INDUSTRIAL ART.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7824, 17 June 1909, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL ART.

((By '"•A'dsum.") V

"As the sun colours flowers, so art colours life." '

I must, congratulate the technical! Classes Association on their wise dcci-, sion to institute classes on the art side of their curriculum, and I am glad to hear that ready response has been, received in particular for such classes as repousse, art metal-work, and enamelling. . . J Perhaps a few words on two subject: of these graceful and very ancient, crafts will not be out of season, and may be the means of inducing others to join the classes. Repousse means beating up designs on sheet metal, such as copper, brass, silver, or pewter. It is done by the aid of a pitchblock, a set of brass and steel.p.unehes, and a chaser's hammer; but fair work has been executed on blotting-paper, with no better tools than a screw-driver, some round-headed bolts, and an ordinary hammer. Hand-made repousse work must- hot be confounded with the machine-stamped stuff one. sees plastered over furniture, which is as different from the hammered article as an oleograph is from a water-colour painting. Many articles can be made in the early stages of a repousse worker's career, such as photograph, picture, and mirror frames, finger-plates for doors, plaques, panels of various kinds, etc. When the worker has become familiar with the vagaries of the metals mentioned ho can soar higher and go into art metal-work generally, starting in a modest way with the manufacture of such useful things a.s candlesticks, sconces, boxes, trays, and continuing on to jugs, bowls," and other beaten-up articles. This work is most interesting, and a feeling of pride and gratification will come over the craftsman when he views the consummation of many evenings of thought and labour. Never mind though the ultimate result may not be perfect in workmanship or design; remember it is your own work —your very own. Constructing such articles as I. have mentioned necessarily entails more tools and a small workshop, with also a knowledge of hard and soft-eolder-ing, rivetting, etc.; but these accomplishments are easily mastered by any one endowed with a little patience. You can embellish your, boxes, sconces, trays, candlesticks, etc., with either repousse work or enamelling, and this brings me to the point when a few words on this beautiful branch of industrial art will not be amiss. Enamelling proper -must not be confounded with either Aspinall's enamel or enamel pots. The enamel we are discussing is a glass of a great variety of colours, which is, ground to a powder placed on either gold, silver, or copper, then subject to a considerable heat in a small muffle furnace. If the various operations are conducted properly the result should be a brilliant blob of either translucent or opaque enamel of green, red, or whatever colour you have placed in the furnace. Modern art jewellery ia much enriched by pieces of enamel worked to a design. If the enthusiastic metal-worker wishes to go further, there are more worlds to conquer, and the making of art jewellery either in gold or silver offers a big | field. Beautiful, graceful and yet 'simple articles in the latter metal can jbe made by any . craftsman familiar with brazing, saw-piercing, and repousse work. . . I have said enough, I think, to give a. little insight into what might be accomplished by the proposed repousse and metal-work class in Ashburton. All over England, in every small town and village, there are now Guilds of art craftsmen, and the work produced by both men and women reflects ' the greatest credit on all concerned. Such pleasant employment is the means of encouraging a taste in the young mind for things refined and good, while, if nothing else, it perhaps helps to pass many an hour that would otherwise be wasted.

I should like to impress on parents! that these classes will give an excellent chance to their young people (both girls and boys) to take up a most useful employment—it may be only as a hobby, but I see no reason why it should not be made a lucrative one. We are most fortunate in securing as teacher, a lady trained in the best schools of art craftsmanship ■in England; and the opportunity now offered of securing tuition at; a most reasonable rate—thanks to the technical Classes Association—should not be let pass. The initial cost for tools is not much more ,than £1, and the material, generally used' (copper) can be bought for about Is 4d per lb. . I might write about the adornment of the house, but I will not now do so; neither will I weary the reader with quotations . from Ruskin or other art critics as to the influence of an environment of beautiful things. You will agree with me, however, that anything that uplifts is good, and I am 'sure the cultivation of a feeling for art, never mind whether in metal, furniture, or pictures, is inspiring to us all. I look forward to the time when this class will be named as the forerunner of many other branches of the crafts, such as wood-carving, in relief (not that horror chip-carving), gesso, marquetry, and, last but not least, that lovely and centuries-old art of book-binding. ..<.