Title

Sydney woman artist's sucess. [Ethleen Palmer].

Author

Author not identified

Source

Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney) 18 April 1831 - ongoing

Details

Supplement, 28 July 1936, page 4, columns 2-3.

Publication date

28 July 1936

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

SYDNEY WOMAN ARTIST'S SUCCESS.

The Adelaide Art Gallery has acquired two lino-cuts by Miss Ethleen Palmer, of Sydney, The two chosen were "Farrell's Shed at Newport," and "Finches and Gum blossom." Miss Palmer is fond of animal subjects, so that the Zoo is the home of many of her models, and her love of birds is also expressed in her work.

ACTUALLY, she took up lino-cut work as an experiment. She first came to Sydney from South Africa as a schoolgirl, and attended Sydney Girls' High School. Winning an art scholarship at the East Sydney Technical College meant three years of intensive study, in addition to evening work at the Ultimo Technical School. Next came a commercial art post, as well as the evening studies, and after two years Miss Palmer suffered a breakdown in health. It took four years for her to regain her strength, but this time was not wasted, for, as she explained: "It gave me time to think and digest all that I had been taught so thoroughly. Then, one day, I read a book on 'Lino-Cuts,' and thought that I should like to experiment in that medium." After that she abandoned commercial art and turned all her attention to lino-cut fine art.

ORIGIN OF THE LINO-CUT.

LINO-CUT work has been christened "the grand-child of the wood-engraver," for it was evolved from wood-engraving as used by the Chinese and later adopted and improved by the Japanese. Linoleum was substituted for wood, and proved a highly successful medium. At first lino-cut work was carried out in black and white only, and to an Austrian, Professor Cziek, of Vienna, goes the distinction of introducing colour, in the European manner, to lino-cut work. Another Viennese, Bressler Rothe [Bresslern Roth], has achieved fame for her mastery of the medium.

Miss Palmer has worked out her method according to the "trial and error" theory. She believes that although it may not be so economical, her practice of completing one print straight through gives individuality and freshness to her work.

Lino-cut work is a branch of art in which, per- haps more than in any other, complete accuracy is required. When the subject is chosen, it is first sketched in charcoal or pencil, and then a very clear tracing is made. Close study reveals how many blocks will be needed, since a separate block is required for each different colour. Six, and often eight, blocks will be used. Each part to be coloured black is numbered one, and everything black is worked out on one block, and so on, each block having its own numeral. The artistry is in the balance and rhythm between colour and form the whole making a harmonious pattern.

Being her own handy-man, Miss Palmer saws a plank of wood into blocks, and then linoleum is cut to match and "fixed" to the blocks with glue.

This must be arranged with the greatest accuracy to fit a special frame which Miss Palmer has in- vented. As one colour is superimposed upon another, a millionth part of an inch out of "plumb" would spoil the whole effect. When the linoleum is mounted and in its frame, the tracing of the subject is transferred to It, and then all is ready for cutting it out. This is the most difficult and delicate of all the operations, as the slightest mistake would ruin the whole block.

Art is not Miss Palmer's only interest, for she is an excellent cook, loves gardening, and collects books. She is also fond of adopting sick and injured birds or animals, and her "hospital" includes a beautiful large cat, which was once a kitten with a broken back, and her dog, "Winky," is minus an ear.

[Sydney Morning Herald, Supplement, 28 July 1936, p.4, col. 2-3.]

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Last Updated

30 Aug 2021