Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-06

artist by no accident OF fortune. In her
home lie at the place OF her Difth' the
beautiful English town OF Bournemoulh'
she was brought up IN an arusllc
atmosphere, for her mother was deeply
interested in artistic subjects, ana her
father. a botanist and natural history COZ
lector In her girlhood the IutuIe
animal painter accompanied her tatheI
I'm his rambes and grew qu~e learned
I'm the ways of beetles and creeping
things. making wonderful progress ior
child in the knowl<ge of the creatures
OF the natural t-alOry world, sketchlng
birds horses. and beetles with equal
patience and method.
But Miss Kemp Welch's first love was
The horse. and she never Tor q moment
swerved from IT, She grew quite despe-
rate 10 study Systematically when at the
age Of 16. one OF her pictures, a STUDY III
horses heads. which had been on exhibit
ton. was snapped up by a dealer her
young spirit was beating Itself out asalh'.
the bars. desiring TO enter the "orld Oh
art and take her place with other aspi-
rants TO fame and fortune Soon after
her mothers death Professor Herkomer,
of Rushev Art School, discovered" Miss
Kemp-Welch. Now for the first time she
was really taught TO paint by her own
early practices she had acquired the pow
er of correct observation and knowledge
of drawing. it may be said, from the life,
but hitherto she had not learned the
method Of putting on colors and Of ma
pipulating them. However, that realized,
how spontaneous has been the genius OF
Miss Kemp Welch. l should emphasize
the fact that not at Bushey or anywhere
else has she studied animal painting; that
seems TO have come by nature. She fol-
lows no master and no special school.
Her simple advice to the art students
who flock 10 her studio for instruction is:
"Be individual, be natural and copy only
nature"
In appearance Miss Kemp-Welch is still
a girl. Her face is wonderfully sweet, and
full OF subtle power, which grows every
hour that you are in her presence. You
feel it in the steady quiet voice. and the
look of her brown eyes. so soft, and yet
so penetrating Simple In tastes. manner,
and In dress the artist has selected
home which seems exactly to fit her. II
stands unpretentiOusiy In a line with
other houses In the centre of the old VII
lage OF Bushey opposite TO the church,
and is named "Kingley" Originally the
house was an old wayslde inn. and what
was once the bar has been converted into
the cosiest and quaintest old, square en-
tfdnce-ldH lHldSlUaDlcf WIN a 5iH'4N
fathers clock ticking in the corner. Look
ing on to the village street is Miss Kemp
Welchs study, where she sees VISITORS
and transacts business and correspond
ence, for she leads a very busy life, ana
is at work from morning till night with
her own paintings. or instructing puplls
who attend at her studio. a few steps
down from the hall il the dining-room;
this has been heightened by letting into
It a conservatory, which throws gene
raj sense Of light and brightness into the
room. Miss Kemp-Welch and her sister
Edith. who are as devoted to each other
as sisters can be. and have never been
separated from each other, have trans
formed this old inn into one OF the quaint
est homeliest. and most artistic homes
one can imagine
From "Kingsley" there makes its APP
nearauce at intervals an animal painting,
around which the eonnoisseurs gather In
admiration. congratulating each other
that II Rosa Bonheur has passed from the
world of art, her skill with the brush
lives In another.