264 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
LARKSPUR 
A. A. Robineau 
THE Larkspur can hardly be 
classed as a wild flower, yet it 
is^a garden flower which often es- 
capes from the encircling fences of 
civilization and luxuriates among 
the daisies and other weeds. 
The spikes are interesting in 
outline and the color is a royal blue 
verging on the purple, a little lighter 
toward the center of the petal. The 
black fuzzy anthers and stamens, at 
first glance, suggest a bee at the 
heart of the flower, the cornucopia 
looks like nothing more than a long 
wrinkled glove. The flowers cluster 
charmingly on the stem with usually 
a few spikes of buds below, the leaf 
too is nice in outline. Altogether 
the Larkspur is quite worthy of a 
place in one's portfolio of subjects 
for designs. 
We give two stein designs, 
simple conventionalizations for ex- 
ecution in blue and white or blue 
and green on white, of course 
other coloring can be used satis- 
factorily. 
These designs can be easily ad- 
apted to pottery work, either in 
underglaze painting or by inlaying 
the design in white on a colored 
body or vice versa. 
An attractive mode of conven- 
tionalization is to make a simple 
outline drawing of the spike, leaving 
out all superfluous flowers in the 
background so that the spike has 
the effect of flowers arranged only 
on the two sides. This makes an agreeable decoration for 
tall pieces either in stencil effect of two colors, the parts being 
outlined in white or a light tone, or used in silhouette in one 
tone only — a purplish blue for the flowers, with a yellowish 
green for stems and leaves, makes a nice combination, or a grey 
blue for flowers with a grey green for stems and leaves, also 
two shades of blue, dull grey and grey brown, yellow brown 
and brown, grey violet with grey green and a yellowish tint 
in the background. Although we suggest only combinations 
for a light toned treatment on a white or light tinted ground, 
quite effective decoration can be made in rich dark colors 
with black or bronze grounds. The flowers can also be silhou- 
etted in white on a light tinted ground or on a medium toned 
ground — too sharp a contrast of color would not be good 
decoration as it would call too marked attention from the 
form decorated to the applied decoration. Interesting little 
borders can be made from the dissected parts of the flower. 
Try one part repeated in one direction, then balanced, one 
turned this way and one that way, then try alternating with 
another form or repeat one part a certain number of times 
and then insert another form for the central ornament of the 
band decoration. Be careful not to make your designs too 
finicky, look at your design in a large way and keep it simple. 
If* 
