The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-12-06

Mrs. Blake And none of you saw
the pictures on the opening night?
Why thought Fedora and myself
the OILY derelicts.
Mrs. StdntOn.-Well what is the
use of going? l have my time filled
already with church and social du-
ties. Why should 1 dawdle two
hours in an art gallery when l know
not the first thing about Art? !
really should like to know why you
are going-if you are.
Mss PaLLet-Why, to see what
the lion has done, of course.
Miss MinOr.-I am going chiefly to
see Irma's picture. / have scarcely
seen her for the past month-she has
been so busy.
Mrs. Pettee.-I'm going because
there is a horrid spot on the paper in
our parlor, and [ want TO buy picture
that will fit and harmonic.
The OtherS.-Fit and harmonic
o, you Philistine!
Mrs Pettee.-I know it. But /
might as well buy my picture there
as anywhere. Encourage home talent,
l say. (She sips tea calmly.)
Mrs. StantOn.-Are you exhibiting,
Miss Pallet?
Miss PdLLet.-No, l am new-com
er. Besides, / am diffident. But |
shall go to get the calibre of your
artists.
Mrs. BLdke.-For my part, 1 GO
to get what L can from the pictures.
am painfully ignorant
(Cries of Oh, Mrs. BIakeD
but learn something In every ex-
hibition, and / am a member of the
League.
Miss Minor.-O Mrs. Blake, won't
you tell us hoW you learn something?
L suppose the Art League is not mere
ly TO exact semi-annual creation for
those who can express themselves
in paint and plaster. L suppose it
vaguely aspires to spread the knowl-
edge of Art in this community. We
are ignorant enough of it, [ am sure.
Why couldn't some of the artists have
had for their contribution the creation
of an intelligent public? They might
have worked up series of popular
articles, telling us the right way to
see pictures
Miss PdLLet.-One reason is because
there Is no short cut. 1t is the study
of pictures themselves that brings
this knowledge of them.
Mss Minor But how do you study
a picture? Can We not know any
marks of difference between good and
bad painting? / have stood dumbly
before pictures and logged inexpressi-
bly, to know why some had been
awarded przes and others not.
Mrs. Blake I have followed some
simple rules for myself, Miss Minor,
and with Miss Feodora's assistance L
will tell you what / have done
All Yes, Mrs. Blake Do, do.
Will you be so kind?
Mrs. Blake First, / look at the
hand work coloring, drawing, paint
ing. If they are ban, the picture will
be worthless. As We enter a gallery,
we are caressed by color. The eye
naturally SEES the bright colors first,
but | distrust them. So few artists
have been "colorists" Young artists,
/ find, revel in warmth. Older ones
are wiser aud know that the low tones |
can be more successfully blended.
Miss PdLiet-Excuse me, Aunt |
Mary, l eau aid Herr Fernau's
testimony to that. He advised me to |
paint au umn splendor with autumn |
skies beclouded.
Mrs. BLdke.-I wish, Fedora, that |
you would talk for me.
A!iSs PdUet.-No, can only inter
Iupt.
Mrs. Blake To proceed, then, | |
have found that reserve in color often
means gain in perspective, atmosphere
and feeling.
Mrs StdntOn.-But would you con-
denim all high coloring? Surely there
are blue sky, red leaves, yellow trees
and green grass often under blazing
sun. Why not paint them?
Mrs BLdke.-Yes, if we can. Art
lists succeed more easily in other
lines. A quiet thing more often, to
my mind, shows the sentiment it is
meant to show. Atmosphere makes
such havoc with cOlors, unless we
understand atmospheric effects. Re
member that objects, trees for in
stance, bluer and lose tone as they re-
cede, the two fold atmospheric effect,
and the grsyish bluer is truer to nature
than the green tree in miniature.
Miss Patlet-The Blotteisque style
is Ruskiu's name for it.
Mrs Pettee Nevertheless, some of
the impressionist things are just love-
ly for lavender and white room.
Miss Minor I Aside 1 should
think sol And for any room.
Mrs. Blake Besides atmospheric
effects, We must consider tone Col ,
ors have different values, or tones. A
green tree here, and one q half mile
they the same? In bright