Studio: international art (15.1899)

Decorations at Neuchdtel

brought into harmony with
the rest, and whilst work
was being executed in one
direction, trials were being
made in another.

The harmony ultimately
arrived at was the result of
repeated trials made in the
material itself. From con-
tinuous experiments the
work grew into existence,
and lines of thought were
suggested by the circum-
stances and materials
themselves, so that the
result, whatever may be
thought of it, is a new
creative work.

What would have hap-
pened had the common
plan been adopted of
making a cut-and-dried
scheme beforehand, with
estimate complete? Would
such growth have been
possible? It would not:
for the evolution of idea
resulting from observation
of the possibilities sug-
gested by the materials
would have gone for no-
thing. Again, supposing
at the outset some ancient
example had been held up
to view and imposed on

angle pieces betwern arch-mouldings the mind ? In thatcase

modelled by paul robert ., i j

the problems, already
delicate, would have been

design once started, everything was brought into rendered impossible to deal with on their own
obedience thereto. merits, and the resultant of some other problems

Of course the scheme of colour and the cha- for some other place or time, as resolved by some
racter of design might not be suitable to another other artist, would have been reproduced: and
occasion, but as so many artists who have seen it whatever the effect might have been, it would
have expressed satisfaction, it may be of some in- simply have been one more unoriginal work added
terest to refer 'to the method employed, which arose to the already very long list.

partly from accident. No houses of production The extreme delicacy of the materials, the slight-
existed near, so Mr. Heaton had to undertake sue- ness of change sufficient to make or mar an effect,
cessively every part of the execution. If this was the valuable results obtained from observation^
an onerous undertaking, involving much special simple possibilities in the materials, have convinced
study, it was also highly educative, and something both artists that decoration cannot be dealt with
of the conditions of work done long ago was successfully except the mind be free to work out
realised anew. the scheme by letting it grow by trials in the

The various materials being handled under the materials. The reason of this is obvious : the basis
same mental influence, each was necessarily of all designs is the idea or image. Now, if an idea

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