WienekeArchiveBook1

11% Unique Art Show Of High Standard THREE well-known Queensland artists, Miss Vida Lahey, Mr. Kenneth Macqueen and Mr. William Bustard, show some 70 pictures in a large and most interesting exhibition of water colours at Finney's Gallery. The show opens today. NEARLY all of Miss Lahey's paintings are flower pieces. and they are painted with distinctive and sensitive feeling. She has the ability to achieve fine drawing, some- times detailed. but always freely handled. arid to keep the col- our as fresh almost as the flowers themselves. With "Easter Flowers," Miss Lahey shows a work of deli - rate charm and beauty, in a very simple scheme of white, gold and green. "White Flowers." too, is a Complete success, emphasising a sense of form, design and effec- tive contrast. Other delightful composi- tions are "White Hibiscus." the gay "Pink Hibiscus." the lovely little "Roses and Forget -Me - Hots." and the exciting "Tiger Lilies." ' Pattern, and Design REVEALING pronounced feeling for pattern and de- sign, Mr. Macqueen usually in- terprets nature in a decorative 1,inanner, and his paintings are Airrangements of shapes and harmonious colour, conveying through a strong technique his reactions to any subiect that interests him. He does this remarkably well, and his grasp of our landscape unquestionably establishes him as one of . Australia's finest painters. An excellent example of Mr. MacQueen's power with design is "Ocean Piece." He makes rhythmic and beautiful pat- tern from the breaking waves. and skilfully suggests the movement of dancing water Though the colour In a pic- ture like "Sand Dunes" ap- neared rather too cold, and in others certain edges seemed a little harsh, there is ample compensation in the beautifully direct "Bribie Beach" and "Condamine." the competent "Water Hole," the decorative "Farm," and the powerful "Evening By the Creek." Of Mr. Bustard's pictures, I liked best his bold, vigorous "Little Burleigh Headland." The thrust of this movable bulk of land against the sea. and a fine feeling of weight space and light, reveals the headland as an almost inde- structible entity. 'MERE is a cheerful freedom -a- about the "Quarry," and the sunny little "Coronation Drive is an admirable sketch. Both these pictures possess in them feeling, a quality lacking 4n a number of other works by Mr. Bustard. Undoubtedly his painting is always clean, and he is a sound draughtsman, but I missed the warmth and sympathy I have seen him get 'at other times. Somewhere between the initial conception and the final execution, too much of the emotional content has been lost.-JAMES WIENEKE. Conservative Trend At Art Society Show THE 61st annual exhibition of the Royal Queens- land Art Society, which wos opened today at Finney's Art Gallery, is a mixed collection, leaning strongly toward the conservative and locking in experimental or modern work. 11HE advancement and appre- in experiment is not main- ' ciation of painting is very Wined, kept in sight and stimu- ,t1 ionsly imerropted if interest hued. Again, it is wise to re- member that excellent work comes from both conservative and modern schools, and per - !Laps if additional thought and less painting were to go into picture making, our results would be considerably better. Mrs, Winifred Towers shows two fine oils, "Zinnias in Chinese Bowl" and "Morning Break." The latter has great charm, it is exquisite in colour, happy in composition and very nicely painted. Simple dignity of arrangement and beautifully controlled colour make Miss Bessie Gibson :s "Native of North Africa" a lovely picture. W G. Grant paints n vigor- ous and bold impression in "Morning Under the Orange Tree." It is a good one, though perhaps a little strong in the dark accents. Mrs. Gwendolyn Grant's "Contemplation" is a sound study and reveals what can be clone with a restricted palette. "Cinerarla" by Margaret McNeil makes a delightful mass of colour against a sensitively painted hackgrouttd. M. Haysom and P. Eagles contribute work up to their usual standard, and I think Mr. Eagles's "Grocer" one of the best character studies he has produced, Miss Cottell, Mrs. Finlayson and A. Nicholas show colourful and interesting flower pieces. Among the water' colours, "Cotton Pods" by H. McNeil is a highly refined and sensitive work. ' Don. Cowan paints a crisp and vivid interpretation in "Abandoned Sheds"-it promises well, too. Quentin Hole also scores with "Tall Chimney." Mrs. Pedersen has an unusual one in "The Problem," and Miss Hosking makes decorative use of gouache in "Autumn Pattern." There is strong feeling for the fanciful and a fluent, easy man- ner in the work of C. A. Cramer. Nutter Buzacott and Myra Thomas show interesting water colours, and there is pro- gress in the work of K. Roggen- kamp and P. Robinson-JAMES WEENEKE.