KERAMIC STUDIO 
205 
S 
MAUD M. MASON ----- 
218 East 59th Street, New York City 
Page Editor 
LAMP VASE 
THE design for the Lamp Vase may be adapted to any large 
cylindrical vase by varying the horizontal bands and 
borders. The vertical band between the units may be varied 
also if a larger form is used. The idea in the arrangement is 
to give a rich, full effect by filling the surface completely with 
the arrangement. I think, as a rule, simple color schemes 
are much the most satisfactory ones, having more dignity and 
distinction than one in which a great variety of color is used. 
Especially is this true of large objects. If simply decorated 
they fall more readily into the decorative scheme of the room 
for which they are planned. 
A beautiful and harmonious effect of color should be 
worked for — such as two beautiful blues, as Dark Blue Relief 
Enamel and Lavender or Grey Blue Enamel, or Lavender 
Blue and Grey Blue or Black and Oriental Turquoise. If a 
third color is desired, a small quantity of the complimentary 
color may be distributed through the design. 
For a very brilliant color scheme, Old Blue or Austrian 
Blue could be used for all the darks in the bird excepting the 
group of small spots under the tail, which spots could be Black. 
Stems and scrolls in Black Enamel. Outside rim of flowers, 
Vermilion. Inside circle, Light Carmine. Lines and dots in 
wings, Black. The wide band is Orange, as are also the end 
feathers of wing. The smaller feather forms in the wing are 
Willow Green, as are also the grey leaf forms. The feet of 
the bird are Vermilion, also the feather on the head. The 
beak is Orange. The group of dots in center of unit branching 
from stem, Vermilion. For the dark bands, use the predomi- 
nant Blue, with Red and Orange dots in floral band. For the 
bands of dots use Willow Green, 
The above color schemes are to be used on a soft glazed 
Belleek or Satsuma jar. The enamels mentioned are the 
Mason Colored Relief Enamels. It will give me much pleasure 
to answer any questions that may help in the successful 
execution of any of the schemes mentioned. 
Another very satisfactory way of working out such a 
design, especially on a hard glazed vase (such as French or 
German ware), and a treatment giving variety also to so much 
enamel work, is to use lustre over a toned background. 
First tint the jar all over with an even tint made of three 
parts Neutral Yellow and one part Dark Yellow Brown color. 
When dry, dust the jar to deepen the tint, with Neutral Yellow 
and give a strong firing. The unit should be repeated at least 
three times or oftener if the jar will admit it and when trans- 
fered it should be carefully outlined in ink, leaving out all 
unessential lines and drawing them outside the pattern where 
they will not interfere with the lustre, as wherever the lustre 
runs over the ink it will leave its trace, consequently the ink 
drawing should be done very delicately and carefully. 
The design is then painted in with copper lustre using a 
No. 2 and No. 7 Square shader for the work. The bands and 
lines should be carefully spaced to give the richness of effect 
desired. After firing the lustre may require going over a 
second time, usually it is richer for being gone over. 
The effect of the lustre over this color ground is especially 
attractive, being rich and lustrous without being glittering 
and affords an interesting variety in our work. 
On February 19th Miss Mary Quinn, supervisor of the De- 
sign School of Household Arts and Sciences, Pratt Institute, 
Brooklyn, gave an interesting lectiure on Linear Design — illus- 
trated by lantern slides — in the Auditorium of the Minneapolis 
School of Art. 
In speaking of her work with classes and especially with 
children, she explained her method of using music and musical 
composition as a means awaking in her hearers the sense and 
appreciation of the underlying principles common to and inher- 
ent in all art expression. 
This method of teaching is one of the most encouraging 
signs of modern education. Art at last is coming to be recog- 
nized as a unit, as universal, and correlation is supplanting the 
narrower methods of specialization. Musicians are studying 
art appreciation and seeking analogies in other departments of 
art. Painters and designers are studying music appreciation — 
musical construction and all find the same principles endure 
throughout and that the nomenclature, the terms, are inter- 
changeable. Music being the most abstract of the arts, deals 
with proportion and relation of sounds. Painting and sculp- 
ture deal with relation of form. Design is the nearest approach 
(in painting) to the abstract, hence we find more analogies be- 
tween it and music, than between music and pictorial art. ^Mod- 
ern painting, notably "impressionism" and "cubism", is an 
attempt to express abstractions in painting-JIt is unsuccessful 
because contradictory. Form, reduced to its elements becomes 
not a picture but pure design and should be identified and trans- 
planted to its proper environment. Thus the analogies and the 
different functions of the various departments of art becomes 
an interesting study for all which is absolutely necessary to the 
specialist who would make his instructions valuable. 
