Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-01
COLORADO SMALL TALK-H.
GREELEY, Colo, Mar. 20, 1888.

EdNOr DemOcrdt.
In these small talks, hope may be
excused II dodge about from subject to
subject with not much apparent order.
/ had thought l had LEFT the Tabor Grand
| Opera House In Denver, but another
thought comes at this moment which may
be jotted right here. Through the kind
ness of an artist friend, have seen con-
siderable of the fifth floor OF the opera
House, which Is almost wholly devoted 10
art-high art-of one kind or another.
Artists and literary men are often queer
lot. One cannot tell all he sees and knows.
II one were to write romance" for your
paper, containing facts about artists, 1t
would be consigned TO your waste basket
as too unreal for any earthly use. Many
artists work In such departments OF art
that they must dream or idealize for some
time before putting their dream or idea on
canvass. This habit Of dreaming gradu-
ally grows on them until some OF them
live In dreams of beauty, and consequently
have to 60 hungry at times.
It seems very hard TO carry good bus
mess energy into painting and make 1t pay
In dollars and cents. The fifth floor spoken
OF Is variously known as Poverty Flat,
Painters Paradise" etc. The range OF
art is large. including wood-carving, por-
trait painting, crayoning, decorative art
designing, India ink portraiture, drawing
OF many kinds, vocal'culture, instrumental
music,-but, best Of all, various lines OF
painting, some of them Of decided merit.
One artist paints portraits from life; an
other has an absorbing love OF horses, and
never is at his best unless he can introduce
a horse In some attitude or other, and his
studies are very impressive. He works
like Trojan, and will one day be appreci-
ated-let us hope. Another was making
speciality OF news-boys during my last WIS.,
II, and has one or more OF these street
Arabs posing for an hour or two each day.
Some OF the studies are very pleasant, in
deed
In one large room class of women and
girls are working at their easels, the les
son for the day being the drawing OF
human foot from a plaster model. One
student is a married lady, who seeks to
enlarge her lonely prairie life, at her hum
BILE home, by the study OF art. She comes
galloping in, six or eight miles, to her
lessons, and shows the greatest interest
In them. Do not we common people-all
through our dull, prosaic lives-need the
help and rest that may come from the
timely pursuit Of a high ideal? While we
plod In our dull round of uncanny duties,
would 1t not be well for each of us, TO keep
the rust OF the mind rubbed off, by efforts
to attain TO some excellenceI Have not
we New Englanders erred in concluding
that the sole object of life Is to labor
rather than to develop?
Well, let US go forward in our tramp
about Painters Paradise" Some say
that the people of Denver do not appreciate
and encourage art. This is doubtless true
-,ruer to-day than it will ever be again.
The Michael O'Flanigans, who have struck
1t rich, naturally do not appreciate rea
art. and If they purchase pictures TO salts
" Mrs. Giundy, what wonder If they pay
high for shoddy? So 1t happens that some
proud artists have TO hold their noble pro
auctions, while the chrome marts are
thronged with purchasers. Here is lady
who teaches wood carving-herself stu
dent from the Cincinnati School OF Design
Her work has q solidity and nicely about
It that time will only intensity. Artists
there are in Denver who do good bust
ness in wood engraving. Here is another
studio, where saucy young lady Of TWEEN
ty teaches flower painting on porcelain
aud wood The sober dignity Of sobe
woman devoted to rational art adds t.
her charm. l say rational art-in whicI
society small talk and the making of gew
, gaws are not included, to my mind.
One Saturday afternoon, the time whel
e artists consent to be bored by the public
t We called at the studio of Mr.. Deakin, on
g who holds a high place in the minds of tn
t painting fraternity. AS we passed tn
= screen and came upon the working arts
{ he was putting the last touches to pie
ture Of the largest cluster of purple grape
O l had ever seen. As we entered, 1t SCENE
= as II the picture were the real fruit and III
til took a second look did not obser'
that this was his work and the model wa
over beyond him. / have special 10y
for such subjects, and resolved that ths
should be mine, If 1 suffered for 1t. L
had been at work on it for some three day
Fruits and fishes and other perishabl
things tax the artists industry to the u
% most. AS he painted, thought the pi
n ture delightful, and he went on to say th'
> chromos are the painters abomination
no true art In them-may be multipli,
~ without limit. Now here is picture SUI
u as was never seen before, and will never
u seen again. 1t is unique-and that max
~ 1t valuable. True" I said, THAT e
&c hances its value, but the multiplicati
~ brings beautiful things to the hands of
D. poor-where they were never seen befor
u and except for their cheapness would new
III appear at ALL" There was no reply to II
VI how could there be? We looked at t
paintings of California scenery and an
~ inn, worth $500 per pair. Turning to t
as artist, 1 said, "Now II you were to fix
he price on that cluster Of grapes when
ne is done, what would the price be?" N
as Deakin painted in silence, while felt
Is - o.Lots Ia addad a mora delica