The San Francisco call., 1909-06-27
Charming Studio Amid
Tangle of Blossoms
Artist Bloomer, Who Has Earned Fame Abroad
And at Home, at Work in Sausalito
BY LUCY B. JEROME


An interesting studio in Sausalito is
that of Artist H. R. Bloomer, who has
utilized a rough building in the midst
of a tangled, overgrown garden, in
which to pursue his work. The spot
is ideal, for the garden is a wilder
ness of sweet sights and sounds, Mount
Tamalpais towers in the blue distance
and the hush of noontide fingers even
when the shadows 1engthen.
The room in which the artist works
in somewhat desu1tory fashion now, is
large and bare, save for the canvases
which hang and stand everywhere and
the big easel which brings the atrnos-
phere of city studios to mind Birds
twitter outside the high windows and
the slanting sunlight falls radiantly in
checkered bars of light across the can
vases, where nature smiles in faith
full reproduction of the scenes outside.
Bloomer likes the familiar scenes of
land, sea and sky. An old bridge, a
moss covered mill, running stream a
woodland corner hecked with light and
shadow, dusty road winding away
into depths and mystery, a grass blown
hillside form the main subjects of his
pictures. and they carry a direct mes
sage from nature. They need no study
for the wording OF the MESA ge is clear:
the brilliant blues OF a bay dancing in
sunlight, or the lofty head of the noun
tain wreathed in drifting mist, or out
lined boldly on sky of translucent
clearness, or the nearer and more inti-
mate charm of the country paths and
lanes with shy vistas of loveliness >sug-
gested around each corner, are under
stood by all who view such scenes, and
for most of us they possess an inde-
scribable charm.
An old stone bridge. famous through
out France for its massive beauty and
poetry OF architecture, was a subject
chosen by this artist during a resi-
dence abroad. and this picture, after
ward sold to the French government. is
remembered by all who have ever seen
it. Now the artist is content to pic
ture scenes near at hand, but the same
power of rendition that has made his
work purchased by great government,
able TO appraise IL at its value, is dis
cernible In the small pictures full of
spirit and poesy Of the true landscape
artist, which form the main body of
his work today. A visit to this coun-
try studio is worth while.
Eda st. John Smitten is a Berkeley
artist whose whole soul is in her
work. and who fares forth every day
in search of subjects for her busy
brush. Mrs. Smitten is not one of the
rapid workers. sometimes taking a year
for the conception. planning and exc
cution OF q picture. but the results are
so good that one can not wish the time
shorter. Her Grizzly Peak" an ex-
quisite portrayal of the mountain In
charmingly poetic conception, was so
invested with felicitous beauty that II
is remembered as one of the best pieces
OF work ever placed on exhibition at
the art institute.
Her latest painting, an oil. called
I'm Silence and O'ergrown,'' shows the
slender roundness of an old tower
with masses of dark. creeping, mystic
rious eucalyptus trees swooping from
above and ehveloping it, and trailing
their somber, waving branches at It's
feet in deepest shadow. while the
merest glimpse of dark road, which
promises to lead to still thicker depths
of trees. haunts one with desire to
know what can lie at the end of It.
The painting seems a pictorial repre-