RERAMIC STUDIO 
just as you would ground a powder color. Then while 
the ground is still soft with a sharp point scratch out any 
conventional design or scroll work and fire. Then put 
on gold and retire and burnish and the effect will be very 
much the same as china etched with acid. A very much 
safer way of doing it than the acid used in inexperienced 
hands. Always use the unfluxed gold over paste. 
o o o 
Third Prize— Ella J. Adams, Yellow Springs, O. 
Paste may be purchased in tubes ready for use, this 
is the water paste. A very little water is necessary for 
mixing. Only about half of what you think is needed 
is a very good rule. Water paste needs a harder fire than 
the oil paste and it has a tendency to chip off. 
HANCOCK'S PASTE 
Pour on a ground glass slab the quantity of paste 
needed and rub down with a small amount of Dresden 
thick oil, just enough oil to hold it together. Breathe 
heavily on this for the moisture will keep the paste from 
drying too rapidly. Mix again and repeat several times. 
Now thin the paste with lavender oil or turpentine. Tur- 
pentine dries more rapidly so is better for dots. Do not 
get the paste too thin. The proper consistency is when 
the paste stays in place on the china without spreading 
and follows the brush like a slender wire. If in using, it 
grows thinner and spreads, use the "breathing process" 
again and mix with the palette knife. If the paste be- 
comes too stiff and unwieldy add a little more turpentine 
or lavender oil. 
Never raise the brush from the china if you want a 
clear even line. Lines that are to be joined should be 
finished before the paste dries. 
Do not attempt too much relief in paste, for the 
application of gold will bring it into prominence and too 
heavy a paste line is prone to chip off. The paste should 
be allowed to dry without artificial heat for otherwise it 
may blister. 
Do not fire paste until it is a dull dry color. This 
shows that all superfluous oil has evaporated. 
Gold may be applied on paste before it is fired if it 
is thoroughly dry. However, it is more satisfactory to 
fire it first. 
Should paste come from the kiln uneven in effect 
(blistered) too much oil has been used. The rough places 
can be sand papered, filled in with paste and fired again. 
Paste may be put on over unfired color but if so used there 
is no good way to correct a mistake. Lines can be straight- 
ened with a brush slightly moistened in water since the 
water does not affect the oil mediums. 
o o o 
Fourth Prize — Bertha Morey, Ottamwa, la. 
RAISED PASTE. 
Mix Hancock's paste with Fry's medium for raised 
paste until quite thick and let it bubble up and work with 
a palette knife. Or mix in a little saliva until it pulls 
properly. 
Paste should not be fired more than three times as 
it will be apt to scale off. Do not use fluxed gold over 
paste as it soaks in and will not burnish. Allow it to 
stand for several days and it will get quite stiff and dry, 
then mix with turpentine until it works smoothly and will 
stand up If used in this way it will almost never give 
any trouble. If it will not work, heat it over a candle 
and do not put wet paste into an oven to dry as it is apt to 
bubble up and ruin the work. Paste should be dried 
slowly and thoroughly before putting into kiln 
VASE— ZINNIAS 
Mary Overbeck. 
Flowers, Imperial Ivory and a little Black. Stems, 
leaves, etc., Olive Green, Black and a little Blue. Back- 
ground, Dark Green and Deep Blue 
