January. 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



23 



Marine 

 Mosaic 



By 

 W. Cole Brigham 



"Moonrise" Lunette over a doorway 



•ARIXE MOSAIC is the artistic adaptation 

 ■^vj of shells, stones and glass, strongly ce- 

 mented to form effects beautiful in color 

 and unusual in design. Marine Mosaic 

 in place of rich stained glass is entirely 

 original and practical. In connection with 

 the metals it is wonderfully harmonious, 



lending its beauty to such practical and useful articles as 



fire, table and tea screens of iron construction, lanterns, 



electric light globes and candle shades framed in brass, and 



lamp shades leaded. In com- 

 bination with the finer metals, 



gold, silver and bronze, table 



utensils are wrought in effects 



both beautiful and natural, as 



is shown by the illustrations 



of the Iris vase, the Mag- 

 nolia loving cup and the fruit 



dish of Grape design. 



This art originated in my 



Studio, Harbor Villa, Shelter 



Island, N. Y. The mediums 



for its construction are from 



nature's storehouse, the fields, 



beaches and the sea. The 



field yields its motives in the 



forms of flowers and fruits of 



gardens, wild and cultivated, 



to say nothing of the land- 

 scape effects to which Marine 



Mosaic so aptly lends itself. 



The beaches give the material 



with which it is possible to 



produce the most delicate 



tones by shell and pebble. 



These materials are used in 



their natural state, no arti- 

 ficial coloring being added, 



nor any chemical brought tfj 



play to diminish or soften 



these quiet tones and delicate 



shades. The sea, as the 



fields, furnishes wonderful 



themes for the displaying of 



An adaptation to garden decoration 



these rare hues and in addition supplies the artist with yet 

 another medium with which to render marine forms. In 

 the seascape the natural shell of a crab has been utilized to 

 form the body as designed. This is one of the many op- 

 portunities the artist has indulged in of applying natural 

 products with suitable surroundings to create the full beauty 

 of nature in both form and color. 



The skill in utilizing such products as compose Marine 

 Mosaic has been acquired only by close application and long 

 experience. As with all pure art, new ideas are received 



through inspiration coming 

 from the medium used. 



The transcendent beauty 

 of Nature cannot be equalled 

 by artificial products. Crafts- 

 manship is the key-note of 

 Marine Mosaic. The first 

 method pursued in its con- 

 struction is that of fixing defi- 

 nitely the subject to be ren- 

 dered. Second, the composi- 

 tion of line regardless of 

 color, and finally the color 

 scheme which necessarily has 

 its limitations and must so fit 

 the subject within these re- 

 strictions of tone and color as 

 to enable the ensemble to ap- 

 pear clear and, at the same 

 time, harmonious. Through 

 this procedure the craftsman- 

 ship enters to the greatest ex- 

 tent. This course once accom- 

 plished, the artist designs his 

 scheme, seeking Nature for 

 the inspiration or motive. 

 Carefully constructed sketches 

 of separate detailed parts are 

 drawn ; be they ship, fish, 

 flowers or landscape. Pat- 

 terns are then made, accord- 

 ing to which shells, stones or 

 glass are cut or fitted. The 

 full size drawing is then 



