KERAMC STUDIO 
'ft 
yellow or flaming red flowers, a clear green will deaden them, 
while a grey green will keep the other colors bright and fresh. 
One is apt to get an idea that a high light to be strong 
and powerful must be a dead glare of white. On the contrary, 
a neutral tone over part of it — very lightly— will give the rest 
a sparkle which no amount of opaque white in water color or 
enamel on china would do. 
Some of these points were exemplified more radically in 
a study of a mass of violets in a green bowl. The upper mass 
of flowers and those in strong light were painted in clear Blue 
Purple— and that alone. The lower tones in the flowers them- 
selves and deeper masses underneath were more green than 
anything else, with deep brown and deep red, yet the effect 
was the purplest of purples. The bowl— that beautiful light 
green bowl — was painted with anything except green, yet it 
was the greenest thing we ever saw. In the background were 
repeated again and again a mixture of the tones in the flowers 
and the tones of the bowl, so that the clear blue purple in the 
flowers stood out and held its own with every value of its 
strength. It was because it did not have to fight against any 
other strong or positive color in the composition. It was not 
vitiated nor impaired by being used again elsewhere in clear 
tones. Every thing was kept subservient to the one strong 
centralized point, so that the mass fairly gleamed and shone 
out and was radiantly full of color as it seemed. Yet in analy- 
sis, the effect was not at all obtained by the use of a luxuri- 
ance of color-body, but rather a proper holding in check and 
restraining of lesser values, so that they would not encroach 
upon the one more important. 
So in making a mental synopsis of a study which you are 
about to undertake, decide fully upon your center of interest, 
and guard it with a jealous care. Then work with an action 
and spring and without touches of hesitation, for your 
"values" will be preserved. 
OUR SUPPLEMENTS 
HOLLY AND MrSTLETOE 
A dclaidc A Isop-Robiiicau 
THIS is a chilly season for nude figures. As one of our 
friends suggests, " It reminds us more of gladsome 
Spring when folk like to go into the rain and walk on the 
grass and get wet." However, as mistletoe grows in the 
south and comes out fresh in the Spring, we do not feel 
under the necessity of dressing our " Mistletoe " in furs, and 
surrounding her with snow, but represent her as the pale 
leaves and berries always suggest, — nude, — coming out from 
the rich, dark holly, under the warm influence of the Indian 
Summer. The figure will decorate but one side of the vase, 
the background being blended into a soft shaded color on the 
reverse. 
After the figure is painted in natural flesh tones, the tree 
in browns, the holly and mistletoe in natural colors, the vase 
should be fired. Then lay grounding oil over all but the de- 
sign, dust on Celadon halfway down, then Royal Green the 
balance of the way, blending one into the other. Clean off 
the figure and fire. Blend the green farther up on the celadon 
for the third fire, so that one color will seem to melt into the 
other, deepening the celadon if necessary. If you are careful 
you can work up the figure at the same time, giving as finished 
an appearance as possible, all over the vase. For the last fire, 
work up the figure carefully, giving it, if you choose, a wash 
of pale Apple Green in the reflected lights. Then dust Fin- 
ishing Brown on the base, blending it softly into the celadon. 
An extra fire could be used to advantage to retouch every- 
thing. The entire effect should be a harmony of rich browns 
and greens, fading into the pale celadon tints of the mistletoe. 
o o o 
PLATE DESIGN TREATMENT 
Anna B. Leonard 
THE design for this plate was suggested by the beautiful 
Arabian designs in the October number and will show 
how they may be adapted for practical use. The combina- 
tions and variations of these designs are innumerable and 
perfectly fascinating to the natural born decorator. 
This plate was purchased from M. T. Wynne's, and has 
always appealed to the writer as particularly well adapted to 
an oriental style of decoration, or else to something extremely 
simple and quaint. Being octagonal in shape, there are four 
panels in gold and four in very dark blue, each having a design 
laid into the background with color, raised gold and enamels. 
The design is first carefully and delicately drawn in India 
ink, then the raised paste is the next step, the design being 
followed in wire-like lines, or small dots in some of the figures. 
The ornament in the center of the blue panels is gold, having 
a ruby spot in the center (German Ruby Purple, and Lacroix 
Rose Pompadour, half and half), and a light green spot of 
color on the upper part of the gold ornament. The gold or- 
nament is then surrounded by turquoise blue enamel dots. 
The dark blue panel is made in three firings, using the 
Lacroix Dark Blue, a touch of Deep Blue Green, and enough 
German Ruby Purple to make it a little darker and richer in 
tone. The center of the ornament in the gold panel is of 
green gold (add a little silver to your ordinary gold), which is 
outlined by a figure in the very dark blue color. The spot of 
color within the green gold center is the German Ruby, and 
forms the pear shape ornament, which is surrounded by a 
design in white enamel. On the gold panel is a delicate 
design in black lines, made of the German outlining black. 
The narrow border just* within the rim, or the flange, is 
composed of dark green, dark blue and ruby, white enamel 
and gold. Fill in the crescent shapes with German Ruby 
Purple, and the ovals crossing the crescents with the dark blue 
mixture. The background of this band is a dark green ob- 
tained by Emerald Stone Green (Lacroix) and Dark Green 
No. 7 (Lacroix). The spots of enamel are white. 
If it is difficult to procure the octagon plate, this design 
can be made to fit a round plate. While the colors are rich 
and glowing, the plate is exceedingly quiet in its general tone, 
but of course is very elegant in effect and suitable only for a 
perfectly appointed table as a retaining plate, or in a cabinet 
*• -f 
The oldest piece of dated glass known is an Egyptian 
amulet now in the British Museum, the date being 3064 B. C. 
Crystal glass was made and sculptured by the Persians, and 
glass-mosaic was employed by them as early as 530 B. C. 
They also invented a transparent glass varnish which they 
laid over sculptured rocks to prevent them from weathering. 
This silicious coating has lasted to our own day, while the 
rocks beneath are honeycombed by age. Long before the 
Christian era Rome had her factories established where glass 
was blown, cast, wrought, embossed and cut, and millefiori 
glass of all kinds and colors was made. Vessels, bottles, bowls, 
window-panes, mosaics, water clocks, dice, and ornaments of 
all kinds. In Murano, A. D. 1524, crackled glass was invented. 
The enamel system of glass painting was discovered in 1550. 
