Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-27
PUPILS MAKE MANY
PRETTY ART ARTICLES
Girls Design Own Clothes and Plan
Color Schemes For Their
Homes

What a beautiful set of lace cur
tains! Why never knew your courses
led to the making of such useful
things. Did your pupils really make
those?'
why certainly they did, and you
know, everything they make is plan
ned to fill some personal service or
for some definite place in the home.
This was the quiet, one might al
most say proud, reply of Miss Eva F.
Stoner supervisor of art and drawing
in the Steelton schools, to the incredul-
Gus query of visitor whom she was
showing about the big exhibit of art
articles made by her pupils-the girl
students in Steelton High school.
The curtains which caused the vfsi-
tors comment were a neat pair of
squared net lace hangings covering
one of the windows In the big room in
which the exhibit was held. They were
in an original design and if purchased
in a store would cost probably $12.
They were made by one of the girl
pupils for her own home.
With interest aroused by skill ex-
hibited in the making of the curtains,
the visitor moved through the big
room. his wonder increasing as he
was shown the almost unending list of
articles for the home made by the
work impressed one as being "practi-
bility." Everything, as Miss Stoner
aptly described 1t, was designed for
some definite place in the home or
for the personal service of the stu
dents.
Learn Gradually
When the pupils first undertake
their course in art and drawing in the
Steelton high school they are taught
to make simple sketches of leaves
and flowers. Simple designs for bord-
ers and table runners are the next les
sons that the girls must learn.
Just as soon as the student is able
to draw simple designs, she is taught
how to apply these designs to prac-
tical use. Table runners, doilies, cur
tains and bags of all kinds are stamp
ed. The motif is always drawn from
nature and many pretty designs are
soon drawn by the pupils with ease.
Alter this simple designing work is
mastered the pupils are taught how to
use brushes and simple colors. In all
the work in the high school course
only three colors are used: red, yellow
and blue. From these primary" col
ors every tint in the rainbow. and
many that were never there, are evol-
we'd. Practically all the painting isl
done on dark paper and the various
colors the made opaque by mixing
white paint with the tints desired. At
ter the pupils master the use of brush
es they take up perspective drawing. |
This about completes their study OIL
the fundamentals in art.
Study Color Harmony
Next the pupil studies color har-
mony. It is during this part of the
course that the teacher is given the
opportunity to drive home some good, |
practical ideas about dress and home
decorations. The girls are required
to sketch pictures of dresses that har-
monize in their colors. The proper
shades for the various occasions are
also studied. Just what effect this
part of the course has upon the dress
of the pupils would be hard to esti-
mate. Practically every teacher in the |
high school. however, declares that the
taste of the pupils. as exhibited in |
their dress. has improved wonderfully
since this course has been inaugural |
ed. There are no tangled" ideas
nor fancy suggestions drilled into the
pupils here but just good, practical, |
ideas about what colors
will harmonic in dress and what will |
not In a town like Steelton, where
there Is a large foreign population
with a distorted taste for fancy colors
in dress the value of this work of the
public school can not be over esti- !
mated.
Color In the Home
From harmony of colors in dress the |
pupils go to the study of harmonious
color schemes for the home. They are |
taught how to take into consideration |
the lighting features of the house. the |
wall paper scheme and the floor deco |
rations along with the small features |
that go to making a home homelike. |
The girls are taught the value of
small objects in giving touch of col |
or to the home instead of the fiashy |
papers, Iurid carpets or bright rugs
that are so much in evidence these |
days.
The results of this part of the high |
school course is already being re-
f1ected in the homes of the pupils. Tax |
PAYERS who at the inauguration of the
course groaned at the added burden
of expense and truculently declared
that 1--WE didn't have such fool studies
when we went to school," are now loud
in their praise. Men who never be-
fore were able to see much practical
results from the money they were eX-
pending in their daughters educa-
ton. are now coming into their homes
after the days work and wondering
how all the coziness was obtained
without the expenditure of any more
coin on the part of dad.
Make Any Old Thing
And there are mighty few little
things in the home that the 100 pretty
girl pupils of Miss Stoner aren't taught
how to make. From hand painted
book covers and post card albums to
expensive lace curtains-everythin is
there. There's card cases for brother
or a classmates brother-slipper
bags for sister or self, doilies. table
runners, baskets in varied hues and
weaves, fooled leather stand pieces.
handbags and goodness only knows