CHAPTER XII.
BOTANY AS APPLIED TO ART.
THERE is a book of most lovely designs open to everyone whose eyes are open to see.
Grasses, leaves, blossoms, and even buds and seed-vessels supply material for beautiful patterns.
We need not look far for suggestions. Truly “that is best which lieth nearest; shape from that thy work of art.”
At your very doorway the wonders of botany may be studied. Carefully inspect the tree blossoms in the early spring; the maple, willow, birch, any in fact which happen to be convenient, and you will find suggestions of rare designs.
Clover, plantain, pepper-grass, dandelions, vines and twigs, offer ideas which can be adapted to ornamental art.
A love of nature will quicken and stimulate the faculties; take the flowers and plants for instructors, and they will teach and guide you.
Though there cannot be found an exact duplicate of any blossom or leaf, still these may be conventionalized by arranging them in all sorts of symmetrical designs.
There is no mystery about the matter, for all the designs are conceived upon the most simple of geometric laws. We are now following in the steps of the old masters, and an unlimited field of new combinations opens before us.
When making designs for this chapter, the writer did not select the objects she thought would be most decorative, but anything which chanced to fall in the way; and what she has done you can do, provided, of course, that you have ordinary skill with the pencil.
The Peony Leaf.
Suppose you do not know how to draw at all! Even then you can design. Take the first thing you see, which in this case happens to be a peony leaf (Fig. 68). That is, assuming that you are seated by the side of the writer.
Fig. 68.
| Fig. 69.
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Now watch! We will pull it apart thus (Fig. 69). Next with a pair of scissors, a knife, or fingers snip off the stems, and group the leaves in any way we chose. We will try this combination (Fig. 70). If you do not understand drawing, we must fasten the leaves down upon a piece of paper as they are arranged, and trace around them, following their edges with a pencil until the outline is complete (Fig. 70). By simply repeating this figure at regular intervals we have a very pretty border design and one that is truly original, for the writer had no more idea than you, what was to be the result of this experiment. In order to make the pattern exact, draw lines as in Fig. 71, for a guide; then draw the figure according to the foundation lines (Fig. 72). When finished, erase the lines and the design stands a conventionalized peony leaf, Fig. 73. By making a tracing of the first pattern, you can repeat it any number of times. It requires no great or peculiar genius to design well, and it is a mistaken, old-fashioned idea to suppose because you never have done any original work in art that you never can. Do not slavishly follow other people, but believe that there is implanted in you the same elements that belong to those whose designs you admire, then commence and design for yourself. That you may have a start in your new art, we will try something else, a vegetable this time, for here comes the green-grocery man with a basket full of as quaint decorations as are ever painted with bamboo-handled brush by the Japanese.
A Bunch of Turnips.
Take the first bunch of vegetables on the top of the basket. What are they? turnips? Well that requires a little skill as a draughtsman, but we will sketch this one and you can copy it (Fig. 74). Now repeat it (Fig. 75), or place the bunches in a row and you will have another border design. After a few experiments you will see that anything will make a decoration even the humble kitchen vegetables.
Decorative Lines.
Figs. 76 and 77 are simply graceful curves, such as anyone can make with a pen or pencil, and may be used in many ways: cross them and they form Fig. 78, use this as half the design, duplicating it for the other half and it gives Fig. 79. We now have graceful and beautiful foundation lines on which any vine or flower may be placed as ornamentation. We will select the rose, allowing the lines to form the stems and using as ornament the bud, flower and seed-vessels, remembering that one side must be an exact duplicate of the other (see Fig. 80).
With these curves invent new designs by placing them together in different ways, and choose for decoration anything which may strike your fancy.
Plant Cross-section Designs.
Have you ever noticed how curiously some leaves are curled before opening? Watch them as they commence to expand and grow, and you will be delighted with the great variety and unique designs formed by the folding and rolling of these leaf-buds.
