IS6 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
The wave motif in the border of the marsh marigold de- 
sign of Mrs. Osgood carries out the thought very well in a fine 
shade of grey green. 
The work of Miss Lindsey is especially good in the center 
panels which are well spaced and spotted in an interesting 
way. Her workmanship also is very notable. 
Miss Foley succeeded in finding the finest tone of blue 
color and the relationship between the blue and the grey is 
subtle and most pleasing. Her center panels are also rather 
more remarkable than her borders which have perhaps a little 
too much motion. The panel of Thorn apples is exception- 
ally good. 
Much other good designing was done at Alfred but we 
have not the space to give it all. 
Altogether the work is most unusual and most attractive. 
We are tempted to use an extract from a personal letter of Mr. 
Fry, as he expresses so well the thoughts we would wish to add 
in concluding our little sketch of this new class in design which 
promises so much for the future. 
" Nearly all my pupils at Alfred came for regulation flower 
painting and it required some persuasion to get them started 
in the design class. When it began to dawn upon them what it 
all meant, their attitude changed. They realized that the 
exercises were beginning a development of faculties within. They 
found that it was not the much dreaded " conventional, " the 
rearrangement of the fonus in Historic Ornament. We trust to 
nature for our forms, but the use we make of them in design is 
purely an expression from within, guided by the principles of 
design and composition. I was convinced of the advantage of 
classes over private lessons; the enthusiasm and atmosphere 
created by many minds together, concentrated on one idea, was 
inspiring to pupils and teacher. Some of the work done was so 
good in quality that it points encouragingly^ to what we may 
expect later on if the same spirit continues. 
" I have been encouraged to feel that most of the opposi- 
tion to the new movement comes from misunderstanding of 
what it really is, but when it is realized what it all means, and 
the delight of creative work is tasted and contrasted with 
blindly copying and helplessly depending upon a teacher, the 
battle is won.. 
"Instead of the unlovely and commercial spirit which 
proverbially prevails in ceramic studios, we enjoyed an atmos- 
phere of serious work and good fellowship, simply because our 
minds were concentrated on something good, life giving and 
real. Everyone was trying to develop his own faculties, and 
forget all about getting a great lot of pieces of teacher's work on 
china, to take home to exhibit. " 
With such leaders taking up the work of cultivating a love 
of the beautiful, and developing the creative instinct along 
ceranric lines, it will not be long before America joins the 
march of nations, with a distinctive decorative art, an art 
trulv American and trulv of our times. 
CUP AND SAUCER— EDITH ALMA ROSS 
The rim should be gold, the violets in two tones with a touch of red and yellow in center, leaves and .stems a light yellow 
green; black outlines. 
