Life Drawing Couples

By Janet Dodrill

Many of the sketch groups I participate in (on Zoom) feature two models in their sessions. Here is a sketch of a lovely couple for the month of February from one of those life drawing sessions.

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Figure life drawing of a couple by Janet Dodrill, 2020, watercolor, 5.5 x 8.5 inches.

Schmitz-Horning Company Made Beautiful Landscape Wallpapers

By Janet Dodrill

Cleveland, Ohio wallpaper manufacturer, Schmitz-Horning Company (1905-1964), designed and produced beautiful high quality wall murals and panoramics for homes and institutions. Here is a selection of just of few landscape designs from their 1941-1942 catalog, “Scenic and Sectional Wall Paper.”

The company produced large-scale chromolithographs and was maker to Kro-Mura, San-Kro-Mura, and Venwood wallpaper brands.

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Treasure Island, no. 8044 natural coloring on rachelle, five sections each 40″ wide by 80″ high, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

The Woodland, no. 367, two sheets each 36″ high by 60″ wide, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

The Heron, no. 608, natural on off-white ground, two section each 40 inches wide by 60 inches high, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

The Forest, no. 601, two sections each 40″ wide by 60″ high, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Sierras, no. 363, three sheets each 36″ high by 60″ wide, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Ming Floral, no. 8036, turquoise ground, four sections each 40″ by 80″, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Larkspur, no. 8020, pastel colors on light yellow, three sections each 40″ by 80″, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Elysia, no. 8032, pastel colors on old ivory, five sections each 40″ by 80″, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Die Niederlaender, no. 410, two sheets each 40″ high by 60″ wide, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Chinese Floral, no. 80733, full color on wedgewood, four sections each 40″ by 80″, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Chinese Embroidery, no. 808014, pastel colors on ivory grass cloth ground, two sections each 40″ by 80″, by Schmitz-Horning Co.

Schmitz-Horning Co. 1941-1942 catalog, Scenic and Sectional Wall Paper.

Artists Christmas Cards sent to Warren Schmitz of Schmitz-Horning Co.

By Janet Dodrill

Who doesn’t have an appreciation for an artist’s handmade Christmas card, or one displaying their artwork?

My grandfather, Warren R. Schmitz, who ran the Schmitz-Horning Company (1905-1964) from 1938-1964 received Christmas cards from artists who were either associated with the company or family friends, including Harvey Stief, Walter Sinz, and Charles Reiffel. Here are a few examples of the wonderful artwork on cards he received from them in the 1930s and 1940s.

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Charles Reiffel

Walter Sinz

Walter Sinz

Walter Sinz

Walter Sinz

Harvey Stief

Harvey Stief

Harvey Stief

Harvey Stief

Parrots Life Drawing

Another amazing life drawing session, and this time with a ‘Parrots’ theme with Macaws, Cockatoos and Parakeets with the special online event produced by The Henley on Thames School of Art and Oakley and Crew. Birds were shown flying, landing, sitting on perches, walking on the ground, and an unexpected trick at the session end, and was held on November 27, 2020.

Below are highlights of my drawings from the session.

There are more online animal life drawing sessions scheduled for December 2020, featuring Wild Mountain Gorillas, Draft Horses, and Reindeer at www.thehenleyschoolofart.com/online-classes. Artists are welcome to join!

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Birds of Prey Life Drawing

By Janet Dodrill

Incredible live drawing session with ‘Birds of Prey’ theme. Beautiful Owls (Dark Breasted Barn Owl, Little Owl, and Long-Eared Owl), Harris Hawk and Peregrine Falcon with event produced by The Henley on Thames School of Art and Feathers and Fur Falconry Centre (handler Sadie) via Zoom. Great lighting, camera work, and props, held on October 30, 2020.

Below are highlights of my drawings from the session.

There are more online animal life drawing sessions scheduled for November and December 2020, featuring Longhorn Cattle, Fjord Horse, Raccoons, Kinkajou, and Coati, Parrots, and Wild Mountain Gorillas at https://www.thehenleyschoolofart.com/online-classes. Artists are welcome to join!

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Schmitz-Horning Company Wall Frieze Patent

By Janet Dodrill

Schmitz-Horning Company, a well-established Cleveland wall covering printing firm, 1905-1964, had a patent granted in 1906, from the United States Patent Office, for the printed frieze for walls. It was signed by co-owners Hugo M. Schmitz I (my great-grandfather, 1867-1938), president, artist and lithographer, and William Horning, artist and lithographer, along with Warren R. Cox, head salesman.