Cut a bud square across in the centre with a sharp knife, and this will show the nicety of arrangment of the young leaves. The leaf-bud of the sage (Fig. 81), rosemary (Fig. 82), apricot (Fig. 83), and still another variety of pattern (Fig. 84), are all singular natural designs.
The petals of flower-buds are also folded in many ways, affording odd designs; if cut in like manner as the leaves, the cross-sections will be as beautiful. Fig. 85, the lilac bud, and the oleander (Fig. 86), give some idea of these odd designs. Submit all kinds of buds to the test by cutting them in halves, and carefully examining the two parts, observe how nicely and orderly the leaves are folded together. In this way you will find many natural ornamental patterns.
Nor must we neglect the seed-vessels; when these in their turn are cut open, they present excellent designs. Fig. 87 is a cross-section of the seed-vessel of the harebell. Other seeds will furnish queer forms and figures to be obtained in no other way.
Flower Sprays.
The common white clover with its trefoil leaf is very pretty, and if a few sprays are placed together in a graceful manner it is surprising how readily they lend themselves to decoration. Experiment with these, gather a few blossoms and leaves, group them on the centre of a piece of paper, and make an outline of the group; then trace it off in order to repeat the copy at equal intervals from the central figure (see illustration, page 138); this makes a very simple and yet beautiful design for embroidery, needle-work, or wall-paper pattern. In the same manner try grasses and different kinds of flowers.
Conventional designs can also be formed by simply inclosing a natural spray in a geometrical figure. Fig. 88 is a circle, but a square, triangle, diamond, oval, or any geometrical figure may take the place of the circle.
Changing the Color
of a natural object gives still another style of ornamental art. A spray of flowers and leaves in one color on a background of different tint is an example. The spray may be brown on a yellow background, or a dull blue on white background, either way it will be conventionalized. So you see that by merely making natural objects all in one tint, you can have a great variety of designs suitable for china, embroidery, wall paper, and many other decorations. It is instructive to examine the panels, screens, or painted china of the Japanese. There is a freedom and crispness about their ornamental art, which is very attractive.
The method the Japanese frequently employ is to diminish the size of the fruit or flowers while increasing the size of the leaves, and vice-versa; in this way they invent designs without losing the character of the object they copy, and it is really a very simple, yet effective method.
Suppose you try and see what you can make with it. The next time you have an opportunity, notice how the Oriental artists carry out this idea in their decorations, and it will help you in making your designs.
Burs.
The tenacious little burs found clinging to your dress after a country walk, when grouped together are not without beauty. Fig. 89 is formed of four of these burs placed at right angles making an ornament, and when the ornament is repeated at regular intervals as in Fig. 90, it forms a border design.
Seeds with downy or feathery tails are well adapted for decorations; three grouped together (Fig. 91), is a design of itself, which may also be re-duplicated (Fig. 92). The horse-chestnut or buckeye is decorative, and makes an odd design (Fig. 93). Also the seed-vessel of the Velvet-leaf or Abutilon avicennæ (Figs. 94 and 95).
The Water-Lily.
In the illustration of the water-lily, the writer has conventionalized it by curving the stem around the flower and duplicating the same, always making the stem meet the next lily, then inclosing the flowers in two straight lines, so forming a water-lily border. Now, girls, you can realize how very simple it is to apply botany to art, and make for yourselves new and original designs.
The knowledge of plants is not only interesting but useful in connection with art, in selecting and determining appropriate designs for wood-carving, hammered brass, or any kind of ornamentation or decoration. The cross-section of some trees will furnish very good designs and the differently formed roots of plants and flowers will aid you in ornamental art.
So we find that Nature offers us exquisite designs, in many shapes and forms, and we have only to stretch out our hand and take what we want.
“Beauty doth truly inhabit everywhere,” for “it is mind alone that is beautiful, and in perceiving beauty, we only contemplate the shadow of our own affections.”