Architect Jon Mills is already well known in Bermuda for his extensive work as a theatre set designer. In the past year or so, he has branched out into the world of watercolours and now has more than 40 pieces of his work on display at Heritage House.

Sailboats (from as far afield as England and the east coast of America, as well as the Bermudian variety) form the main focus of interest in this show.

His understandable fascination with architecture is also reflected in several depictions of Bermuda houses and cottages.

There could never be any doubt that Mr. Mills is, first and foremost, an architect: it shows in the precision and detail of his work and in the preponderance (especially in the drawings of buildings) of almost ruler-straight, strongly wrought lines.

His use of colour which, on the whole, is soft and understated is, however, rather pleasing. There is a feeling that Jon Mills, architect, still holds sway over Jon Mills, artist. He needs to loosen up, concentrate less on technique, and let his imagination fly. He certainly is a gifted draughtsman and, if he concentrates on drawing and painting from life, could turn out to be a most interesting artist.

Certainly, there is a rich market for "marine'' subjects here and Mr. Mills' brush certainly reflects the timeless beauty of billowing sails silhouetted against sea and sky.

His small painting of Felluca Nuovo Mondo, depicting two people sailing the boat through choppy seas, has real charm, as does the brown-sailed Fishing Cutter Nellie. Both of these works are looser in style and manage to convey that all-essential sense of movement.

The series of Hastings Fishing Boats portray a sense of timelessness, laid up on the rough beach as they have for generation after generation under pale English skies. While the drawings are well executed, there is a distinct impression that the very meticulous delin eations are worked from photographs rather than life.

Obviously, too, his picture of the Cove Lane Variety store at Spanish Point is taken from a photograph, since this scene shows the little store in its maroon-shuttered hey-day, seen on a hot, sunny day, with the purple Pepsi bottle-cap sign still on the wall, and buckets, broom and a fat watermelon propped up outside evoking the charm of wayside shops before the invasion of the supermarket all but obliterated this aspect of Island life.

There are two interesting studies, showing the house, Crossways in spring when the poinciana tree casts its skeletal frame against the edifice, and then in summer, when the scarlet red blooms are in full flush.

Perhaps his most successful work in this vein is his picture of Cedar Hill House, in Somerset, as he has softened the classic Bermudian, washed-out coral building with a framework of trees and bushes.

The low-verandahed Cottage with Cedar is also freer in approach and there is sensitive treatment of the focal tree. The plants growing underneath, however, are redolent of stage sets, seemingly placed on top, rather than growing out of the earth.

Landscape is best represented by his Bermuda Beach and there is a feeling here that Mr. Mills has an innate sympathy with Mother Nature; as yet, his approach is tentative, but the wind-bent palm trees and a lively treatment of the whipped-up sea indicate that he might concentrate more on paintings in this genre.

Jon Mills is the first to admit that he is "still learning''. This show, which has sold quite well, should confirm to him that, to a large extent, he can allow drawing technique to take care of itself. All he has to do now is paint like mad and give himself up to the luxury of actually enjoying the process. A promising first show.

PATRICIA CALNAN FIRST ONE-MAN SHOW -- Artist Jon Mills seen with one of the many marine watercolours in his first Heritage House exhibition.