Evening star., 1941-06-22
Members of Arts Club Present ColoyfM Exhibit
Works in Oil and
Water.COlor Are
Found Pleasing
Rv Leila MechHn

what 1t should be for the vacation
season-freSh, colorful and not toe
serious. 1t occupies the gallery, re-
ception and dining rooms and hall
and includes paintings in both oil
and water color. There is nc
printed or typed catalogue, but each
exhibit is inconspicuously labeled
with title and name of artist.
In the gallery, devoted exclusively
to works in oil there is pleasant
mixture of figure, landscape ana
still-life paintings, as well as por-
traits and interiors, and very lar
average of merit is maintained.
Catherine c. Critcher, who, by IN
vitation, held "one-man eXhlol-
ton" in the Corcoran Gallery OF Art
not long ago, is seen at her best IN
Indian Mystic" reminiscent in style
and character to works by Vedder,
and in a more recent figure study OF
a Young woman in colorful dress,
holding a bunch of bananas on her
Ian. painted with little more daSh,
In compliment, perhaps, TO the spirit
Of the time. Miss Critcher is one
who. while holding fast to tradition
has followed new movements WIN
interest and has not been aVerse 10
eyperimentation. She is represented
in the Corcoran's permanent COL
lection.
Pleasing Study.
From a former pupil OF Miss
critcher-Catherine P. Melton, one
of this seasons exhibitors at the
Woman's City Club-comes pleas
Ing study of peonies in a white vase
very suitable for a summer show as
are three paintings of f1owers'
hung as a group on the east wall
the work of Mathilde M. Lelsenrlng,
who always can be depended upon
for renditions of distinguished merit,
whatever the theme. One OF these
naintings is entitled Floral Deco
ration" and would admirably serve
the decorators purpose, properly
nlaced. II is a large bunch OF gar
den flowers. chiefly gay-colored
zinnias. placed in a vase with eW-
dent care in arrangement. All three
Of Mrs. Leisenring's paintings IN TINS
exhibition are high-keyed ana WIN
white backgrounds.
Hattie E. Burdette. who Is, per-
haps. best known for her portraits,
contributes, besides a Mother ana
Child" in pastel, hung over the
rantel in the dining room, cnarm-
ing still-life. beautifully painted,
which is in the gallery. 1t is OF an
Md white porcelain teapot with floral
decorations. stood on a table on
which are green grapes, plumS ana
neaches-a delightful composltlon,
cravely set forth with both taste ana
skill a work which would artlstlcaly
hold its own in any collection;
Marjorie Phillips has contributed
q small painting OF panSles IN
white vase. one of her own faVorltes
among her works and very char
acteristic.
Outstanding among the landscapes
4 Robert Motley's large canvas
showing an extensive view IN the
"Cstskill Mountains which mas
heen given the place Of honor on the
west wall 1t is a tremendously dill
Acult theme and has been handled
extremely well.
Admirable Handling.
Somewhat on the same order is
,tev of the Shenandoah River py
John S. Spahr, realistic but Wel
rrasped and interpreted-a llttle
,neticulous, perhaps, in foreground
treatment, for which, however, the
admirable handling of middle ols-
tance and background compensateS'
Garnet Jex contributes two sum-
ner landscapes, one Of which, Early
Morning. Cumberland" pictures the
mountains still holding the mist IN
their valleys as though loath 10 let
1t go, and is rendered with an excep-
tionally light touch.
Ralph Totten's Canal Near Great
Falls" gray and sober in tone, mas
much to commend it, as also mas
Minor S. Jameson's picture OF one OF
the wharves at Rocky Neck, Glou-
cester. with the tide out and the
red fish houses standing as on high
stilts. The tonal quality of both
these paintings is notably good.
Charles Bittinger, past president
N the Society of Washington Artlsts,
national academician and, at pres
e,1t, serving in the camouf1age sec
tion of the Navy with the rank of
shows both a landscape,
rendered in lush
greens, and an interior, Hallway,
which is reticent yet sun
flooded and inviting. Through his
knowledge OF colors, Mr..
Bittinger has, upon occasion, and
hv wav of experimentation, been
able to paint two pictures on one
canvas. variously visible in different
light; therefore, If his summer land
scape in the current exhibition
should at any moment turn into a
snow scene, the beholder need not
he bewildered or frightened. But 1t
probably will not.
Interest and Variety.
Small figure studies, one painted
indoors by Lucia Hollerith, the other
outdoors by Clara Kimberly, lend
interest and variety to this showing,
as does Edith Hoyt's skillful, low
toned painting of the "Rlalto
Bridge, Venice"
The walls of the dining room are
chiefly given over to paintings IN
water-color, a lighter but no less
important medium. Here one finds
q charming picture of Great Falls"
nv Lesley Jackson, which, while
realistic, is spirited and of enduring
merit. From Ruth P. Stafford has
come another excellent interior,
THE Nursery in the Lee Mansion"
Frances Hungerford Combs shows
rendition of "Hollyhocks,"
and Edith Hoyt gives a pleasing
glimpse of the garden at Dunbar
ton Oaks, as does Lucia Hollerith OF
tA1e Irish Garden" on the Hollerith
estate. nearby on Georgetown
Heights.
Two contributions have come from
Peter Wagner, both broadly rem
dered, colorful and fine. Susan B.
Chase is several times represented,
but by small pictures done in Texas
,>1oty 1oua hnpn for