A BEAUTIFUL CRAFT

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 2, Issue 8, 1 February 1924, Page 21

A BEAUTIFUL CRAFT

The Work of Miss Leah CJ. Hayne, Auckland

a TTR ACTING all passers-by by sheer force of contrast, as it fits snugly down in place between a. blank, forbidding brick wall, and an unromantic corrugated iron fence, is a quaint little building fronting the street, with wide windows filled with vivid bits of colour that invite a closer inspection. Flowers in boxes crown each window and add to the interest, and one steps down instead of up into the treasure-house within. There is no doubt that it is a treasure-house, for every corner is filled with lovely things, chiefly beautiful china, handpainted. The love for beautiful china amounts to some people to a compelling force that is not satisfied ' with simply handling the finished products of others, and it was this love which several years ago caused Miss Leah 0. Hayne to leave New Zealand for America with the firm desire to learn all that was possible about pottery making. On arrival in San Francisco she applied to enter the Berkeley University, but met with unexpected opposition, owing to the fact that she was not a naturalised American —and had no wish to change. Eventually, however, this difficulty was waived, but on entering it was found that pottery making would not be taught at the summer session. Increasingly attracted by china pair! Miss Hayne commenced to unravel the mysteries of that craft instead. “Lustre work fascinated me,” Miss Hayne said, “and I used to experiment at home. It was like a child opening a surprise packet, one never knew what one would find when the oven was opened after firing a hatch of china,” perhaps a new exquisite

blend of colours, perhapslike some surprise packets—only a disappointment—always a surprise.” Two well-known San Francisco teachers taught Miss Hayne how to enamel on china — Sophie Culp and Mrs. Bateman. Mrs. Culp has been one of the unfortunate sufferers from the terrible Berkeley fire of some months agoshe lost everything, home

and studio. As she herself says: “I had not a colour or a single brush left, but can be thankful we ourselves are safe to build another home and studio.’' From San Francisco Miss Hayne went to Los Angeles, where she studied and worked under Miss Hampton, in gratitude to whom she has named her present studio. “I think one scents china painting when the fascination of it gets into one’s blood,” she says. “We always knew when we were passing a studio; there seemed a peculiar faint odour in connection with it only to be recognised by lovers of china painting.” “How do you begin I asked, and, in answer, Miss Hayne picked up a white plate, with a simple pattern faintly but evenly traced in black. “The designs are first of all worked out in the colour schemes desired see, 1 have a book full here, that I have used,” turning over the leaves, between which one caught glimpses of colour and fragments of design in detail. “Then I trace the pattern on to the cups and plates with a special medium and pencil—the design must always fit exactly, one. needs to be quite a mathematician,” laughingly. “This is an interesting test,” she went on —“Do you think you could rest your hand on this support and draw a perfect circle on a plate whirling beneath your brush? It’s the hardest thing of all to learn, and I remember my teacher saying that it took twelve years to learn to ‘band,’ as it is called, accurately. The faintest outward or inward movement of your hand, perhaps caused by breathing, and the circle meets—but half an inch further out —or in!”

When the design is traced on and dried the colour is applied. Rows of tiny glass-stoppered bottles field powders of every shade. I commented on a lovely dull green. “Yes, but it won’t look like that when it has been in the furnace,” Miss Hayne said. “It will look like this,” pointing to a vivid jade-green pattern on a finished jar. “That is one of the many secrets we must find out.” “This,” holding up a fluted cup of an even delicate pink, gold-edged, “was like this before firing,” and certainly there was no similarity between the fresh pink of the first cup and the dull grey mauve of 'the second. The powder is mixed with, a special liquid medium oil, and applied with a fine camel-hair brush— patient work it appearsas the tiny petals of massed flowers are slowly tinted many colours. When every petal is complete, the paints must dry before the fragile articles are entrusted to the fierce heat of the furnace that will decide their fate. It is most delightful craft, more so because for a woman it is closely connected with home life —the home beautiful. . Great patience and concentration are needed. Nerves — perfectly controlledare of no use when a difficult moment comes, but given self-control, keen application, and a great love for the work itself, and, in Miss Hayne’s opinion, “it’s the most wonderful craft in the world.”