Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-04-08
Painting a
Picture
Under Cupid's
Guidance

| + Under Cup1d's \
+ Guidance !
! By ANDREW c. EWING i
...i-is-.-s-s-ss-i-i-i-ii-ss-i-i-i-iiiiiiii
The most beautiful lake in the world
Is Como and the most beautiful bay
the bay Of Naples. Both have been the
scene Of many a story, real and hcti-
tious; both have attracted visitors from
all parts of the world. The beauty OF
the former bursts upon one at once;
that of the latter is Of slow growth.
| Como is always much the same; the
bay of Naples is ever changing.
Sorrento. overlooking this beautiful
bay. is built on a circular ledge Of rocks
some three hundred feet high. follow
Ing the curvature of the shore. There
are hotels and villas fronting the water,
some Of them built in the center Of Or
ange groves. One morning gentle
| man emerged from one of these hotels,
sauntered down a walk. plucking an
orange by the way. and at the end
stood upon marble balcony looking
down upon the waves far below.
Yachts and fishing boats were rocking
on the surface. and from the island OF
Capri little steamer was bounding
| along toward Sorrento.
A young lady had set up an easel on
the balcony and was attempting to
transfer the scene to canvas. The gen.
tleman paused short distance behind
her and looked at her work. Conscious
Of his presence. she turned.
Pardon me. signorina." he said In
| Italian and was about to walk on when
she said in English:
"I don't understand Italian"
"Ah, you are an American, per-
ceiver'
"Why not Engllsh7"
1--WE Americans are easily distin-
guished from the English by our &C.
cent. Permit me to compliment you on
the way You are getting on with your
picture"
II am not getting on ut ALL"
"You have sketched your outline very
we'll"
But how shall l get that deep blue
Of the water how that delicate veil Of
mist that hangs over Capri and almost
hides Ischia farther On:"
Your work will be the more diff
cult because you cannot get the same
scene on two consecutive days. To-
morrow the water will be perhaps q
rale green, then light instead Of q
dark blue. as It Is today. Quite likely
even by noon we shall have Ischia
resting on a sea of quicksilver"
The girl leaned back in her chair
discouraged.
~ would advise you to put in such
parts as will not change. then select
certain cOloriug to transfer to yonr
canvas. II you can get 1t in before 1t
changes. be 1t so: II not you must get
in as much as you can. then walt till
the same conditions come again"
Exactly the same conditions will
never come again"
"YOu are right But you don't need
TO copy. An artist doesn't do that. He
takes landscape. a model. any sub
ject you like. aud idealizes 1t. His
intention is not to get something bet
ter than the original. but something
better than the result Of an attempt
to transfer the original to canvas
"If | could only get 1.-THE Of what
we see before us on the canvas ]
should be satisfied"
Are you an amateur or profes'
sional?"
81 simply desire to make picture to
sell on my return to America to help
out the expense Of my trip abroad"
"Well. don't be discouraged. With
your permission will critIcise your
work as you proceed. am profess
sional critic and may help yon."
"Thank you very much. but doubt
II I can produce anything worthy OF
your criticism"
Acquaintances are formed very cas-
lily between tourists, especially where
they are fellow countrymen. and Ed
ward Mnard improved upon this be-
ginning to become quite friendly with
Lucia Clifford. True to his promise. he
coached her in her effort to transcribe
some Of the various phases that the
bay Of Naples takes on. From the win
dow Of his room he could look out
upon It. and often when 1t assumed
the conditions she was trying to get
he would send her word. and she
would hurry to the balcony to take nd
vantage OF the situation.
At times she would rest from her
work bv riding ont on the road wind
Ing up the heights lying southwest Of
the town At others she would stroll
with friends among the shops picking
up bargains In lace or silks. Occa-
siolHily OH returning from some OF
these lrinr her work would look bet
ter tn her than when she had left It
Mrard toll her that this was because
before "oin. out she saw II through
tired eyes. When she came In she
sew II through rested eyes. But she
noticed the greatest improvement on
her r",nrn after couple Of days alb
scnre while on n visit to Paestum. II
sc,rird to her on first viewing her pic
tur" after hcr arrival that she had
done far better than she had supposed
In getting that misty effect Of the at
mosphere. that cer1lean blue Of the
water. Moreover. she was gradually
getting on to the canvas not any OF
the conditions she had seen. but some
thing conceived. something more ca
pahle Of being represented In paint.
She asked Minard how she could have
done 1t. and he told her that It was
part accident and part her own artis-
tic invention, though the former could
not exist without the latter.
Miss Clifford, as all sojourners at
Sorrento do, made many excursions,
md whenever she returned she In
.Ih,,, .,u, ho. ,yort, thrnf,Oh noyV