The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-04

Washington, ID. c. Sept. S.
Washington now hasy one OF the
most interesting "codrt painters"
It has ever known. Mia NOfetta
! Mccormick Smith. who has painted
President Wilson, Governor Cox,
Senator Harding. Secretary DAN
iels, Governor Smith Of New York.
! and q host Of other celebrities, has
decided to settle down in Wash
ington and devote her time to i'm
mortalizing the nations best known
faces.
knowing something OF Miss
Smiths achievements rs a painter
er of the great, the reporter ex-
pected to be greeted by . learned
lady Of uncertain age, who could
discourse weightily OF the mission
of her art. The Miss Smith who
led US into her hotel apartment
was a blonde little girl OF posi-
! bly, % years.
Mrs. Smith, who is naturally
proud of her daughters fame, did
most of the talking.
Before she knew her letters"
said Mrs. Smith, 'Noretta always
wanted to hold q pencil or crayon
and illustrate the little stories l
read to her. ! always told her
the queer little figures we're beau
/ tiful, so she kept ON drawing. on
her lesson papers at school, and
often in her play time.
4 when she was about four, we
took her to an art gallery, and her
delight in the pictures attracted
the attention Of q French artist
who was visiting the gallery. He
followed her about listening to her
comments, and when he left he
said: Madame. your child will be
a great painter
AT the time. we were amused
rather than impressed by the
Frenchman's enthusiasm, but when
Noretta was nine, she painted
these"-and Mrs. Smith indicated
two little oil paintings. copies OF
famous likenesses Of Raphael and
Shakespeare.
! A Child Wonder.
The work was crude, but the
features could be easily recogniz-
ed. and for a child of nine who
had never had an art lesson in her
life-welI, they convinced Mrs
Smith that her daughter was dos
tined to be an artist.
Not until she was IA. however
did Noretta Smith go to an art
school. She studied three years al
the Art Students league in New
York, and at the National Acad-
envy of Design under George May
nard, whom she considers one Of
the finest teachers in this country
Il have never studied abroad,
. Miss Smith said. There Is SO
much to learn in this country. and
we have such splendid teachers
here that l should be ashamed to
go to Europe to study, though some
day when I have time l do, want
to travel"
She believes that American ar,
schools are at last coming into
their own, and that students OF the
future will no longer feel that they
must hasten to Paris and starve
in a garrett, so that they may say
they have been taught by the great
French artist, Monsieur X.
Little Miss Smith does not con-
i form rigidly to any school Of art
She is working things out" for
herself. as she says. She is decid-
eddy not an impressionist. but in
clines rather to realism. She likes
to paint officials and prominent
men, and she is working steadily
with the problems that apply to
this particular kind Of portrait
painting.
For instance, she paints so thai
her work can be seen at close
range-an important point. as por.
traits in public buildings are moi
always hung where long view il
possible Then. she tries to catch
her sitters in their most favor
able and natural pose. A portrait
to adorn a private mansion is made
primarily to please only few PEG
pie. and they may request that {
, thoughtful or animated expression
be caught by the artist. But an Of
: fetal likeness should convey thu
. impression of the man as he j!
generally known. To achieve this
/ Miss Smith places her sitter in ,
) comfortable chair. and encourage!
him to talk with her as she works
/ With anyone as pleasant to lool
. at as Miss Smith, this business o
being natural is quite simple.
Ii. Faces Much Hot Air.
What the celebrities have TOLD
, her in these informal converse
/, lions might make fascinating copy
) but she refuses to divulge any OF il
| Most Of her portraits are devel
oped with plain black or unobtru
sive tapestry backgrounds. Sur