MODEL-MAKING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20239, 24 February 1934, Page 18 (Supplement)

MODEL-MAKING.

The Town-Planning Exhibition. All this week there have been crowds of people visiting the town planning exhibition held at the D.1.C., and there were many things to inspire even the smallest child. I am telling you of it to get you to try and build something for yourself. The exhibition contained many architects’ plans and photographs of houses, of exteriors and interiors, and it was rather thrilling and very, very interesting to notice the crowds of different ideas of designing and furnishing. But the model section will interest you most. There were models of houses, the Edmonds’ Band Rotunda, Carlton Mill Bridge, Nelson Cathedral, and a very interesting model of a plan that was prepared for tile Square, before it was finally settled the way it is. Nelson Cathedral was very beautiful, lit inside like a church. There was a Japanese garden in one little exhibit only about 4ft by 2ft, and you just thought you really were in Japan. There were little pagodas and fountains and bridges and very small goldfish, beside lots of other Japanese things. But one very beautiful exhibit of a country home and garden showed what can b£ done. There was a large garden all laid out with flagged paths and the trees were dyed dried shrubs of various kinds. Even brown dock-heads with the seeds on were used with good effect. And “hundreds of thousands ” in bright colours were used in the borders stuck down 1

lightly for flowers. They looked so beautiful and bright. There were pergolas with bright little roses climbing over, and a tennis court, even the gardener and his wheelbarrow in miniature. Moss, dyed various shades of green, was used for trees, as well as lycopodium and dried ferns and crowds of other substitutes. This exhibit took five weeks of patient work on the part of the planner. One other exhibit had pieces of sponge dyed green cut out for trees and mounted on “ trunks ” of wood also. I should like you to try and make a model. Borrow the flowers from mother’s hat or baby’s bonnet for the flower garden and save every piece of dried moss, shrub, seaweed, lichen or lycopodium ; in fact, there are hundreds of things you can use. A piece of mirror is a splendid substitute for a pond, and a very small celluloid swan can sit on it. .You could make swings and all sorts of things out of material lying about at home. The main thing is to be exact and painstaking in your work. I also noticed a fine model made by Fendalton School pupils with every detaS, even to the furnishing, most ingeniously and carefully planned. Suppose you make a model of some kind as a hobby for this winter?

Dear Aunt Hilda, —I am sending you a motto. When my grandmother was a little girl it was given to her by her Sunday' School teacher. Here it is: “ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it wifch thy might.” Gran has built her life on this, and all may well sav of her: ,4 *She hath done all things well.” Love from Alan Welsh < Ashburton).