1923] PETER, AN ARTIST AFIELD 115 



opportunity of observing the small animal life of the neighborhood. 

 For example when we were at Pyramid lake, Nevada, some sketches 

 were made close to the shore, and countless varieties of water birds 

 were to be seen at close range. Flocks of pelicans flew very low over- 

 head and settled on the water near by as well as ducks and geese in 

 large numbers, while gray herons waded and fished in the shallows 

 near shore, all of which was exceedingly interesting and gave one a 

 welcome change while working out there. 



When rain makes outdoor painting impossible, the writer generally 

 accompanies Dr. Barrett on his visits to Indian huts, and while he is 

 bargaining for specimens for our collections, portraits are painted of 

 those of the natives who can be prevailed upon to pose. At such 

 times the entire family is usually present watching the work, and 

 making comments in their native dialect which makes it extremely 

 difficult for one to finish a picture satisfactorily. 



After the background for the model has been completed and put 

 into place, miniature figures of Indians are painted on cardboard, 

 cut out and also fastened into the model. Then the foreground is 

 made up of pebbles, bushes, grasses, etc., and the model is finished, 

 giving a complete representation on a small scale of the large group 

 as it will look when completed. However, this does not end the field- 

 work by any means. The plants, bushes, stones, and grasses that will 

 be required for the foreground of the large group must still be collected. 

 In order to make the finished work true to nature all of these items 

 must come from the locality which is represented in the group. This 

 material has to be crated and boxed for shipment, and last but not 

 least in importance, one must make casts and molds of the faces of 

 the best types of the particular Indians which are to be shown in the 

 group. This is the most difficult part of the work, and also the most 

 unpleasant. When we have found characteristic heads on the reserva- 

 tion, we invite them to our headquarters or studio; explain what we 

 want; how it is done and how much we will pay for one face. At first 

 it usually takes quite a time before they understand, and one is found 

 who is willing to lie down and have his face taken. If the subject has 

 a smooth face it is greased with olive oil to prevent the plaster from 

 sticking to the skin, a bathing cap is placed over the hair and a towel 

 lain around the neck and covering the chest. The Indian is then asked 

 to lie down on an improvised cot with his face upward and a cardboard 

 mask or guard placed around his face. This is nothing more than a 

 paper box cover with an oval hole cut in it, of which we always have 

 at hand several in varying sizes and after one that fits has been found, 



