BUILDING and HOMES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 170, 18 April 1928, Page 17

BUILDING and HOMES

(BY

IACH PLANE)

ART IN THE HOME

LEADED AND. STAINED GLASS COLOUR AND DESIGN Stained glass is one of the most permanent forms of art expression that wc know:' Although the sun seems to be engaged in perpetual struggle everywhere to take back the colour it has already given; the amount it absorbs from coloured glass is relatively small compared with other materials. Panels of genuine antique glass, sometimes of historic intel est, can often be procured, .and these look very pleasing hung against a window in a modern house, or used on a stair landing. Small pieces can easily be made up in the form of roundels, squares and oblongs or irregular shapes. In old glass the subjects are so extremely expressive that one has no hesitation in deciding at a glance what the subject is, whether it be an ascension, a coronation or a hunting scene, etc.

Leaded glass, in the form of geometric patterns, is frequently seen employed as door panels, for bookcases and china cabinets, and, of course, if needs be, the colour can be selected to prevent anyone seeing the contents, of the cabinet. Clear glass in bookcases allows the variously coloured books to be seen, which generally make a pleasing pattern of colour. Examples of modern leaded glass are frequently found used effectively as front door panels, especially in many of the more modern houses and countrycottages, and the hall lamp or lantern gives scope for the employment of colour in this capacity. The colour is the chief feature’ in stained glass, followed by- design. The best designs do not portray nature imitatively, but are simplified in treatment and made more expressive. The earlier glass, like early tapestries, is more successful in this''respect, whereas in later work the attempt to copy nature more faithfully took away from the essential decorative character of stained glass, and ‘ made it approximate to picture painting. Details of faces, hands' "and feet, also patterns on draperies, etc., are usually pencilled in brown line shading and fired on thair separate pieces of glass. The leading is an essential and expressive part of the design, and great consideration is given to this by stained glass designers. Where an area ill unusually large, strengthening rods are used, to which the panel of glass is fixed with wire binding. Greater quantities of blue are used in stained glass than any other colour. It forms a fitting background for all other colours; i.e., reds, greens, yel- I lows, etc. The two superb rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, have blue as"the predominant colour, but the greater quantity of red in one of - them makes it incline more towards purple in general impression. Used in the home, one has to remember that : darker and richer colours diminish the quantity of light; therefore, it is better to use colour in small quantities, and pack out with clear' dr pale tinted glass, as illustrated by our heraldic panel. Stained glass with rays of light passing through it presents a rich and sumptuous effect-like, a surface of incrusted jewels, to which if most uear-

ly approaches. All coloured glass is dependent on light passing through it to show up its colour quality. Hi certain cases where sun or daylight cannot be admitted, artificial lighting may be successfully' employed, but the yellowish tint of this light would modify the colours in some Jcgiec. Stained glass is pre-eminently a colouiart, and to be seen and studied as a whole at its best one should visit places like York Minster, La Sainte Ciiapelle in Paris, or Chaitres Cathedral. Ihe effect of these great areas of glass on a sunny day is profoundly stirring, onlv to be equalled in intensity by powerful chords of music from the organ, to which it is often compared. Early subject glass of die finest periods (say mid-thirteenth century) glazing) contains no full realism, and. is- made up of quite small pieces of glass of deep brilliant colour with rich backgrounds. It is often geometric in character, which gives it a structural and well set-up appearance, harmonising with its architectural setting cr surroundings. Much later glass in comparison is “free and easy” or flambuoyant in design, introducing more naturalism. When too many curved lines or shapes arc employed, the design tends to become’ limp, requiring steadying elements, such as the introduction of more straight, or horizontal and vertical acents.

Myth, symbolism, and allegory are suitable subjects for glass expression in design and colour, but less austere subjects are more suitable for domestic purposes, such as pastoral landscapes, familiar rhymes, or stoiies, decorative floral arrangements, abstract patterns, and so on. Line in design has .to do with what is termed “drawing.” This allied to colour should make the subject appear intelligible and forceful,- and never contradictory. Bl lie is a soothing and distant colour, and was used by the ancients for spiritual beings, as compared with vellow-orange for earthly beings, this latter colour being more materialistic and positive in feelintr. Red is an energetic and dangerous colour. yellow feels light, cheerful and luminous, green flaccid and soothing, mid purnle regal and bombastic — R. A Wilson. A.P.C.A London), in “Town and Country Homes”).

PLYWOOD FOR CEILINGS

Plywood is an effective alternative to plaster in ■ covering ' ceilings. It can also be conveniently used to' mend a ceiling in which the plaster is defective, of where there'is danger that the plaster will fall: A plywood. ceil v ing may be painted, papered, or enamelled, or a very handsome, ceiling can be, erected by selecting a suitable wood and staining it. , The usual method of erecting a plywood ceiling is simply to. fasten the panels to the ceiling joists. Rough bearers must be fixed where necessary to take the edges of., the plywood sheets, as they will not always .coincide with the joists." Cfioss pieces of batten should be -fixed to . take the edges of the plywood .boards' which are at right angles to the joists. If plywood boards of - suitable size are selected, and the arrangement' is carefully planned, there will be very little waste. The joins between the panels arc. usually covered with mouldings, which

are fixed after the plywood has. been painted, enamelled or treated in some other way. ’ln some cases it has been found, quite . satisfactory to butt the edges, of the plywood boards and to paper completely over the ceiling without using any cover strips. The ceiling then has . the appearance of a plaster ceiling. If this is done it will be a comparatively simple matter to arrange the layout of the plywood, as it will not-be necessary to take into account the spacing of the cover strips to secure a pleasing design. The practical woodworker will realise that there are endless possibilities of adapting plywood in different ways for covering walls and ceilings.