Studio: international art (37.1906)

Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Concluding Notice

been completed or not, be-
cause enamel without colour
is like a cup without wine.
Mrs. Ernestine Mills at-
tempts the symbolistic de-
sign which we reproduce,
and attempts it successfully
up to a point: her drawing
is watched carefully, but her
enamel has not quite the
spirit of true enamel-work
which pertains to the two
former designs. A too pre-
cise and pictorial definite-
ness has been striven for,
accident has not been
waited for with the patience
and the knowledge which is
characteristic of the true
enamellist. Every artist has
his peculiar medium : that
enamelling is Mrs. Tra-
quair's medium we do not
doubt, and for the reason
that its particular qualities
are prized by her above
every other quality. No
artistic work could possibly
be more opposed in its
character to the aims of the
art of enamelling than the
art of wood carving. The
carved fruit bowl (noticing
the works chosen for this

triptych in silver and enamel : by phcebe traquair artl>,p the or(jer of our

" the red cross knight " article in me oruei 01 uui

triptych into a pleasant and
effective, even noble deco-
ration. The enamel plaque
Twilight, by Miss Gertrude
Smith, is enclosed in a deco-
rative frame of original de-
vice : like Mrs. Traquair's
design, its chief merit rests
with colour. Drawing, with
its precise claims, seems
a hard taskmaster which
enamellists evade, seeking
the greater license, the kind-
lier mastership of colour. It
is a great deal to find colour
satisfactorily attained,
whether the drawing has fruit bowl :" benedicite " by ada johnson

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