Evening star., 1937-01-02
By Leila Mechlin.
Washington Water Color Club
HOLDS 4ISt An11nnl Exhibition

BY Leila MechHn.
Washington Water Color Club
Holds 41St Annual Exhibition.
TINE forty-first annual exhibition
OF the Washington Water Color
Club, which opened in the Cor
coran Gallery cf Art the first of
this week crowds the gallery of special
exhibitions and overf1ows into the
atrium where works in black and white
are shown. 1t is by no means purely
local display. for works have come from
oil over the country, north. east. south
and west, painters of New England are
represented, but also painters and
printmakers of Southern California
Oklahoma, Texas. the deep South, u
Alabama. Georgia, South Carolina
the Atlantic Coast ana Middle West
Obviously the producing centers in this
country have become widely dis
tributed. For this does not mean that
local artists have been cutcrowded, for
they are still in the majority and
among the best.
The Washington Water Color Club
has in the more than 40 years since its
organization made an enviable repu-
tation for itself, showing in its annual
exhibitions work which reflected the
trends Of the time. but was upheld to
. high standard. Many changes have
taken place in these four decades
When the Washington Water Color
Club came into existence toward the
last of the gay nineties" the Dutch
school of water color painting was at
its height and many of the artists
In this country were using the scrub"
method and opaque color. Up to then
water color had been employed chiefly
IN accordance with the tenets of the
English school-clear wash on white
paper-which, while sometimes very
effective, was weak. In fact such paint
ings were referred to as water color
drawings" Obviously there was then,
rs always, middle ground-painters
who used transparent color with
strength and vigor ana fine effect. 1t
was from these that we derive today.
There have been changes in the
medium itself. At first it came in little
hard cakes and had to be ground with
water in saucers, then in little pans
moist enough to be taken up with a
vet brush and care against overflow
ing, next it appeared in tubes like oil
paints-and so it Is still to be pur-
chased. These changes have affected
work in this medium and for this
reason are important. Such painting
In water color as We have today
strong, broad and forceful-could not
have been done with the medium in
its original form. But it is true that
Winslow Homer. perhaps the greatest
water colorist Of this country, devel-
oped his astonishing technique and
produced his astounding works under
very severe technical difficulties. How
ever. Homer was genius and for such
hurdles are not barriers and rules with
out significance. At any rate water
color has in our time ceased to be
regarded as lady-like medium.
In this connection it may also be
noted that water color painting has
now come to be regarded with the
same importance as painting in oils.
For example. both Winslow Homer and
John Singer Sargent, pre-eminent as
painters In oils. are likewise pre-
eminent as water colorists, and the
chances are that for their work in the
latter they will be equally long re-
membered. But as Eliot O'Hara has
said in his book on water color painting
to paint good water colors is a full
time Job, not relaxation from other
kinds OF artistic expression" Too many
persons, perhaps, have regarded it as
the latter and too many still look upon
It as a medium for amateurs.
That water color is an elastic me-
dium, allowing great freedom for in
dividuality Of expression, the current
exhibition of the Washington Water
Color Club gives ample proof. Not
only Is the subject matter varied. but
also the method OF handling. There
are as many ways Of painting as there
are painters, and who shall say that
any one Is most correct? These are
trying times for artists because of the
confusion OF ideals, the strength OF
the currents Of change that are sweep.
ing the world, and in every exhibition
OF current work one notes a certain
evidence Of bewilderment and confu-
sion. From this the present exhibi.
tion Is not exempt. In fact, this state
OF mind on the part OF the painters i.
more obvious here than in previou.
shovings. The display as q whole i.
less colorful, the work less assured
and positive in effect than heretofore
There are fewer outstanding contribu.
tions. But, on the other hand the
average OF competence Is fairly high
and sustained.
Portraits and
Figure Paintings.
IT is unusual to see life-size portrait,
in water color. but to this exhibi.
ton Ruth H. Lee of Syracuse, N. Y.
contributes two-one self-portrait
the other OF an old woman mapping
with . bowl Of fruit on her lap, botf
exceedingly well rendered and giver
positions OF honor. Another SyracuS,
painter-Mariorie s. Garfield, who ha
made q name for herself by the paint
ing OF period rooms in art museums
has here made notable contribution Ii
. broad, simple painting of the door O
. church at Ragusa. No less compe
tent and perhaps a bit more colorfu
and effective Is the painting by Mar,
@. Riley Of this city of the church a
San Miguel, done during recen
Summer sojourn in Central America.
Two figure compositions, widely diff
ferent in manner Of handling and Il
personnel. stand out in this collec
tion-"Evening Quartet" by Cath
\ arine Morris Wright Of Philadelphia
\ vino contributes also a notable ma
rine, The Spray" and Nanny
Place" by Gertrude G. Brown o
Washington, who is likewise well rep
Aeented by . second work. "Eleve41