Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-03
ART AND DECORATIVE NOTES.

The art Amateur for December has
much valuable matter. We clip few in
teresting paragraphs:
Ladies who employ bright colors in their
walking attire should remember that if
more than two colors be used the third
should be employed in very small quantity,
and even the second should not be too con.
spicuously displayed.
| Professor Camille Piton has introduced
the timely novelty of painting in oil photo
graphic hkenesses on wooden palettes as
presents or souvenirs. The photograph is
saturated in water, is detached from its
mounting, and then applied to the wood.
By skillfully painting over it no trace of the
application remains, and when finished the
picture looks like an original miniature.
1t is said that an ingenious English cler-
gYman recently tried the experiment Of
preaching one of Ruskin's essays as SER
mon, changing the terms applying to art to
others relating to morals, with brilliantly
satisfactory result. In the arts of music.
painting and the drama, the language of
criticism applied to one may often be used
without any change to apply to one or both
of the others. l clip the following illus
tration from The EUening Posts criticism
of Sarah Bernhardts impersonation of
Camille y: In respect of firmness of
design, brilliancy and delicacy of treat
ment, elaboration of detail and certainty
of execution, it would be unreasonable to
ask for anything better" This language,
it will be noticed, would apply with equal
propriety to the criticism of painting. l
do NOT necessarily mean, of course, that it
would apply to one of Sarah Bernhardt's
paintings. Montezuma.
A correspondent of The artist tells how
Internationally an awkward object
to place-may be used deeoratively so that
the effects of it's rich fine color NAV not be
thrown away. He says 1.-The wall of
the room in which my instrument is kept
is distempered in faint lemon color. The
violoncello, / found, would look we'll and
interesting as a wall ornament Not
mounted, or cased, but made to stand up
sheathed. | keep it in this position bymeans
brass-headed nail, just behind where the
scroll comes. Slip the elastic over the
curve of the scroll, and the thing is
done; the viol becomes one of the best
features of the room. With violin there
is no difficulty. 1t may lie upon table or
piano"
Imitation holly-berries will be found
very useful for church decoration. They
can be made by dipping dried peas into
solution of sealingwax varnish. A two.
ounce stick of red wax is reduced to
coarse powder, then placed in a bottle,
and quarter of a pint of spirits of wine
poured upon it. The wax dissolves with
out the aid of heat, but the bottle must
be repeatedly shaken, as the varnish cakes
very quickly, unless attended to. Take
the peas up with forceps, and dip them
several times into the solution,
and they will soon assume scarlet
color. These berries can only be used
where they can be gummed on. Where
they are to be used as punches, small,
round lump can be made at the end of
piece of wire, of wet plaster of Paris or
putty, and when dry dipped into this So
luton.
There are several ways of giving the ap-
pearance of frost upon twigs and branches
and leaves, and as the effect produced by
them is extremely good, they should be
much used about the pulpit, reading desk,
and chancel. The following is the most
useful for twigs and branches Wind
round the leafless branches some UNFINISHED
lamp cotton then mix alum in the pro-
portion of one pound of alum to one quart
of water, and boil until the alum is dis.
solved in it !; pour the mixture into deep
pan, and suspend the branches to be crys-
tallized on wire, being careful that they do
not touch the side of the pan, and that
every twig is thoroughly immersed; leave
them twenty-four hours, and they will
be entirely covered with imitation ice.
For leaves sprinkle some of this liquid
over them, when the work is finished, and
leave untouched until quit dry. Crys-
tallized groundwork for designs and ban
ners is made by laying strong white gum
on the places to be covered, and then
busting crystallized EPSON salts thickly
over it through coarse sieve.
Evergreen decoration can be varied by
giving some of it the effect OF being COW
cred with snow. This is done by dipping
the branches into gum water, and then
into pan of flour. When quite dry, re.
peat the process until the branch is thickly
covered with -four. This process does very
well in places where the decorations are
not to be rubbed against, but it will not
stand any rough usage. Crosses and other
designs can be varied by being made of
rice, colored to initiate coral, instead of
berries, but in this case they must be cut
out upon thin card board, and quantity of
strong gum spread over the card. board.
The rice, dyed scarlet, is then shaken over
the card board, more gum is then appitd
and more rice added, until the surface Of
the cross presents a rough yet thickly
covered appearance. Large designs look
better made in this manner than small
ones. Rice in its natural state is much
used in decorating, and makes variety,
bat unless sprinkled over with white pow
der it never looks SO perfectly white and
clean as velvet, or jewelers. cotton wool.
Jewellers wool should be gummed upon the
design in large pieces, and when dry pulled
out here and there so as to give the effect