dimly in the distance. The reds, browns, and yellows of the foliage on the bank of the lagoon are delicately reflected in the water. "Deepening Shadows" by Mrs. Rankin is done in washes of delicate colors. The sense of distance is satisfying. Wavering reflections of mauve, brown and green in the pale shimmering water give poetry to the picture. "A Study of Pansies" that rivets the attention is by Mrs. Verral. The Pansies are in a brass bowl. There are a few yellow pansies, and as one looks at them the eye also detects a vivid yellow streak down the side of the bowl, a glint of sunlight on the brass. There are white pansies with hearts of Palma violet shade. Curtains behind the flowers have no definite texture, but folds of contrasting color are suggested. The whole picture seems moist, the colors running still over the paper. The kindling energy of beauty culminates in this flash of living color that holds the essence of flower lovliness. "Evening" is by Mrs. Elleston Tildesley. The sky is cool and a faint touch of coral is caught in the water. The sea-gulls give a sense of poise and restfulness. Mrs. Harvey's Study in Still Life shows an upturned flower-pot filled with ivy. Tulips of red, white and yellow lie in artless abandon, their leaves lying so delicately soft and natural one feels like touching them. There is an Indian with his squaw in a boat in S.P. Judges' "Waiting for the Tide." The Indian wears a tan shirt and the squaw has a red shawl over her shoulders. It is a blue-painted boat they are in and the sails are clewed up, with gray-blue shadows in their folds. A gull to the left on the wing gives friendly note while a saucy-looking crow, black and stodgy-looking, gives a humorous note. "Snap" by Mrs. C. Cambie is the picture of a saucy, confident, obedient, little rough-haired terrier. The rich colors of the mat on the floor and a rose-colored scarf draped about the basket in which Snap is posed, add to the pleasure one gets in looking at the picture. Miss Wrigley's "Breath of Spring" shows wall-flowers of velvety red-brown and orange, clustered with delicate blue forget-me-nots. The buds of the wall-flowers are richly purple. The flowers seem to stand out like radiant blooms from a background of rose and purple. It is like a haunting colorful phrase of music. Mrs. Lois Gilpin shows a portrait of her father. The eyes are speaking, benevolent and understanding. The mouth shows the kindliness and sympathy that win many friends. A picture one is glad to recall and revisulaize again and again. "Cormorant Cliffs" is by G. Thornton Sharp. Stern grey cliffs alive with bird life rise from water jewelled with green and blue color. Miss H.B. Bruce's "Anemones" are rich purple and red emerging from a darker background. "Gabriola" by Grace Judge shows a stretch of sand with cool purple shadows. A row of trees sparsely foliaged are silhouetted against a sky splashed with cobalt. There is the feeling of a wind rising up, a deliciously cool sensation comes to one in looking at the picture. "On the Swale, Yorkshire," is by Mrs. Ogden. There is a blue hazy bend in the river. The silver-surfaced water is barred with green reflections, while a sun-drenched bank is in the foreground. "Tom" by Mr. Jas. Amess is the study of a boy, one is sure to like. What wide-open, frank, earnest eyes! The face is full of eagerness and life. In Mr. Fripp's "Glacier" there is a delicate cobalt sky, gray clouds, ice-clad mountains piercing the clouds, a glacier-blue mist, cold so cold, blue reflections in the water and reflections of snow, purple scarred rocks. The beauty of nature reaches Mr. Fripp through opalescent mists, through indescribable blues volatilized into shimmering vapor, through a luminous greenness that makes one shiver, so icy is its jewelled loveliness. "The Glacier" was painted in an exquisite mood, when beauty, which is spiritual energy, was at its supreme height. |
| British Columbia Monthly. "Exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts" by Alice M. Winlow (Vol. XXII, No. 5 June 1924): Canadiana, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_06940_62/7 |