Christchurch Artist Paints On China

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 2

Christchurch Artist Paints On China

Painting realistic flower patterns on china has become an absorbing hobby for Mrs D. E. Emmett, of Merivale. Mrs Emmett was introduced to this form of art some years ago while convalescing after an illness. Now she spends nearly all her time on it.

An Englishwoman who came to New Zealand in 1928, Mrs Emmett imports all her own white china cups, saucers and ornamental plates in simple basic shapes, decorates them and fires the colours on to the glaze in her own kiln.

"All my life I have studied art as a hobby.” she said yesterday. ‘1 was very fond of paintine and of paintin? flowers. From pictures I did 29 years ago I get ideas for setting flowers in patterns on the china I decorate at present." Some of Mrs Emmett’s patterns are simple etchings in gilt. Others have raised glt paste leaves or stems None of the colours or even the gilt will ever wash off for each piece is flred several times before it is finished.

"Colours fade a little with each firing,” she said. “So 1 have to build on the first painting again and again The gilt naint always goes on last It takes less time to fire and is dene only once at a lower temperature. The other paint will remain in the kiln for approximately nine hours ” Powdered Paint

The paints Mrs Emmett uses come in powder form and she mixes them with an oil-based medium. She mixes only two or three at one time as they dry very quickly and one mixture may often be useless after 10 minutes and will have to be mixed again. Although she sketches her designs on paper before she anplies them to the china. Mrs Emmett works her colour-schemes out as she paints. “Colour balance seems to work itself out for me.” she said. The designs are always original and there are never two the same. Mrs Emmett plans a design in her mind and imagines its setting on

the cup or plate she has set aside for it "I have one or two books I can consult but I never copy. I may only take one flower from a whole selection in a picture.” Unlike most artists, Mr? Emmett paints her backgrounds in after she has completed the design. “You can do it either way,” she said. “But I find this more satisfactory” Occasionally, Mrs Emmett painted scenes or patterns round her flowers, but prefers them by themselves. It is her ambition to paint a flower so perfectly that it actually looks real when the plate is seen at arm’s length “I am never satisfied completely with anything I do.” she said. “I am always trying to do better.” Sometimes even the housework is left for a day when Mrs Emmett is engrossed in a new design. She will cope with the essential housekeeping chores before she starts work, but apart from cooking meals does no more till the next day. “That happens sometimes in the week-ends,” she said. "I w’ork on the Saturday and clean up properly on the Sunday. Contented Mrs Emmett is thoroughly contented with her hobby and sees no reason why she shouldn't continue till she is 80 at least. “All I need is good eyesight and a steady hand. I don't have to use any energy for it. I can sit and work for hours.” Mrs Emmett returned to England four years ago for her second trip home. She stayed three years and re-

turned to Christchurch last year. One of the purposes of her visit was to see over pottery factories there to see the latest developments in china decoration.

“I have had so much pleasure from this work that I would like to teach other women how to do it,” she said. “I did teach privately for a while, years ago, but I cannot spare much time now.”