Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-29
INVENTOR, NOW II,
TAKES UP PAINTING
Thomas A. Watson, Who
Aided Or. Bell in Making
Phone, Exhibits New Work.
Special Dispatch 70 The star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star
BOSTON, September 80 (N.ANA).-
Thomas A. Watson. who helped Prof
Alexander Graham Bell invent the tele-
phone, has just made another dis
covery. 1t may not affect the economy
and progress OF the world, as has the
telephone, but 1t has given him q thrill
and affords him kind of pleasure such
as he never dreamed Of
He Is II years old and Is wondering
where he has been at" all his life. For
it is only a few months ago that he
discovered he is an artist-a painter!
He is as proud Of the discovery as he
was when he and Prof Bell wrought
the scientific miracle known as the
telephone. That was back in the los
Of the last century
From early boyhood tom" Watson
(his friends have always called him
TOMB has been trying his hand" at
all sorts of things, from helping make
telephones to building ships. He was
the founder Of the Fore River ship
yards. But curiously enough, he never
tried his hand at painting. That
seemed beyond his ken. Yet he always
loved paintings.
Met Art Professor.
However, he was not aware that. like
Leonardo da Vinci, S. F, B. Morse and
Robert Fulton, he had dual nature
part scientific and part artistic-until
he ran into Prof. Benedictis.
Either fate or destiny brought "Tom"
Watson and Prof. Benedictis together
one fine day recently. The professor is
an artisan all-around painter-who
also conducts little art school In this
city. There they met.
But Tom" was very deeply interested
In what the professor did and how he
did 1t. He was also impressed with the
work Of the pupils which he saw on the
walls. He learned that some of these
pupils were business and professional
men who were studying a little art for
their own amusement-or for their own
amaZement.
The upshot OF the matter was that
Tom" Watson decided to try his hand
at painting. He Is firmly of the belief
That man Is never too old to learn
something.
So he became a pupil Of Prof. Bene-
dlctis, and after watching the professor
do his tricks" with the paints and the
paStels a few times Tom" Watson
started In to spoil a few canvases with
paints and pastels himself He preferred
the pastels, as these were a little less
intricate and bothersome than oil colors
which had to be reduced or mixed
However. 1t requires nerve. fairly good
eyesight and steady hand to use pas
tells. THESE attributes Tom" Watson
possessed-at n.
Then came the big surprised In fact.
the surprise was so great that Prof.
Benedictis though his pupil was play-
ing joke on him. For Tom" Watson
TOOK to drawing and painting like a
duck 70 water. Even perspective didn't
bother him. He waded right in like a
professional. He had caught the
trick"
Exhibits In Studio.
But "Tom" Watson was fully as sur
pr1sed as the professor for he had never
dreamed he could do this thing after a
few lessons. He was thrilled and that
showed that at heart he was an artist.
He brought his own friends to the
studio to see what he was doing. Some
OF the friends were q little skeptical
until they saw him work.
Then he began to study color and
light in their relations. He quickly saw
through the problem involved in color
contrasts and harmonies. In the course
of few months Mr. watson was doing
about the best color work in that school.
where there were number of other
than himself. He particularly liked
painting still life-arranging number
Of colorful objects and draperies In an
artistic composition.
Mr.. Watson is now on his way to Eu-
rope to look over the works Of old mas
tiers from the standpoint of the new
knowledge he has acquired.
However, he left behind him some
examples of his own artistic work, and
some of these are on exhibition, along
with the work of other pupils, in the
Benedictis studio gallery. There is one
large, notable "still life"-a tambourine,
some plumS, JAR an apple and green
drapery background. 1t Is q pastel,
beautifully done.
Copyright, 1881 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)