Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-01-12
ARTISTS WITH SOAP.


o0CBc8 - <ATv ou1O0n<s
OF all classes Of art and artists, from
NO highest TO the lowest, from Michael
Angelo down TO the brush wielder who
probably no class with whom the public
b more unfamiliar than that known in
bvery day phraseology as "mirror dec
prating." Yet almost everybody has
Deen decorated mirrors. They abound
IN saloons and places Of public resort,
ind, though 50 common, 1t Is u rarc
Thing to catch tho artist at his work.
Elaborate scenes. graceful flowers, ferns
and figures, or an ''advance notice" Of
bomo coming theatrical attraction stand
out on tho polished glass, but how they
came thcrc or by whom they were done
Il q mystery to the passcr by and the
man who tarries bcfofc the bar.
2 "who does it?' repeated cocktail dis
penser ON Madison street to Mail repre-
sentative, looking up at a huge mirror
which exhibited foreground Of reeds
half concealing q meditative stork, al
lowing the spectator to gaze over lake
upon which boat was sailing, and
bringing his eye against range of noun
tains In tho distance. ''Well, lots Of
fellows around town do the work as
steady job, aud any number Of 'seeds'
tramp tho country picking up drinks,
thew know how to handls n nenc;i-.or'
rather. the soan---in this Kind of work
"it's dome with soan Won, knoy-~,u,re
white soap. The man who did this niece
OF work was n traveller, and from tho
way he looked when he came In the other
morning and struck for the job, l should
Judge no entered the city In one Of the
side door palace cars. He had a pocket
arplv n ii,t,e ~ II IN b;a face and hnnd.
In con junction with some water. hc couli
use tho rest on tho mirror. That's Tho
result Of his work. Looks like ouite n
ioh. doesn't itp The fellow aid II m about
nm hour ani tho,,cht himseif amnIv
raid with three or fonr drinks nn1 Sh
cenfs"
The art of mirror decornt;rc ,;te evcrv
other snec;oltv ~ tho Hind annears ~
roouira n rac,,,iar LnacL for i,st that
iind of b,siness The drawing Ia done
with soan. and whiio the lines must he
boidlv marked. there are onnortunities
FOR delicate shading md reo,iirements of
correct nersnectiye which cannot bo neo-
iected 4 the sketch is to he a success.
And while tho decorating of n mirror I'm
a barroom with n niece of white soan
cannot be called very high art. IL IA stiil
nm art In the sense that MANY poor
tramp who is working only for n drink.
can turn ont n better nieco Of work In
Quicker time than n wnv mn ortist who
has had his nicture disniavci In tho
academy.
Tho mirror decorations commonly seen
ara In only one color--the white.-~ai.
thouoh many of Tho .ssoan art;sts, attain
IN hisher aights md induigo In colnrs
Whaf Tho ,n;xt,,res thew ,,so Are com.
noscd Of thew consider n trode SECRET hut
not n Sow ~ them cnn with their whito
soon and their iittia nofa ~ tinted ,naste
nroduce really artistic results imifnting
Howcrs In their natural coiora md ob,
tanning n ncrsnectivc. with the oid Of tho
mirror itself. thnt is we'll nigh nerfect
The work ia done yerv quickly Nv those
who do n nj n very low price. The ma
terials used aro inexpensiye. and the
artist ia generally satisfied To make bD
cents or si nm hour for work which
comes 40 easy for him.