Local Sculptor, C. Warner Williams 1928

1928 - Local Sculptor, Winner of Indiana Daughters' Scholarship, Goes to Chicago to Resume Studies.

	1. C. Warner Williams, Indianapolis sculptor.
2. Three- grandson of Prof. A. B. Milford.
	3. John Allerdice, 7-year-old son of D. W. Allerdice.
4. Saint-Gaudens modeled for bronze medal.
	5. "Rest," imaginative figure in the round.
6. Oldest member of Muncie Ball family

C. Warner Williamson Will Take Instructions Under Polasek Is Graduate of Herron Art Institute.

C. Warner Williams, Indianapolis sculptor, left Friday morning for Chicago, where he will study under Polasek in the art school of the Art Institute of Chicago.

This opportunity for advanced study came through the award of a year's scholarship by the Daughters of Indiana, the Chicago association of women who were the original sponsors of the Hoosier salon when the movement was started about five years ago.

Near the close of the fourth Hoosier salon, last spring, the announcement was made that the Daughters planned to give a scholarship to some talented young Indiana artist, and, later in the season, it was announced that the award had been given to the young sculptor, who has made Indianapolis his home since he finished his training in the art school of the John Herron art institute and was graduated with the June class of 1926.

An exhibitor in two salons, those of 1927 and 1928, Mr. Williams won a special sculpture prize of $100, given by Rosemary Ball for the best bas-relief head of a child, with his plaster cast of the portrait of Peggy Goodwin of Brookville, displayed in the fourth annual salon last spring, at which time he also displayed "Leda and the Swan," a group in the round, and "Mrs. John E. Moore", a second portrait head in bas-relief.

The sculpture in the round of the two mythological figures and a second example of work in the round, a portrait head of Francis Johnson, a classmate in the Herron school, which represented Mr. Williams in the third salon, had been selected from work done in his senior year in Herron school, where he had careful training in anatomy and modeling under Myra R. Richards. The bas-relief head, "J. K. Lilly ITI, was also displayed in the salon of 1927.

Character Considered.

Not only did the type of work, representing C. Warner Williams in the two big exhibitions of Hoosier art in the Marshall Field galleries, have to do with the decision that was made by the Daughters Society in the award of the scholarship, but doubtless due consideration was given to the type young artist; to his uprightness of character; to his close application to study; to his industrious efforts, which meant the taking of jobs other than art. in order to earn his way through art school and afterward to "bring home the bacon" when he became a married man and the establishment of a home demanded his attention; then -when sales classed him among professional workers to his businesslike methods in dealing with commissions, and, finally, to his earnest devotion to his chosen profession and his determination to put his very best into his art.

The scholarship of $200 pays for the year's tuition in the Chicago school. To this amount the donors thoughtfully added $6 with which to pay the year's charge for use of the locker provided for the safe-keeping of each student's working materials.

Makes 32 Portraits.

Thirty-two portraits, all but three or four of which were commissions, have been modeled by this 25-yearold sculptor since September, 1927. Counting up the work of the two years since graduation from the Herron school, the list of portrait sculpture mounts to forty-seven pieces.

The greater number of these portraits have been life-size heads, modeled in bas-relief and cast in plaster. More recently, however, there been orders full length portraits, several commissions for work in bronze have been executed, and a bit of work in portraiture in the round has been handled satisfactorily.

A day or so before leaving for Chicago, Mr. Williams looked after the last bas-relief of his the commissions, portrait head modeling of Mrs. Hartley Sherwood, past president of the Little Theater Society, which is to be cast in bronze, also a head in relief of Richard Fowler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Fowler. 4007 Washington boulevard, and a third portrait head in relief of Dr. Frank Hunter Smith, ostepathic physician.

Works on Vacation.

During A five weeks' vacation at Lake Maxinkuckee from Aug. 1 to Sept. 6, the recreation inculded the modeling of six relief portraits. They were the three children and the wife of Dr. Raleigh Hale, mayor of East Chicago, one of the child portraits being full length; portrait head, in bronze, of Miss Susan Stewart, daughter of W. K. Stewart of Louisville, Ky., the commission having been given by Mrs. Clemens Vonnegut, grandmother of Miss Stewart; full length, seated portrait, to cast in bronze, of Milford Hall Davis, 3-year-old son of Paul Davis, a Chicago millionaire. It is of interest to know that the Davis child is a grandson of the late Dr. Arthur B. Milford, for many years a member of the faculty of Wabash college as the head of the department of English language and literature.

