Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-11
SOME DECeRATIvE-ARr NOTES FROM
aTHg ART AMATEUR"

The flower most recently taken into dec
orative favor is the pumpkin blossom,
whose bold yellow even proves more ef-
fective than the sun-fower. 1t can be
used in larger single masses. and it also
has the aid of the hayward vine adapting
it to uses for which the sun,hower is i'm
possible. Some of the handsomest articles
which the holidays produced were deco
rated with the pumpkin flower and vine.
There may be mentioned as one of these
Damascus red mantle lambrequin, over
which was painted the pumpkin vine and
flowers running riot A long oblong mirror
and stained mottled dark red, was also
decorated with pumpkin flowers. And
here were also introduced small yellow
pumpkins, the tops only being seen on the
frame of the mirror.
There is no diminution in frequency with
which plush is used as background for oil.
The effectiveness of painting In oil, and
the rapidity with which it can be accom-
plished, were evidently very tempting to
busy workers during the rush of the holi-
days. The shaded pushes are very hand
some for this purpose.
A fire screen in ebonized wood of dark.
red shaded plush made beautiful back
RTOuuu lOI u QcCOIdbiOA VI AhWSS0 WIN
bursting parts. Among smaller articles
there was folding mirror for the toilet
table, covered with brilliant red plush,
the back being decorated with locust BIOS
SONS and leaves of gilt.
An exquisite table designed for blue
parlor was made with frame initiating
reeds. 1t had two shelves, the upper
covered with blue plush, across which was
spray of apple blossoms, while the I'M
der shelf had branch of marsh mallow.
Each shelf was mounted in brass.
Mirrors still form one of the most fire.
quent objects of decoration, and are on a
still larger scale. At the Decorative So
ciety rooms was recently seen a large
cheval glass with beveled edges, framed in
oak and mounted on stout oak frame.
The decoration consisted Of dog-weod
one side, on the top, and for a short dis
lance down the other side. Below were
the words, irregularly grouped, =" Here l
give back smile for smile. Alas and
frown for frown."
A new way Of framing smaller mirrors
is in square frame of guided wood. The
glass, an oblong, placed horizontally, fills
up only little moro than half of the in.
terror, smaller band of gilded oak with
beading incloses this. The rest of the
space is filled with band of red plush on
which are painted yellow daffodils.
Some unusually handsome screens have
been recently on exhibition at the Decora-
tive Art Society rooms. Two of these
were Handsomely mounted in carved wood
frames. In one of these, the upper panels,
were filed with gilded leather. On ole
the decoration consisted Of long dropping
lily shaped flowers with rank leaves in
the corresponding panel white flags were
the flowers chosen, while in the center
panel, which was much larger than the
other two, the purple blossoms, and the
foliage sof the Southern tulip tree were
used to much advantage. The frame was
of cherry, and the lower panels, which
were of wood, were deliberately treated
with open wood carving.
A second screen was also three-leaved.
| The frame was of old oak or darkened
| oak, and carved in low relief with oak
leaves and acorns. The lower panels were
| solid and boldly carved with design of
large branches with the leaves on
| fretted ground. The upper panels were
done in oils, and the design executed
with great breadth. There were on the
Two outer pdueiS UrduSo DiauCuSo iatonOo
with fruit, heavy boughs with apples, and
in the center large clusters of grapes with
leaves, against notified background, in
which patches were used to good effect.
| A third screen, which was low and bet
ter adapted for fire screen, had the panels
made of slender strips of white wood
about an inch wide, combined in an intri-
cate star pattern, which presented its mar
row lines to the surface and was brought
out against background of red silk
Above and below were small panels of
plush, painted with jonquils and other
decorative spring flowers.
Gauze is used in water-color painting,
even for large articles.
| One of the most novel banner screens of
the season was of white gauze, on which
was painted large design of white roses.
| When finished it was lined with white silk,
and bordered above and below with red
plush. The extreme delicacy OF gauzs is
the only thing which prevents its more ex-
tensive use. But for lady's boudoir
nothing could be more beautiful or appro-
pirate.
Scarcely so artistic piece of work was
a splasher of white muslin, on which was
pasted design of flowers and birds cut
out of French creton. They were gay in
color and beautifully arranged, SO that
when made up and lined with white it
formed a CHEEKY and fresh addition to a
chamber