The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-07

WRITTEN FOR sunday REPUBLIC.
| Shaping the plastic clay into forms o
beauty. whether undertaken az a seriou
. pursuit or merely as a means OF diversion
Is a branch OF art whose derotees are rap
Idly increasing IN number.
While. first and foremost. II Is OF interes
ard Importance to the sculptor. its range o
appiica ton IS widening. both aesthstically
and commercially SO that many wc..Iet
find IN II a source OF pleasure and profit.
Even little children come under its edu'
eating Influence. and modelling IN cay +
used in schools to a great extent.
To have the children feel the form in thi;
intimate way brings them nearer and more
in touch with the object than r they shou!G
draw or paint il.
They make successful copies o. leaf and
flower. delight in molding the cat. dog OF
other animals with which they are familiar
and make ~praiseworthy attempts 10 produce
likenesses OF the persons they know best
Sometimes. too. they do wonderfully cleve.
bits. carrying out their Own fancifuI ideas
1t is one OF the features OF the srhoolroom
that is universally popular. the children Re.
CARING !t-perhaps because It is akin to the
beloved occupation ct mud-pie making-as
almost as good as play.
Children Of a larger growth. who have TO;
vet got AVA from the memory Of mud pies.
t4.i-f INC = 10 SIAhIN 4At Il4NAal-
IT 10 Il branch Of art that opens up a ron
startly widening field. In which the amateur
has II place only little less interesting .han
that OF the serious artist
To the woman VINO has small patience
with embroidery and who shuns the deco
ration that the half-;aught brush can give.
modelling offers an opportunity for beauti-
fving her home in a manner that will afford
lasting pleasure and which will not offend
the most aesthetica!ly sensitive.
Ornamental friezes and panels can be
nodded to tit certain spaces with designs
that will harmonic with the style and fur
niShiugs OF the room.
B.sts. heads and figures. according to
TIE measure Of One'- ambition and ability,
can he turned vut for ones own pleasure or
thu; OF ones friends. SUCH small things as
canGlrstichs and brackets take on a special
va!Wc whea done by the hand of the person
whose apartments they are to adorn.
To the waCc-sarning girl clay modelling
Offers even stronger attractions than TO the
woman who does Il merely for her own
amusement cr with the object OF home dec
Grafton.
one Of the most interesting uses TO which
clay modelling has been put in recent years
Is that Of Illustration. An unusually strik-
ing effect is obtained by making a design
for the cover of a book in clay in high or
relief. according 70 the subject.
This is then photographed FOR the Illus
~tration. This method has been used for
some OF the editions OF the kipiing jungle
books.
Not only are the Illustrations successfully
obtained from casts. but book covers fire.
quently are made In the same manner.
For calendars and all such work in which
strong pictures and artistic effects are de-
sired cIay modelling il a favOritc medium
by the designer.
In 50 many ways is clay modelling en-
ployed that it seems to lie at the fnunda-
ton Of almost every piece of characterization
on winch the eye falls
Almost every chandelier. electric light
holder. door knocker. and iron and candle
stick III our houses had a clay model. The
and the statues in the parks. pub
lie squares and meseums bark back to the
same origin.
The scope offered for clay modelling in
architecture alone is immense.
Every intricate adornment OF the beauti-
ful buildiI SIS in this city have first been
worked out in clay. the caryatiGes. gar
soyles and other decorative work having
had to pass through this medium.
For the medallist. the head or figure TO
be cut in the die is first modelled in relief
in wax on a piece Of slate. Goidsmiths. sill
and jewelers. also model delicate
and intricate FIRMS and orTia ments to be
cas-. and chased by them. Wax is the stub
stance used when delicacy and minuteness
are required.
Modelling also is a branch OF the potter's
figures being first modelled in wax
and then worked up by the potter.
Terra Gotta work OF burnt clay was as OK
in use in ancient times as it is to-
day. The clay for this is nodded to the Ut
most teliCaCy while soft, and then is baked
TO Il red color.
II is only recently. comparatively. that
have realized how advantageously
his field could be worked by them. but now
Dne finds the girl art student daubing her
reckles=ly with the sticky. gray green
clay. girls setting apart a corner at home
modelling pretty knickknacks. and others !
Lurning their ability to account in facories
and potteries.
In all of these departments women may !.
End profitable employment.
That an e!ucidation Of the principles Of
and its application to the finished
forms of art is widely needed Is evident
rom the number Of persons who instantly !
ask Of an artist: DO you make Il first in
ia ser? Does the clay harden into the !
that We see set up in the park OF
he museum and similar questions.
An insight into the actual processes OF
he artist who models his figures from clay
rot only will make such qupestions impossi- |
de. but will enlighten those who are IN
crested in the methods by which the clay
nut out moist and sticky on the table until
appears in the solid form. whether i. Is
he full length human figure or a simple
of a plant. J
Modelling clay is the sketch which the
rtist makes before the work is put into
laster. bronze. stone. marble or whatever
material Is chosen. Wax is used by jewel
re-. it being OF suitable consistency for
hair wo1A-