Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-04
Mugs of The Mighty
BY Frederic J Haskin.

| has painted President Wilson, Governor
Cox, Senator Harding, Secretary Daniels.
Governor Smith Of New York, md host
OF other celebrIties, has decided To settle
down in Washington and devote her time
| to Immortalizing the nations best known
| faccs.
Knowing something Of Miss Smiths
| achievements as a painter Of the great,
the reporter expected to be greeted by
a learned lady Of uncertain age, who
would discourse weighti.y on the mission
Of her art. The Miss Smith who led uo
into her hotei apartment was blonde littf
| girl Of possibly % years.
Mfs. Smith, who ~ naturaay proud or
her daughters fame, did most of the
| talking.
Before she knew her letters" said Mrr.
| smith, "Norerta aIways wanted TO hold
pencil or crayon and illustrate the little
stories ! read To her. | always told her
the queer little figures were beautiful, 10
she kept on drawing, ON her Lesson papers
at school, and often in her play time.
When she was about four, we took her
TO an art gallery, and her delight IN the
pictures attracted the attention Of
French artist who was visiting the gal
lery. lie followed her about listening TO
her comments, and when he left he said,
AhhbAH''f yp'il flttN VIII NC o. Eit1J
painterp
"At the time, we were amused rather
than impressed by the Frenohman's en-
thusiasm, but when Noretta was nine,
she painted these and Mrs. Smith
indicated two little oil paintings, copies Of
famous lkencsses Of Raphael and Shake
speare
CHILD WONDER
The work was crude, but the features
could be easily recognized, and for
child Of nine who had never had an art
lesson in her life-well, they convinced
Mrs. Smith that her daughter was des-
tined to be an artist.
Not until she was IL, however, did
Noretta Smith go to an art school. She
studied three years at the Art Students
League in New York, and at the National
Academy of Design under George May
nard, whom she considers one Of the finest
teachers in this country.
81 have never stxdied abroad" Miss
Smith says There is so much to learn
IN this country, and we have such splendid
teachers here that should be ashsned 10
90 TO Europe TO study, though some day
when have time, do want 20 travel
She believes that American art schools
are at last coming into their own, ard
feel that they must hasten 20 Paris and
starve in a garret, so that they may say
t hey have been taught by the great French
artist, Monsieur X.
Little Miss Smith does not conform
rigIdly TO any school of art. She is work
ing things out" for herself, as she saws
She IL decidedly not an iDpressicnist, but
inclines rather 10 realism. She likes 20
paint officials and prominent men, and
she is working steadily with the problems
that apply TO this particular kind Of por-
trait painting.
For instance, she paints so that her
work can be seen At close raDge-an
important point, as portraits IN public
buildings are not always hung where a
long new is possible Then, she tries 20
catch her sitters in their most favorable
and natural pose. A portrait 20 adOrn
private mansion is made primarily 20
please only a few people, and they may
request that 4 thoughtful or animated
expression be caught by the artist But
an official likeness should convey the i'm
preston Of the man as he Is generally
known To achieve this, Miss Smith
places her sitter IN comfortable chair.
and encourages him 70 talk with her as
she works. With anyone rs pleasant 70
look at as Miss Smith. this business OF
being natural is quite simple.
FACES MUCH HOT AIR.
What the celebrities have told her in
these informal conversations might make
fascinating copy, but she refuses TO di-
vulge any Of it.
Most of her portraits are developed with
plain black or unobtrusive tapestry back
grounds. Surroundings should not be
nta uh. h..lsIErES htgr q. knnL
at the portrait, YOU should see only the
sitter
The effect of this method is well IL
lustrated' in her striking portrait of Cow
ernor Cox, which has = soft black back
ground, perfectly plain, so that the head
of the governor stands out with lfelke
distinctneSs. This painting IS considered
one of Miss Smiths best pieces of work
So many people have come to see and ad-
mire il, in the studio ST her hotel apart
ment, that she had almost no time to
paint, until finally it was moved to one
of the hotel parlors.
George White, National Democratic
Committee chairman, who stopped by TO
see it there the other day, was much i'm
pressed. Its Jimmie himselfr' ex-
claimed MIR. White.
Governor Cox is expected TO drop in
to see himself on canvas when ne comes
to Washington.
Governor Cox's face shows strong
character" Miss Smith SAYS Ills ex-
preston is straightforward, and he has
great power of concentration, as YOU can
see from his keen blue eyes"
Miss Smith described Senator Hard
ing's coloring as beautiful He has
wonderful hazel eyes and white hair
Likeness is, think, the most i'm
portant feature of q portrait, and beauty
Of color is next, she went on. The
greatest difficulty in portrait painting?
believe the carriage OF the sitter requires
the most careful study, even more than
the expression Of the face
81 like TO work from life. | went TO
President Wilson's Office to sketch him as
he signed papers or talked with me. The
last sitting he gave me was the day he left
for France the second, time. He had a
meeting of the cabinet at the Presidents
room at the Capitol, and while he talked
and signed documents got my final inn
preSsions.
PAINTED cox FROM LIrE
Governor Cox came 70 my studio for
several sittings But Admiral Pcary's
portrait, which | am still working on.
had to be made from four photographs
already taken. We decided upon the
representative features of the different