The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25


Crafts exhibit at Idora park, Oakland
The latter opened last Monday with
fair attendance of visitors. The skat-
ing rink Of the park has been utilized
as floor space for the various booths.
where the several exhibits Of book
binding. Russian lace work and handi-
craft, Indian baskets and other arts
have been placed. The exhibit of
paintings, sketches-both oils and
water photographs and pencil
drawings is unusually good, nearly all
the artists having contributed to form
a temporary gallery with the result
that a number of really fine paintings
are displayed. Keith, Breuer. Gamble,
Neuhaus, Julie Heynemann, Miss Lund
borg, Wores and Latimer are among
the contributors and the gallery is well
filled.
Entering the gallery attention is at
tracted to a singularly fine exhibit of
pencil drawings by Frances Soule
Campbell There are heads of well
known people-Kefth. Henry Holmes.
Mayor Taylor, President Roosevelt and
Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy among them
and they are drawings showing the
essence of idealism. Remarkable for
the spirituality they portray, Miss
Campbell seems to have seized the very
soul of her subject and retained it in
her studies. Especially is this true of
the drawings of the heads of Mrs. Eddy
and Henry Holmes, now passed away.
In the former there is portrayed the
vision of the seer. The strong feat
ure and deep, lambent eyes are ideal
lied to the point of spiritual revela-
ton. In the portrait of that most
charming of musicians, Henry Holmes,
the same quality is apparent. The
eyes are wonderful, deep and signifi-
cant. It is living epitome of the
lines.
And / dipt into the future far as human eye
could see,
that should be.
Gamble has several paintings at
Idora park which are a noticeable de-
parture from his usual manner and
which are splendidly handled, show
ing much strength and insight into the
inner mysteries of the landscapes he
has Depicted. The subjects chosen are
the Santa Barbara oaks. one canvas
showing a quiet stretch of meadow
land with a group of the fine trees in
the central distance under which few
head of cattle are indicated. The ef-
feet of sunlight on the oaks and
meadowlandS is exquisite, and deep
quality of serenity and peace pervades
the scene. The second oak painting is
on the same order, handled from diff
ferent point of view. Some one has
said of McComas' trees that he endows
them with souls. The same is true of
CANDLES oaks. They are fine, strudy,
hardy examples of the survival of the
fittest and yet, in their gracious friend
illness, hamadryads might seek their
leafy shade. The artist is to be con-
in OH
line of study.
One of the younger artists who is
proving himself by his work is Percy
Gray who in his Indian heads on eX-
hibit at Idora park shows a fine mod
cling power and skill and strength
in the execution of difficult concep
tions that bid fair TO place his name
among those of the men OF recognized
achievement. The first of these Indian
pictures is that of an old Indian sitting
crosslegged on the grass just outside
his tent of white canvas. The power
full modelling of the features and skull
strike one with a sense Of great reserve
force; the certainty of a keen eye and
a sure hand. The racial characteristics
of the Indian are wonderfully por-
trayed Alive and vivid, the face of the
old chief haunts youifke that of liv-
ing personality. It is rare that this
quality of individuality is given on can
vas so surely and with such sincerity
as in these paintings. A second Indian
subject depicts a strong, angular head
full of repressed savagery.
An effective and excellently handled
portrait is that of an unknown mascu-
line head by Olga Ackerman, who is
remembered by her child studies ex-
hibited in several galleries. 1t is full
of mysticism.
Laura Adams Armer, better known
as photographer of beautiful things
than as a painter in oils has a very
interesting and delightful landscape.
A quaint study of a Chinese girl in
costume holding a pan of red roses is
the work of Blanche Letcher and shows
that she has lost nothing and gained
much.
Florence Lundborg, exhibiting a
charming and unusual work, compelling
in its simplicity and assured handling,
is an artist of constantly growing ca
pacities, and Evelyn Almond Withrow's
portrait of Grace Lewellyn Jones' be-
fore the latter's recent marriage, has
attracted attention wherever shown.
number of other pictures have been
noted at previous exhibitions.
A remarkable architectural exhibit
occupies a wall in an inner gallery
which is interesting in its prophecy of
what may be seen in the city if the
plans are accepted and carried out
Chief among them are the plans sub
nitted for the Pacific Union club by
Macdonald and Applegarth, the latter
being one of three fCalifornians to
graduate from the Beaux Arts. The
plans are Greek in effect and present
beautiful scheme which, if carried
out. would give an artistic lift to
any city. Julia Morgan and Ira Wilson
Hoover, working together, also have
several designs of great beauty and
charm.
The opening reception of the Art In
stitute to members and friends took
place last Thursday evening. Every
space on the gallery walls is filed by
exhibitors and a few new names are on
the canvases. Catalogued as numbers
one, two and three are water coIors of
Monterey and Pacific Grove scenes by
Miss de Neale Morgan. Sunlit Rocks
is a specially fine study, though all
this artists work shows great growth
and expansion. Miss Morgan is one
of the hardest of workers, and her
paintings show constantly increasing
beauty of conception and execution.
Much of her recent work has been
taken east by purchasers.