Evening star., 1935-11-10
Bv Leila MechHn.


last Monday morning, and will remain
on view throughout the month. Mat
ted but unframed, they have been
placed in upright cases on the second
floor of the library, directly facing
the staircase, so they confront the
visitor to the art department on en-
tran,s and give an instant impression
of gayety. of color, and pleasing pic
torial effect.
The subjects are varied. There are
figures, interiors, landscapes. beach
picture, street scenes. Collectively,
it is a record of impressions. freshly
seen, swiftly registered. Mr.. Lyon
works with a full, flowing brush, and
apparently obtains his results by first
intent. This latter fact gives added
charm.
There are many ways of looking
at picture, and many angles of
criticism or appreciation. To the gen.
eral public, subject matter is almost
invariably paramount; then comes
judgment of result, and finally con-
Germ with technique. With the artist
this order is, as rule, reversed. But
even with the public-the uninitiated
how the picture is painted means
more than many suppose. 1t is the
miracle of art that stirs the emotions
the amazing ability of the artist to
interpret things seen that sweeps the
observer off his feet, delights. faSci-
mates. Obviously, as ability goes up
and down. this power varies. But let
no one think that it does not count.
Herein lies all the difference between
the commonplace, the mediocre, and
the real work of art. For this rea-
son, an artists sketch book is often
more interesting than his finished
workS-the notations made for him
self more significant than his studied
productions. They are made before
the emotion fades, while, in fact, the
flame is red hot.
In these water colors of Rowland
Lyon one feels this relation between
impression and execution. He COM
mands both his medium and his emo
ton. He is not painter in search
of subject but painter capable
of seeing in almost any subject artistic
potentialities. To make these manifest
is that for which he Strives-and
often with very considerable success.
Those who wish to be told the whole
story will perhaps feel the absence
of detail in these paintings by Mr..
Lyon; faces lack features, for instance,
but they take their place in his compo-
sitions and he is not proposing por-
traiture In short, these water colors
derive their appeal from their fresh
ness of vision and directness Of exc
cution. Their color is excellent and
they are extremely effective.
THE Art Department of the Public
Library, of which Miss Elizabeth
Ray Lewis is head, announces the fol-
lowing special exhibitions to be held
in the main building during the cur
rent season: December, etchings by
members of the Washington Society
of Etchers; January, water colors by
Charles Val Clear, formerly director
of the Art League Of Washington;
February, water colors by Hugh COL
Inns; March, photographs by George
w. Harris: April, water colors by Eu-
gene Weisz, vice principal of the Cor
coran School of Art; May, cartoons by
Washington cartoonists; and June.
water colors by Philip Bell.
All of the exhibiting artists are, 1t
will be seen, Washingtonians, which
is a very proper recognition of local
talent There will also be exhibitions,
from time to time, in the branch
libraries. In fact, landscapes by
Washington artists are now on view
in both the Mount Pleasant and
Georgetown branches, and in the lat
ter, on the fifteenth of this month,
an exhibition of paintings by Twenty
Women Artists of Washington" a
newly formed organization, will be
opened.
AT THE Arts Club, 2o17 I street
northwest. exhibitions of water
colors by Stanley Woodward of Boston
and etchings by Robert Lawson of
Westport, Conn, will open this after
noon with a private view and tea.
Stanley Woodward is one of our
foremost marine painters, ranking
with Waugh and Woodbury., but of a
younger generation. Born in 1890 in
Maiden. Mass. he studied at the Bos-
ton Museum School and under Eric
Pape and also at the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts. He does
not confine himself to water colors as
q medium. but paints also in oils and
>kNI,A xr,it - for ni1if lyS
In all three media he has received
awards and he has been elected to
membership in the leading professional
organizations. In recent years he has
specialized in paintings and etchingS
OF the sea and the majority of pic
lures in the forthcoming exhibition
will be of this theme. But Mr.. Wood
ward is not one to repeat himself
The sea is never twice the same nor
are his paintings.
Asked last Summer, at Gloucester,
If he had not given much study to
wave forms, he said that he had not,
as such: that he did not analyze his
themes but painted what he saw, con-
tinuously striving for more and still
more adequate expression. In his
paintings. however, Mr. Woodward in
terprets, with great skill and veracity.
motion and weight of water, the swing
Of the long wave and lightneSs OF
spray as it breaks of its own force or
Is dashed against rocky headland.
There Is never anything photo
graphic or frozen about his sea pic
tures-they are never static. Occa-
sionally he does a picture of the sea
under gray clouds, and one of his
prize winning pictures was seascape
by moonlight-very vivid and very
caarming-but for the most part he
paints the sea in fair weather, blue
and green beneath blue skies, crossed
with puffy wind clouds. on days made
memorable by spanking breezes, spar
king clear atmosphere. OF these ne
and those who love his work never