Printed frieze for walls patent granted to the Schmitz-Horning Co., 1906, sheet 1. Photo: Google Patents

Printed frieze for walls patent granted to the Schmitz-Horning Co., 1906, sheet 2. Photo: Google Patents

The patent information:
http://www.google.com/patents/US830931

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Global Online Life Drawing Groups Fulfill While #StayAtHome

By Janet Dodrill

Because of Covid-19, it has been safer to stay at home. As an artist, the art life drawing groups that I once attended have not met since early March, 2020. A couple of the groups have moved to Zoom or Facebook Live. I have found dozens of additional art groups online, both out of state and out of the country. I have been fortunate enough to stay busy with these drawing sessions, while meeting people, and fulfilling the sense of community that I seek in addition to improving my drawing skills. The life models have their own remote cameras and setups at their homes or studios, and these sessions have brought people together from all over the world.

I am especially impressed with the talent, professionalism, athleticism, and creativity of the models. Additionally, the organizations have been offering theme-inspired live drawing sessions on Zoom. In the past couple weeks I participated in a Picasso’s Vollard Suite inspired session featuring models Andrew Crayford @andrewcrayford1 and Annie Mae @amlifemodel both of London, a two-day live performance by Juliano Hollivard @julianohollivard of Brazil with constant movement by the model with lighting, music, poetry, video, props and masks, and most recently a session in the style of Matisse, the Odalisques, with model Valentina Rock @valentinarocklondon. Another group simply draws each other’s portraits. Most of them I discovered on Instagram, and there are many more yet to be discovered.

Some of my favorite (online) life drawing groups during the pandemic, on Instagram:

Adrian Dutton Life Drawing, London @adriandutton_life_drawing (Zoom)
https://www.adriandutton.com

The Renaissance Workshop, London @therenaissanceworkshop (Zoom)
https://therenaissanceworkshop.com/product-category/life-drawing

2 B Or Not 2 B Collective @2bornot2bcollective, London (Zoom)
https://linktr.ee/2bornot2bcollective

London Drawing, London @londondrawing (Zoom)
https://londondrawing.com

Life Drawing Barcelona, Spain @lifedrawingbarcelona (Zoom)
https://linktr.ee/lifedrawingbarcelona

Amanda Achen @theartache, California (Zoom)
https://linktr.ee/amandaachen

On Facebook:

Murray Hill Life Drawing, Cleveland, Ohio (Zoom)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/65156305856

The Pretentious Cleveland Portrait Artists, Cleveland, Ohio (Facebook Livestream)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/347696515301192

Website:

Shoal of Art Meetup, London (Zoom)
https://www.meetup.com/London-Shoal-of-Art-Meetup

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Matisse, the Odalisques, theme with model Valentina Rock, by the collaboration of Adrian Dutton Life Drawing and Madhouse Studios, watercolor and ink by Janet Dodrill.

An ink drawing by Janet Dodrill of Juliano Hollivard’s Day Two, The Sacred, performance life drawing session through The Renaissance Workshop.

Schmitz-Horning Co. Wallpaper Featured at Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

By Janet Dodrill

The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum of the Smithsonian Institution features a collection of Schmitz-Horning Company wallpaper.

Schmitz-Horning Co., a Cleveland wallpaper and mural manufacturing firm, was in business from 1905 to 1964. Cooper Hewitt was gifted 111 wallpaper rolls in a variety of patterns by the Wallpaper Council, Inc. of New York City in 1960, and they spotlight specific papers in different areas of their site.

Here are some of Cooper Hewitt’s links that feature Schmitz-Horning wallpaper.

THE OUTSIDE COMES INSIDE, 2017
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2017/12/17/the-outside-comes-inside/
Learn about the 1913-1914 Schmitz-Horning Co. catalog in the Cooper Hewitt Design Library and features and qualities of the friezes, and about Smithsonian libraries’ Adopt-a-Book-Program, for books that need support for preservation treatment.

Schmitz-Horning Company catalog, 1913-1914

THE SCENIC HUDSON IN YOUR HOME, 2015
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2015/08/27/the-scenic-hudson-in-your-home/
Featuring Scenic Hudson scenic wallpaper by Schmitz-Horning Co., 1930-1940.

Schmitz-Horning Company, Scenic Hudson wallpaper pattern, 1930-1940

DECORATIVE WALL MAP, 2015
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2015/07/05/decorative-wall-map/
Featuring a beautifully-illustration map section by artist Glenn M. Shaw for Schmitz-Horning Co.

