The Topeka state journal., 1906-05-26

Since Rosa Bonheur the most skill
full painter of animal life is also a wo-
man-which is rather odd. The lady is
Miss Lucy Kemp WEIGH a quiet, re-
served English girl, whose home and
studio are at BusEey. about an hours
train journey from London.
Lucy Elizabeth Kemp Welch, born in
Bournemouth. England, is now thirty
six years old. She obtained her art
education at the school of Hubert Her
koner at Bushey. Force and power
are the striking features of her work;
horses are among her favorite models.
When child she did not do the con
ventional doll playing and doll dress
ing which are considered the strictly
proper amusement for little girls. IN
stead she would lie upon the floor for
hours sketching imaginary animals
with a pencil upon any old kind ef pa
per she got hold Of Later she had a
number of live pets, and with this small
menagerie at hand she entertained herr
self for hours making pictures of its
animals. These were her first studies
from life.
Connected with the studio at the back
of her house is glass inclosure in
which are confined the horses and other
animals her virile conception seizes on
and her skilled hand transfers to can
vas. Once a race horse got out and ran
down the street. After him ran Miss
Kemp We1ch and quickly eshooed" him
back to his glass stable. Again. while
painting sea gClls one of the birds bit
her severely. but that was nothing when
the artist was IN pursuit of her famous
picture of Herring Gulls on the Coast
of South Devon" While she was busy
at this picture on the. seashore at times
the tide would come in and take her
were in the most favorable position.
Then Miss Welch simply took off her
shoes and stockings and stood where
she was till the rising waves threatened
to sweep her off her feet altogether.
| One of her noted pictures is Lord
Dundonald's Dash on LadysTnith'' dur
ing the Boer war. To get material for
her Colt Hunting In the New Forest"
Miss Kemp Welch herself rode on
horseback days ahd days in the New
Forest.
The American painter. Miss Violet
Oakley. has distinguished herself in
mural paintings. She was selected to
decorate the walls of the governors re-
ception room in the new statehouse at
Harrisburg, Pa. She chose a historic
theme. the development of religious lib
erty, finally illustrated in the settlement
of Pennsylvania by William Penn. the
I a
panel pictures in the frieze OF the gov
J ernor's room. In the beautiful church
| of All Angels, New York city, is a re-
narkable piece of mural work by Miss
oakley. 1t is a splendid altar piece
representing the Ascension and the at
| tendant heavenly host. Miss Oakley
has her home and studio at Villa Nova,
Pa
Miss Mary Tillinghast. Americas IA
nous artist in stained glass, has recent
ly completed a noble work entitled "St
Paul Preaching" The scene is at
Athens and none of the feminine sex
Is represented among the hearers of the
apostle who did not like women. The
coloring is indescribably rich and splen-
did Above the head of the saint, in
stead of the ordinary halo or ninbus
is a burst of rainbowlike light through
a thin veil of cloud. The piece is fol
a church window in Yonkers.
During her much rummaging for his
toric information of the early Christian
saints and martyrs Miss Tillinghast
discovered a description of the persona