Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-23


their original, even the creases in the
tablecloth have been worked out care
fully.
The frame is scarcely less master
piece than the pyro-carving itself. This
is a foot deep and burned very dark.
On either side in bass relief two angel
heralds are poised, their flowing robes
draped in graceful folds, and a trumpet
in their hands. Below the picture is
shown an angel in fight, also blowing
trumpet. On this figure space has
been left to carve the family escutcheon
of the purchaser. Reinforced with iron
bands the entire picture weighs almost
three hundred pounds.
Is California Artist
Like so many masterpieces, the pic
ture is the product of two artists with
unbounded skill and no money. Up
house, who did the freehand work and
the typography, is natural artist who
divides his honors with no school or
teacher. He is native Californian,
having been born and raised in San
Francisco. During his forty years of
life he has never taken single lesson
in any line of art work; and yet his
work is known throughout the coast
and the southwest. When a boy at
school Uphouse won the hearts Of his
boy IrlelQS Dy MS ldleHl Will lie p0h
Gil, and he was named-"Prof. Murray"
In later years, when he went out into
the world to put his talent to some use.
the nickname of his boy friends recur-
red to him. He knew that the old
chums would recognize "Mur" long
after they had forgotten Charlie Up
house, and accordingly "Mur" Is the
name by which his cartoons and pic
lures have gone out into the world.
TIpbnIIca IIrnrlxpd for several wears
San Francisco papers, but luck seemed
to be against him, so two years ago he
came to Los Angeles. His business
acumen has not been on par with his
artistic abilities, and time and again
other men have reaped the reward of
his skill. Reduced to desperate straits
the artist and illustrator had to earn
his daily bread by working in the Long
Beach bath house.
Tells of Difficulties
His account of the way he learned
the woodburning art is quite as pictur-
esque as his entire career of Bohemian
wandering and buncoing at the hands
of supposed friends. IT used to burn
wood before we had the needless" he
said. my first burnt wood pieces were
made with little irons that I filed down
myself and heated in plumbers char
iron, make one stroke on the wood with
it, and plunge it back into the fire. 1t
was slow work, and unsatisfactory; but
still managed to turn out some pretty
nice work But these needles are lot
more handy"
Up to March Hanson had not worked
at his trade of wood carving for twenty
one years. When a boy of IS he learned
the business in Kansas City shop, but
after caUen Uaars' work 0rODDed III for
more lucrative employment.
The two met about four months ago,
and with true Bohemian fellowship be-
gan telling each other their troubles.
The story of Uphouse, and particularly
his tale of the latest game that had
been played on him, interested Hanson,
and he suggested that they go in part
nership. The suggestion was readily
adopted, and the two set to work to
combine their talents in a new indus
try.
Devoted to Their Task
The stupendous undertaking is the
largest either had ever undertaken. A
cheap little lithograph of Leonardo's
painting was secured, and with this as
a model the two set to work to produce
masterpiece. For three long months
they worked in little back room at 220
West Fifth street. For hours Uphouse
fingered over the big piece, till the
smoke of the burning wood choked his
lungs and filled his eyes with tears.
Together the chums worked. Some
days the joint fortunes of the two did
not permit of an elaborate luncheon
and there were days when not even a
plain meal was in sight. But the pair
worked on, devoting every possible mo-
ment to the work that was to make
name for both of them. Now the pic
ture is completed, absolutely unique, a
masterpiece even when compared to
other copies of the celebrated painting,
and monument to the tireless pa
tience of the two artists who conceived
it and carried out their conception.
The pyro-carving will be exhibited in
Department store several days this
week, and later on will be placed in one
of the big show windows. The artists
value their production at $1,000. Placed
at the end of some big dining hall, they
believe that their work will be won
derfully effective.
viii Follow Masterpiece
This picture is but a forerunner of
many more of the same kind, though
not so large as the first. The two COM
panions have found a new art which
they call -portraiture. Photographs
will be reproduced on wood. UphouSe
doing the topographic work and Han
son carving an original background for
each. The men are now working on
pictures of this kind.
The picture from which this famous
copy was made is a world-famed mas