Arminta Neal

“ The most important thing to do in putting in this dirt and grass covering is to observe nature itself as closely as it is possible, seeing just how patches of vegetation grow—whether slopes are bare and what the “mosaic” of dirt and greenness is. ”

“ Autumn and winter trees are made from dried twigs and weeds. Leafed-out trees are made from clothesline wire and lichen. Twist wire into tree skeleton shape. See art books on “how to draw trees” for different tree skeletons and silhouettes. Cover wire trunk with paper mache mix and model to resemble bark. Tear off small clumps of lichen and glue to wire branches with Elmer’s glue. Drape some pieces over several branches.
BASE
Drill hole in base, glue tree in place. ”

“ Dip tree in green enamel paint, then sprinkle dyed sawdust on wet paint, or 20 shake paint-wet tree in jar with dyed sawdust. Use paper mache mix to build proper trunk texture. Medium size trees can be made from an excellent “Tree Kit” manufactured by Aurora Plastics Co., of West Hempstead, New York, and available at most model railroad shops. This kit contains graduated sections that are stacked together and glued. It will help to touch up and vary the color. Oil paints will stick to the plastic. ”

“ Cutting against the glass produces a cleaner edge than against a different surface.
4
If your foreground is the flat side of the box, without carved balsa or styrofoam block, leave tabs on the bottoms of the trimmed figures. Fold these tabs back and glue to base.
If your foreground is of carved balsa or styrofoam, trim out figure completely, then glue supporting wire to the back. Straightened paper clips may be used, being glued down with Elmer’s glue. Let about 1⁄2′′ of wire extend from bottom of figure. When glue is dry, force wire into base. ”

“ Paint dark at front of foreground, blend through medium to very light at the background. When paint dries, proceed as with cigar box, spreading foreground surface with a thick coat of Elmer’s glue, sprinkling on dyed sawdust, sand, gravel, etc. ”

“ One need not be an artist to create interesting and acceptable displays. There are many items available from novelty stores, souvenir counters, or ten-cent stores, which can be adapted to use in the cigar boxes. ”

“ BACKGROUND shaded DARK top to LIGHT bottom BASE shaded DARK front to LIGHT back PEBBLEBOARD FRONT
Mix three sky blues from Towne’s Gold Bond Latex Blue and a latex white. Paint dark at the top, blend medium in the middle, light at bottom, blending almost to white at the horizon. Use a soft 1′′ brush. Do not be afraid to blend. Cut and glue a piece of pebble-board to fit between the bottom of contoured foreground and base. Use Elmer’s glue. ”

“ The person who exercises imagination, seeing space ships in plastic hair curlers and rocket ships in metal pencil protectors, will enjoy making the exhibits and will be able to share the creative experience with others. ”

“ They are simple enough that a child can make them, effective enough to stimulate interest in the subject portrayed. They can be made by the teacher and used to spark interest in new units or made by the students as projects for the unit. ”

“ Large evergreens can be made from golden yarrow gathered in fall and winter. The stalks are dyed a deep green and permitted to dry.
20 GAUGE WIRE BRANCHES WIRED TOGETHER
Use Weldwood contact cement to glue a small diameter wire to under side of twig. Use tube to spread cement along twig. Hold wire with spring clothespin and run full length of wire into tube. Let cement dry for about 15 minutes, then press wire to under side of twig. Bend wire and stem into desired position. Use fine wire to fasten several twigs together into branches. ”

“ Then, in its lathered state, use the brush with the Tri-Tix. Wash it out immediately after use. The soap remaining in the brush during the glueing process will make the brush easy to clean.
A final word.... ”