Schmitz-Horning Company, Smuggler’s Cove wall map, 1950

WALL STORIES: CHILDREN’S WALLPAPERS AND BOOKS, 2007
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/exhibitions/35350907/
A past museum exhibition that is now partially displayed online.

Schmitz-Horning Company, Kindergarten Cut-Outs wall mural, 1906

THE SCHMITZ-HORNING CO.
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/people/18046573/objects/
Explore Cooper Hewitt’s collection of Schmitz-Horning items.

Schmitz-Horning Company, Chinese Embroidery wallpaper pattern, 1930-1940

It is wonderful to have this resource offered by the museum, preserving these fine papers to be appreciated and enjoyed by all.

Images from Cooperhewitt.org used under the Fair Use copyright act.

Frieze by Schmitz-Horning Co. Based on Henry G. Keller Painting

By Janet Dodrill

The Garden of the Gods, No. 362, wall frieze, Schmitz-Horning Co. 1912 catalog, from the painting by Henry G. Keller

American artist Henry G. Keller (1869-1949) designed works for Cleveland’s Schmitz-Horning Company, a wallpaper manufacturer. A frieze, which appeared in a 1912 catalog (from our Schmitz family archive), The Garden of the Gods (the gateway, with Pike’s Peak in the distance), No. 362, was from the painting by Henry Keller. The pattern was made-up of a sequence of six sections, 36 inches wide by 15 feet repeat. These wall decorations had unlimited uses, as the catalog states, in both residences and public places such as hotels, restaurants, theaters and club rooms.

Henry Keller, ca. 1920 (source: Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)

I am in the process of researching the painting, and will update this post with anything I discover.

Henry Keller was born the same year as my great-grandfather, Hugo Max Schmitz, co-founder and president of Schmitz-Horning, which was founded in 1905. Based on that, Mr. Keller must have been in between the ages of 36 and 45 when the wall frieze was manufactured.

Copyright article and images. All rights reserved. Not to be used without permission.

Resources:

Photo, Henry Keller, ca. 1920 / unidentified photographer. Henry G. Keller papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/images/detail/henry-keller-6384

Schmitz Family Archives

Detail, The Garden of the Gods, frieze, Schmitz-Horning Co., chromolithograph

The Rhyme of a Run, Schmitz-Horning Co.

By Janet Dodrill

A 1907 nursery rhyme book, named The Rhyme of a Run (Published by Blackie & Sons Ltd., London), featured lovely illustrations by Florence S. Harrison of England. She was a prominent art nouveau-style children’s book illustrator of the times.

Schmitz-Horning Company (1905-1964) of Cleveland, Ohio offered the illustrations (copyrighted 1911), along with other well-know, nursery rhymes of the time, in high quality color lithographic wall murals in an early catalog of wallpaper and friezes.

These are beautifully-rendered and printed lithographs and they were published with agreement with the H.M. Caldwell Co. (1896-1914), a publishing company in New York and Boston. I do not know if which skilled Schmitz-Horning artist reproduced the illustrations onto lithographic plates.

Luckily, we had this shown below set in the family. They were used by a cousin who used them when she taught in the classroom. She had them laminated which helped to preserve them. It is the only know set in our (Schmitz) family.

The catalog description reads:
The Rhyme of a Run (Copyrighted 1911)

A series of six panels from The Rhyme of a Run. A fascinating decoration for the nursery, showing the downfall of the little boy that stole the plums.

Published by special arrangement with the H.M. Caldwell Co.

Six panels to the set, each eleven by twenty-eight inches. Sold only by the set.

The book, The Rhyme of a Run, which contains the complete set of these rhymes illustrated in colors, can be obtained from your local bookseller or from the publishers, the H.M. Caldwell Co., New York and Boston.

Schmitz-Horning Co. Panoramic Friezes Wall Decorations catalog, page 34. Published by special arrangement with the H.M. Caldwell Co., 1911, New York and Boston

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 45

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 46

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 47

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 48

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 49

Schmitz-Horning Co. color lithograph wall mural, catalog no. 50

Above photos: Schmitz family archives

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The Rhyme of a Run, book cover, Published by Blackie & Sons Ltd., London, 1907

The Rhyme of a Run, book illustration, 1907

The Rhyme of a Run, book illustration, 1907

The Rhyme of a Run, book illustration, 1907

Above photo credits: Jonkers.com (cover) and Etsy/enmauricebooks

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Copyright article and images. All rights reserved. Not to be used without permission.

Resources:

Schmitz-Horning Co. Panoramic Friezes Wall Decorations catalog, page 34

The English Catalogue of Books, Page 125, Google Books

Jonkers Rare Books

Wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Harrison

Etsy/enmauricebooks