Vol. XIX, No. 2 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
Tune 1917 
E had fully intended at first to raise 
the subscription price of Keramic 
Studio to $5 per year beginning with 
the May issue. The increased cost 
of publishing has forced Magazines 
either to raise the price of sub- 
scriptions or advertisements, or to 
struggle along without any profit. 
Several have stopped publication. 
And now Congress wants to increase 
the rates of postage so that they will be almost prohibitive. 
We hope, however, that this increase will not be carried to the 
extreme point suggested at first. At $5 a year now Keramic 
Studio would be cheaper than it was at $4 before the war. 
However, when we considered the increased cost of everything 
to our subscribers, from luxuries to necessities, and the pros- 
pect of still greater burdens for them to bear, we had 
not the heart to add an extra straw and we will try to pull 
through at the old price until conditions are more settled. 
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There has been a slight advance in subscriptions since last 
December, when we began the new department editorial work. 
That change has been much appreciated by teachers through- 
out the country and has been the means of bringing the publi- 
cation to the attention of many more departments of art in 
colleges and schools. While this is very gratifying to us, we 
wish to impress upon you the need of your cooperation and 
help to increase the subscriptions. 
Keramic Studio has done its utmost for the benefit of 
Ceramic Art and we believe this fact is fully appreciated by 
those who are competent to judge. But we need more sub- 
stantial help than mere praise, although we are thankful for 
both. Will you not, each one of you, make an effort to interest 
some of your friends in this magazine ? If you will send in the 
names of people who are interested in this work but unfamiliar 
with Keramic, we will be glad to communicate with them, and 
mail sample copies, lists of books, etc. Let us work together ! 
The next issue will be given up almost entirely to the 
exhibit of the Keramic Society of Greater New York which 
is full of suggestions for decorators. Among other things it 
will be noted that quite a few are taking up the decoration of 
glass. We shall look for interesting developments along this 
line. We are showing in the present issue some useful 
illustrations of the exhibit of the old New York Society of 
Keramic Arts. The group of lamp vases, etc., by Miss Mason 
is especially notable for the strong designing. Mrs. Cherry's 
exhibit contains many unique decorations as usual. It is to 
be regretted that the coloring cannot be shown, as this con- 
stitutes the chief charm. 
While eveiyone is thinking of the war and working for 
the various relief societies, there is danger that ceramic work 
will be neglected for a time, especially since the difficulty of 
procuring ware for decoration has grown more or less acute. 
It seems to us that now would be a good time to put our efforts 
rather on^working out designs on paper and trying various 
color schemes. Such work can be taken up at odd times and 
places and need not interfere with more serious duties. A 
good plan would be to take the photos of exhibits and enlarge 
some design, adapting to whatever piece you may have in 
mind to decorate later, changing the motif both in size and 
arrangement to fit different shapes. Then take some flower 
or bird studies, make conventionalized motifs from them on 
the order of the designs used in the exhibit and try to arrange 
in the same manner. This would be fine practice. 
Why do we of late confine our efforts at designing to 
flowers and birds? Why not try a few animals or fish or 
humans, we must not get into a rut even though it is an agree- 
able one. Work out on linen the same motifs you have used 
on your china and we will arrange a competition for the fall. 
We would be pleased to have our subscribers write and sug- 
gest what sort of competition they would like, whether for 
breakfast, dinner, tea or special sets such as porch sets, card 
sets, etc., etc. 
There are two spring flowers in my garden that I 
have never seen used in design. They are most attrac- 
tive both in color and form. One is comfry, a low growing 
plant with white dotted leaves and flowers similar to the for- 
get-me-not, but larger, shading from blue in the open flower, 
through lavender, to deep pink in the bud; the other is the 
Virginia blue bell which grows somewhat taller with drooping 
clusters of heavenly blue flowers which also shade to pink in 
the bud. It has a rosette of whitish green leaves at the base. 
To know either of these flowers is to take them to your heart. 
We have been promised an article soon on the various 
undecorated wares that can be picked up either in the art 
stores or oriental shops or in unexpected places, and which 
are both charming and odd in color and shape. Many of the 
sets decorated for exhibition are of these wares: Japanese, 
Italian, Wedgwood and what not. Keep an eye out always 
for finds in this line. That is one good that has come out of 
the war, we are learning the possibilities of many wares we have 
not known before. Truly it is an ill wind that blows nobody 
any good. We may possibly come across American made 
potteries that will be available. Let us hope so, for we need 
greatly to develop an American ware for the decorating market. 
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AN EXCEPTIONAL OFFER! 
Those who send in their subscriptions for either six months 
or one year new, or re-newal, will be entitled to the following 
offer, until further notice : 50 per cent discount on the following 
books published by us : Regular price 
Classroom No. 1 Art of Teaching China Decoration.... $3.00 
" " 2 Flower Painting on Porcelain 3.00 
" 3 Figure Painting on Porcelain & Firing 3.00 
" 4 Conventional Dec. of Porcelain 3.00 
"Little Things To Make" 2.50 
"Cups and Saucers" 1.50 
This is an opportunity for teachers and is open for only a 
short time. It will be well to take advantage of it as soon as 
possible. We frankly admit that it is only to stimulate sub- 
scriptions during the summer season. 
