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WILD PHLOX 
THE wild phlox, as well as the cultivated varieties, is a 
flower well adapted for decoration although little 
used. The color, white or a pale lilac, is of little moment as 
in design one can take liberties with this attribute. Of the 
cultivated varieties, the coloring is infinite, the individual 
flowers are more beautiful, but the clusters are not so easily 
managed as in the wild flower, when they ordinarily take 
the general outline of a loose ball or hollow hemisphere. A 
good plan, in looking for general characteristics of a flower, is 
to make a pencil drawing, fill in the background with black 
and then erase all the pencil details. This gives a silhouette 
and perforce you are confined to the large forms and main 
distinguishing points. 
In order to avoid the scattering effect of the loose 
cluster, a good idea in arranging a design is to enclose the 
cluster in an outline making a compound motif as in the 
panel (page 182) which can be easily adapted to overglaze 
decoration. On this page will be found suggestions for ap- 
plication to ceramics together with some simple borders 
made from the single flower unit. These can be executed 
in flat color, gold, or enamels with or without outlines. 
*• & 
WISTARIA 
RANGING in color from white to purple through vari- 
ous shades of lavender and blue, the long drooping 
clusters of the wistaria have always been a favorite subject 
with Japanese artists. Western decorators have not seemed 
generally to appreciate the possibilities of the flower, though 
here and there one finds it in design. The wistaria lends 
itself most easily to conventionalization. The flower is well 
balanced as well as the cluster, while the leaves, which vary 
in color from green to tender pink, lie generally open and 
flat, the pinnate divisions being opposite and balanced. 
The ends of the leaves never curl, though occasionally, and 
especially in young leaves, one will find them folded to- 
gether, two and two, closed like the leaves of a book and 
hanging down. 
Some suggestions for adaptations to ceramic forms will 
be found on page 176. Many of the best effects, however, are 
made by a strict conventionalization into borders, etc. The 
fan, top of page 177, is also an arrangement of this motif. At 
the right end of the top group of vases on page 178 will be 
seen a more conventional arrangement of this motif carved 
in relief. This is shown before glazing. On page 179 will be 
found two views of the same vase after glazing. This ar- 
rangement could easily be adapted to overglaze decora- 
tion. To approximate the color scheme paint the leaves 
Grey Green, the flowers a light yellowish brown, using 
Yellow Ochre and letting the color vary from light to dark. 
Outline in darker shades of the same colors or gold. This 
design would be very effective in blue and white. 
STUDIO NOTES 
We acknowledge receipt of the catalogue of the Mae 
Benson School of Applied Design, New York City. One of 
the features of the school is teaching by correspondence. 
The eighth annual exhibition of the pupils' work will be 
given at Mrs. Benson's studio, December 6th and 7th, days 
and evenings. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
A. S. — None of the prominent water color flower painters have written 
instructions as to their methods. De Longpre is one of the best known painters 
of flowers which are botanically correct. Katherine Klein is also well known 
and safe to copy. Write to our advertisers for safflower or to Mrs. McLennon 
Hinman who uses it. 
F. H. — Designs done in silver, gold or gold bronzes, as a rule look better 
outlined with black or red. The outline straightens up any ragged edges. 
When designs are made in metal * without outline, the edges must be very 
clean cut. Mrs. Safford's breakfast and lunch sets, illustrated in the last 
account of the exhibition of the N. S. K. A. were executed in silver without 
outlines on white and on celadon. 
V. — A vase such as you describe could be made by dusting about two- 
thirds of the vase with Matt Blue such as is sold by Miss M. Mason and other 
dealers in color; then dusting bronze powder from the top down letting 
bronze dust into color. The bronze may need to be put on for a second fire 
also. Draw design with a sharp wooden point. Clean out design and paint 
in golds of various tints or in flat gold using lustres over different portions for 
a second fire when the outlining would be put on in Black. Instead of bronze 
for the upper third of the background gold could be used and lustre put over 
for a second fire. Dark Green and Ruby lustres are especially fine over gold 
but other lustres may be used. 
There is an orange lustre sold by that name. For lining cups, use Mother- 
of Pearl lustre, Rose lustre over Yellow lustre or Yellow lustre alone. There 
is no lustre called "lining." 
