St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-11-15
Living Canoes and Bas Reliafs.

This fascinating entertainment can
be prepared by children. at short no.
tice, with very little trouble or expense.
The articles required are two sheets of
large cardboard, two sheets of pink
tissue paper. and two sheets of white
cotton walding. one ball OF white and
one of pink velvet chalk, lead-rencil,
n pair o! SCISSORS, six yards of black
cambria, n few tacks, and little paste.
One sheet of cardboard is fastened
on the side wall of a darkened room, SO
that that the shadow of the face of \
person with large and regular features
will fall upon the center OF it when
lighted candle is held in front of the
side of the face at Il distance of three
feet. A cup should be placed between
the face and the cardboard and kept
in position by the pressure OF the head.
i'm order, so far as possible, to prevent
any movement en- the part of the sitter.
The candle must be so placed that the
shadow of profile is in the center of the
card board; the out mes are then to be
traced With Il pencil. The card-l oa.d
can then be taken down and the profile
carefully cut OUT: the back of the head
usually being enlarged. so that various
methods of dressing the hair may be
/ permitted. This white card board will
be ready for the bas-relief after tho
outer edge ha; been cut into the form
of circle. and made thicker by several
rings # pastehoard of the same diam
eter. but only three inches wide. When
canoes are To be exhibited. the outer
surfa .e should be covered with pink
It's sue paper.
I A curtain of cheap black cambria or
any plain-colored material, reaching
: from the ceiling to the floor, is then
hung at distance of about two feet
| from the back wall OF the room where
the exhibition is to take place. The
cardboard is fastened into hole made
in the curtain SD that the center of the
OF eniny is about six or seven feet from
the floor, and chair or small table is
placed close behind this curtain and
! another small piece of black cloth is
tackled to the wall behind the opening.
The person whose face is to form the
bas-relief stands upon a chair or table
so that the head fits into the opening in
the card board. about one-half Of it
projecting in front of the surface OF the
frame thus formed. the side-face thus
exposed is chalked and the hair is COW
cred with white wadding, which con-
ceals it. and also can be fastened in
waves. plaits, or classic knots; for
canoes, pink chalk and tissue-paper
take the place of the white. Very pref
ty art studies can thus be made by in
experienced persons.
i When it is desired to show several OF
these art studies consecutively it will
be well to have a pink and white
frame placed side by side about one
foot apart, as then they may be shown
together or separately. the one not in
use being covered with little curtain
of black cambria. Thus pleasing va
riety can be produced by showing either
cameo or a bas-relief or both together.
Faces of children or of grown people
can be used "a desired. as it is not abso-
lutely necessary that the features should
, exactly FIJI The cut proiilcs in the card
board. The eyes are always c'osed,
and little chalk should be rubbed on
the eyelids just tefore the face is shown
to the spectators.
The frames may be placed between
thick window-curtains draped above
and below them; this will save the
trouble of black curtain. as the per-
formers can stand in the window behind
the curtain. The best manner OF light
, ing them is from the top; and when the
room has no chandelier a lamp can be
| held at the left side as high as can be
done conveniently by a person who
, stands upon a chair or short step-lad
der.-George B. Bartlett, i:s 81. Nicho