

Now let us look at their respective studies side 

 by side. " Mr. No-eyes " has taken great pains with 

 his drawing ; even the slight veining in the petals is 

 faithfully copied ; the edges are carefully " made out " 

 ^ against the background to " show up the flower well," 



^■'Jmf making it look as if it had been cut out and pasted 



on the background. Everywhere the evidence of 

 painstaking labour, but what a poor dead thing that 

 flower is ! He has known by tradition he had a white flower 

 before him, and therefore, satisfied by that knowledge, he 

 has not used his eyes to see of what it is composed ; he 

 has not studied the wonderful difference light and reflection 

 can give, and it is quite beyond his comprehension that 

 the study of " Mr. Eyes," not nearly so elaborately finished 

 and stippled as his own production, should possess a strength 

 and an air of conviction entirely lacking in his own. 



But nevertheless he will be obstinate 

 about it, and adhere to his traditions 

 and ideas with a firmness worthy of a better 

 cause. lie has been taught that a HI)- is white, 

 that snow is white, a rose is red, etc., and he 

 sticks to that teaching. Show him a painting of 

 a snow .scene, for instance, when the brilliant 

 glow of a winter sunset makes the snowy foreground 

 look dark by comparison with the greater light of the 

 sky, and he will say it is wrong altogether ; who ever 

 saw dark snow ? He makes no allowance for conditions 

 of light, the greatest factor in pictorial effect. 



The family of " Mr. No-eyes " is a very large and 

 very conservative one ; his descendants will be with us 

 for all time, although perhaps with the advancement 

 of Art knowledge, and love and study of natural beauty 

 among us, they are less numerous than formerh-. 



The habit of training the eyes can be acquired by 

 all, but it must be by our own efforts, it cannot be 



taught, although the interchange of ideas with others Beside 



is most helpful. Our impressions must be our very own, otherwise path 

 Art would possess no individuality and no originality. Therefore, Puts forth his head 

 as I have asked you before, do not value your own perceptive J,"^.*°" **""" "'"'*' 

 powers so lowly as to work from copies, however they may appeal to And findsthesnow- 

 you as works of art. Study the methods by which a good effect has 

 been obtained, note carefully an\'thing that appeals to you in the 

 composition and technique, and then, having learnt the lesson it can 

 give you — go and do something else ! Something real, and not seen 

 through another pair of eyes ! 



liardcr 

 crocus 



visitant, 

 Mready baskin 

 the solar ray. 



I8 



