168 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
G. A . — Am sending a design, asking your opinion if it would be suitable 
for jardiniere as a band around top. 
2. Could you tell me of a rich deep mat brown for the body of it? 
1. Yes, the design would be all right as a border. It would be better 
not to have the dark brown back of design, use a tan or a light brown. 
2. We are not familiar with matt colors, write to a firm selling the matt 
colors and they will be able to give you the information. 
C. T. — I am painting a large punch bowl all in ivory, Roman gold and green 
gold. The inside first tinted a pale ivory I have dotted with small bunches of 
grapes the top being finished with a thin line of gold. I want to use some raised 
paste for gold and am told that the paste cannot be fired more than two times and I 
want to put more than two coats of gold on the leaves. Would it be all right to put 
on leaves, fire and then put on paste? Would the paste stick to green gold? 
Please send me directions for mixing paste. At what heat must it be fired? 
2. I also have a large tray done in gold dragons outlined in black, with 
metal lustre edge, and two shades of dark blue in matt finish. The matt finish 
cracked off and then I took all the rest off with acid. Can you tell me what was 
the matter? 
S. I have a Belleek tea set same as enclosed illustration, and am unable to 
select a design for it. At some time the butterfly design in December Keramic 
appeals to me as no other design ever has. How many colors would be permiss- 
ible? it is to be done in enamels. I wish to put a band and one butterfly on 
each cup. Would it be all right to have two each alike using three colors, coral, blue 
and green? 
1 . If paste is properly mixed it will stand more than two fires. It usually 
needs two applications of gold to produce a good color, so you could put the 
paste on for first fire and also put the first coat of gold on the leaf and then 
put gold on the paste the next two times and also another coat on the leaves. 
Yes, the paste would stick to the green gold. To mix the powder paste rub 
all lumps out of it and add a drop of fat oil of turpentine, there should not be 
enough of it to hold paste together but should just make it look moist, rub 
this through thoroughly on a ground glass slab and with a bone or horn knife 
(not a steel knife) then breathe three long breaths on it, rub it together a little 
and repeat this twice and then add enough garden lavender oil to make it the 
right consistency. The paste must not be rubbed after the lavender is added. 
Be sure that the lavender is a thin quality, it should not be oily. 
2. The oil was probably used too heavy causing it to peel off. 
3. The butterfly design could be used very well. As many colors as 
you desire could be used just so they harmonize. Yes it will be all right to 
have two cups of each color, that is often done. 
M . M. C. — If you can give formula for mixing gold, something that will 
keep open a little longer than turpentine it will be greatly appreciated. 
Use the cheapest quality of Garden Lavender Oil, it is also called Lav- 
ender Compound. It must not be an oily quality. 
PLANT ANALYSIS— FLORENCE WYMAN WHITSON 
