Evening star., 1947-11-09
Art
and
Artists
10 New Exhibitions
Open for Visitors;
Arts Club Offering
O'Hara and Nyquist
BY Florence 5. Berrymon

0uiCc I1dllOWccl, w dSAlt11SNOA SoA.
leries have opened (and will open
this afternoon) 10 new exhibitions,
including two Of the seasons largest
group shows, the 10th Metropolitan
State Art Contest, to be inaugurated
at the National Museum today
(and reviewed next week. and the
Corcoran's second Washington area
annual, now one week old. The art
fare is abundant and varied.
The Arts Club has exhibitions by
two Washington artists, Eliot O'Hara
and Carl Nyquist, to remain through
November 81. Both are SO well
known here, from long residence,
frequent participation In group ex-
hibitions and previous one-man
shows, that they need no introduc-
ton to most Washington art lovers.
Biographical data is repeated here
for the benefit of newcomers, for
these artists and their works are well
worth knowing.
Eliot O'Hara's watercolors fill the
Arts Club gallery. Nearly all of the
"a on view are the work of this year
or last; a few items are little
earlier, among them "Penguins,"
1914. Those who have watched his
development from the time he gave
up a successful business career to
become an artist, recall that his
early work was more or less con-
ventional, but always fresh and vital.
Since he returned from Russia where
he went on Guggenheim fellow
ship, nearly 20 years ago, his paint
ing has become increasingly broader
and more simplified and in not a
few instances, nearly abstract.
Painted With Vigor
The present group of watercolors
are painted with his usual vigorous
competence and include landscapes,
harbor and coast scenes, glimpses of
cities, captures of fish and birds,
with examples of portraiture, interior
and flower painting. Students will
be interested in his versatile tech
nique: fluid and medium washes,
damp and dry paper combinations.
Mr. O'Hara has been teaching water
color painting for many summers at
Goose Rocks Beach, Me, with winter
classes elsewhere. He is now con-
nected with the Norton Gallery,
Palm Beach, Fla, as an art teacher.
His books on technique, Making
Watercolor Behave" "Watercolor
Fares Forth" and others, have been
much in demand.
Born in Waltham, Mass, Mr..
O'Hara studied at Norwich Univer-
sity and in Europe.
He has had his permanent winter
home in Washington for many
years. He is an associate of the
National Academy and member
of eight other professional artists
organizations, including the Wash
ington Water Color Club, Land
scape Club and Artists Guild, the
latter two of which are among the
many organizations which have
bestowed prizes and medals upon
his work.
Nyquist's Washington
1t is always a pleasure to look at
Washington through the eyes and
brush of Carl Nyquist, Is Of whose
works now occupy the Arts Clubs
reception rooms. Most of them are
oil paintings, but there are few
water colors and ink drawings. At
least a third of the show comprises
views Of the Nations Capital City.
Mr.. Nyquist takes sardonic de-
light in showing up puny man
against a majestic background. He
has painted a corner of the Capitols
monumental stairway and facade,
with snapshooters eblivious of how
ephemeral they appear in front of
it. "Burlesque Baroque" depicts
the gilt and plush tiers of boxes
filled with man in his more vul-
gar moments. Several straight
forward views of Key Bridge and
nearby industrial buildings, and a
poetic Fall Over the Potomac" are
admirable reflections.
He also shows q number of por-
traits and two European scenes,
"Pont Croix. Brittany" and a town
in Corsica, both beautiful in them
selves and consequently charming
in these paintings. They seem
somewhat more hammered in ham
ding than his local scenes.
Carl Nyquist, Swedish-born, has
been a Washingtonian for nearly
two decades. He studied at the Art
Institute of Chicago. the Corcoran
School of Art and in France, Italy,
Corsica and Mexico. He is a men, |
ber of the Society of Washington
Artists and the Landscape Club,
and has been the recipient of a
number Of prizes.
X X II
Pacific Coast Artists
Californians now living in Wash
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