The Jersey City news., 1903-11-16

sizes. Up to this table the artist went
/ and he tackled roaring lion.
This work." he said, in answertto a
question, sis older than the hills 1t was
done hundreds of years before the advent
of Christ, and it has been carried on ever
since. The art, like almost everything
else, has kept pace with the progress Of
the world, and in its development it has
steadily gone forward toward perfection.
where do we get the material? Most
of it comes here in the form of stone from
Nova Scotia. This is crushed by the
dealers in to fine powder, and then boiled
When it is dried out it is known as plas-
ter of Paris. The finer grades of it are
sold to dentists, and the rest is used for
yarious purposes, one Of these is the max
! ing Of statuettes. we buy the powder
or plaster by the barrel, and We also get
in large quantities the clay that is used
for making models This comes from
Perth Anaboy, and looks something like
putty.
Now" he continued rs he reftly pow
dered a mould, upon which he was work
ing, "if we are making bust, lion, a
fresco or anything else, the form is rough
" moulded in this clay, and then when
it has been reduced to the point whore
every line is in exact proportion and true
to life to the smaller detail, a coat of
shellac is applied to the model. This
j gives it firm surface. and over it, at
the proper time, coating Of oil is put,
50 that the mould of wax won't stick to
it. The wax is prepared in such a way
that it would be run into every line or
ifldentation in the model. and then, like
gelatine youred into a mould, it solidifes
4 When 1t has reached that degree Of solid
ity in which it is slightly flexible. like d
piece of thick rubber, it is removed from
4 the model and carefully and evenly pow
dered to remove from, it all superfuous
4 ALL Then it is washed with alum water,
/ which, with its stringentn property, gives
firmness to the surface of the mould.
1t is then oiled and you. are ready to
make the cast.
''To do this the plaster is first mixed.
That is done not By pouring water on the
powder, but by putting the powder into
teh water until the liquid is covered. The
mixture is allowed to stand until every
particle of the powder is thoroughly
soaked, and then it is gently stirred UNI
/ til it gets like thick syrup. In this form
it is poured into the moulds. where it
hardens in about twenty minutes. If it
is left in the mould longer than that it
7 will generate heat anl spoil the wax, so,
|-you see, this part of the work, like its
other features, requires extraordinary
care and not a little skill When the
l
plaster IS hard it is lifted from the mould.
= the piece is a fresco that finishes the
1 casting put II u IS ngure or BUST It
must pc made IN TWO pieces' ana 80 you
mould the second part and then the two
together.
/ in mode1ling a oust' couple q sticks
are put togenner IN the form az cross.
The cross piece is for the shoulders On
TINS tne cay 's placed tne moulded INTO
shape. That is where the artistic part OF
tne work ngures- Almost any one can
mix and apply the plaster but there are
nor many VINO can mould the clay INTO
llfe-like form. 70 90 tnls some artists 'a
MAKE very accurate measurements q the
head tnat + g pe reprodaeeo, put otners
uepeno en'ireis upon rhe'r eyes Ior su'a-
liie siAe'