4 Focus, The Battalion
Thursday, July 16, 1981
Painting
beyond the numbers
United Press International
NEW YORK — For would-be
artists who found the paint-by
number method a less than
satisfactory introduction to
painting, there is now a better
way of developing latent artistic
skills at home.
It's called Createable Painting
and is the brainchild of a re
search team at Binney & Smith,
an Easton, Pa., firm that manu
factures educational and artist
materials. Four years in the
planning, the new method is
being marketed in the form of
craft kits in art stores and craft
shops across the country (sug
gested retail price $36.95).
“The peak age for involve
ment in art for Americans is ab
out 8 or 9 years because of
emphasis on art in primary
schools," said Steven B. Gol
den, Binney & Smith's market
ing manager, at a participatory
demonstration of the method to
the art press at a Manhattan
hotel.
“By the ages of 14 and 15, in
volvement has dropped about
85 percent, so that only 5 per
cent of the adult American
population is actively involved
in art. There was hope that the
paint-by-number method of in
struction might involve more
people in art, but it didn't work
out. We think Createable Paint
ing kits are the answer."
The kits, created with the
advice of professional artists,
are designed to teach basic
painting techniques, including
special handling of brushes and
palette knives. There are four
different kits with four guide
paintings in the Createable
Painting line now. Additional
kits offering a higher level of
accomplishment will be intro
duced in the coming year.
The kits include a canvas
panel, brush, palette knife,
palette paper, Liquitex acrylic
paints, a paint measuring guide
for mixing, a stencil-like draw
ing aid, and a wooden frame.
The illustrated, step-by-step in
struction book is easy to follow
and uses professional art terms
to describe various techniques.
This is not a rainy day diversion
for tots but a teaching aid for
serious novices from 14 to 80
years of age, a distinction impli
cit in the price of the kit.
Although the beginner recre
ates the guide painting, there is
plenty of room to exercise his
own imagination by adding per
sonal touches to the original
composition. A painting can be
completed in two evenings of
concentrated work but most
artists will want to go back and
“touch up," which is easy to do
with fast-drying, water solvent
acrylic, preferred to oil by many
contemporary artists.
"This can be the first positive
experience with art that most
people have had since the fourth
grade," said Golden. "A lot of
people who claim they never
could draw a straight line will be
surprised to learn that they can
paint, even though they may
not have real artistic ability. Ta
lent isn't the issue. Createable
Painting teaches the craft of art,
which can be learned by
anyone."
Binney & Smith tested the
method on several groups, in
cluding school students and
some of its 1,500 company em
ployees. Golden said most of the
“guinea pigs" were amazed at
their dexterity and proud of
their finished, framed painting.
"The framing is very impor
tant in reinforcing the painter's
opinion of his own ability and of
his satisfaction in his work,"
said Golden. "It ensures that the
painting will be hung and will be
the subject of comment and
praise from the painter's family
and friends. That is very impor
tant."
A three-hour demonstration
session was both enjoyable and
inspirational, although the size
of the only brush in the kit
proved inadequate for fine
brushwork and the subject of
the painting, entitled "Moun
tain Reflections," seemed banal.
Several of those participating
who had previous art training
but no longer painted said
they'd like to go back to art
school as a result of the experi
ence. Most beginners said
they'd like to try one of the other
kit paintings — "Autumn Beau
ty," "Lighthouse Point," and
"Parisian Scene" (the best of the
lot).
‘Stripes’ has its funny moments
By K. McElroy
Battalion Staff
Stripes" is like a home-cooked
meal when you're away —
everyone remembers Mom's
once-a-month juicy fried chick
en, but no one recalls her once-
a-week leftover goulash a la
Gravy Train.
When Bill Murray's latest
comedy is funny, it's extraordin
ary and quite memorable. When
it isn't, it's not necessarily bad—
just totally forgettable.
Practically everyone has seen
the television previews for
“Stripes," which is being billed
as the military version of
"Animal House." And the pre
view includes some great scenes
— the soldiers marching to the
beat of "Doo Wah Diddley" and
breaking into formation to the
rhythm of Sly Stone's "I Want
To Take You Higher." Howev
er, previews for comedy movies
sucker the poor consumer into
paying $4 for a film in which all
the good scenes could be and
often are contained in a 60-
second spot.
“Stripes" does have more
scenes even funnier. There's a
marvelous bit when Murray's
new platoon gathers to get ac
quainted, and everyone tells his
own story — "My name is Fran
cis, but everybody calls me
Psycho. If anybody calls me
Francis, I'll kill him." And then
the scene in which Murray, with
shades of John Belushi's lone
speech in "Animal House," in
spires the platoon to practice for
the basic training graduation.
(Who'll ever forget "Old
YeUer"?)
Still, the film isn't one belly
laugh after another. But lucky
for us, the good of the film
(totalling about 15 minutes)
MOVIES
All is fair in love and war for Bill Murray and co-star P.J. "Stripes" is showing at Plitt Cinema I & II in College
Soles in "Stripes." The comedy features Murray as a Station,
wacky recruit who adds his own flair to the Army.
more than makes up for the rest
of film.
The premise isn't that unique.
Bill Murray is a photographer
who can't keep a job or his girl
friend, so he joins the army to
get a grip on who he is and to
meet girls. Shades of “Private
Benjamin"?
Hollywood (both the film and
television industries) operates
this way — if a movie is success
ful, it's going to be remade in
some shape or fashion because
Hollywood likes formulas.
Films should work with the cor
rect and tested amount of jiggle
and giggle producing (execs
hope) an extremely predictable
and large sum of money.
But this formula film is better
than most. “Stripes" is blessed
with the extremely talented
Harold Ramis, who plays Mur
ray's best friend. Ramis, who co
wrote "Stripes," "Animal
House," "Meatballs," and
actually directed "Cad-
dyshack," only took the role
when director Ivan Reitman
could find no one else to be as
mellow as the part requires.
Ramis possesses the charm of
Shirley Temple laced with the
sincerity of the Cheshire cat,
and is the perfect balance for
Murray's moronic style.
"Stripes" does have the typic
al formula comedy plot, mean
ing it occasionally borders on
absurd (only in Hollywood
could one platoon almost start
World War III). But at least this
formula sometimes works. And
"Stripes" has just enough good
scenes to make it a blue-ribbon
movie.