In addition to the work in bronze already mentioned, other commissions for a portraits in bronze were executed within the year as follows: A memorial tablet with front view portrait bust, in bas-relief, of the late Harry Sheridan, well known lawyer of Frankfort, who gave his law library to Clinton county, and whose heirs were later the donors of the memorial; a relief portrait head of Janice Ball, daughter of Mrs. Edmund Ball of Muncie, who as generous art patron, has done much to further the cause of Indiana art; 8 tablet measuring 36x29 inches with group portrait in low relief, modeled three-fourths life-size and full length of Shirley Williams. 3-year-old daughter, and John Williams, 5-year old son of G. M. Williams, president of the Marmon Company of Indianapolis. The child group, in seated pose on a bench, is an artistic piece of work. It won for the young Indianapolis sculptor a first prize in the state fair art exhibition this fall, for bas-relief composition. When the Sheridan memorial was made, the commission also included four replicas in plaster for the lawyer's widow, for his son, Lawrence V. Sheridan, and his daughter, Mrs. George L. Raney, both of Indianapolis, and for Miss Bertha Moon of Hammond, who was for sixteen years his secretary.

Uses Own Reflection.

With his knowledge of anatomy, gained through his training in the Herron school, Mr. Williams was enabled to work without a model other than his own reflection in the mirror, when he put into clay, with almost unerring fidelity the full-length form of a laboring man, stripped to the waist, as his conception of a factory hand at rest. One-fourth life-size and in seated pose that admirably represents complete relaxation, the figure, entitled "Rest, was awarded the first prize for a figure composition modeled in the round at this year's state fair art exhibition. Thus it was that two of the important sculpture prizes were won for the two types of work, bas-relief and sculpture in the round.

Another recent example of sculpture in the round that is a delightful piece of child portraiture, is that of John Allerdice, 7-year-old son of David W. Allerdice of 1624 North Delaware street. The evening before the time arranged for the first sitting, the young lad was at the sculptor's home. All "pepped up" with the thought of posing, he confided his plan to "talk to daddy and mother and keep them awake late so they will sleep in the morning and I can slip up to your house and let you get an early start." Sure enough, at 6 o'clock in the morning the door bell rang and there stood Johnnie with eyes bright as a dollar. At once sculptor and model got to work. With but brief time off for breakfast and luncheon the posing continued until 6 o'clock in the evening. The completed work shows a charming touch that lends a decorative note through the use of bas-relief motifs on the octagonal base, where one finds the drum, the bugle, the school books, an apple and the head of the little boy's pet dog, all modeled in very low relief

Mrs. Raymond Portrit.

A full-length portrait of Mrs. Henry J. Raymond, better known as Edna Denham Raymond, Indianapolis writer of poetry. is an example of skillful handling of front view in bas-relief. The pose is a standing one and the figure is one-half lifesize. Two half length figures in bas-relief include a decorative medallion, "Grace, posed for by the sculptor's wife, and a four-fifths life-size profile of the noted American sculpor, Saint Gaudens, in seated pose. A well-known New York firm has arranged to make reductions of the Saint Gaudens tablet and put on the market a bronze art medal measuring 3x4 inches.

Seven portraits have been modeled in bas-relief of members of the Ball family in Muncie. In addition to the portrait head of Janice Ball, mentioned earlier in this article, there have been portraits of the three children of Arthur Ball and of the two children of William Ball and of Dr. Lucius Ball, eldest of the Ball brothers of Muncie. A portrait of Mrs. John E. Moore, for many years president of the Woman's Department Club of Kokomo, was a present to the club from department. In addition to the portrait of Peggy Goodwin, previously referred to as a prize winner at the Hoosier salon, a portrait Martha Goodwin, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Goodwin Brookville, is included Mr. Williams's work of this among recalled that Mrs. Goodwin was formerly Miss Margaret Rockwood, socially prominent in Indianapolis.

Other Portraits Made.

The Rev. Floyd Van Keuren, rector of Christ Church; Evelyn Lilly, 9-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lilly; John Miller, the 4-year-old son of Mr. and Eugene Miller; J. G. Leidig and Perry Sylvester, all of Indianapolis, are among those whose portraits have been modeled within the year by the busy worker in clay.

Considered from the standpoint of design, as well as child portraiture, is the Milford Hall Davis tablet is about the best thing that Mr. Williams has done in bas-relief work. While the pose has all the appear of the natural freedom of a child when seated on the floor and holding a book, with arms supported against the bent knees, yet it all shows the most careful arrangement and study to the wrinkles in the dress and the stockings. The general form of design is the pyramidal and it is pleasing to note the repetitions and the contrasts in its use. The lettering, too, plays its part in the composition and makes a satisfactory balance to the seated figure on the tablet. Three degrees of relief are used in the name of the child, the place where the portrait was made and the date. A decorative note is afforded through the duck-and-tin-soldier motif at top and bottom of the simulated columns that border the sides of the tablet.

Mr. Williams will come home, occasionally within the year, to look after such portrait work as may require his attention here.

During his absence his wife, Grace Newman Williams, will continue to occupy the studio street apartments at 117 East Nineteenth street. She will also ring the chimes at Christ church each noon and on Sunday, a work that has been done by Mr. Williams for four years. Mrs. Williams is the chairman of exhibitions of the art department of the Woman's Department Club and also is art chairman for the Seventh district of the Indiana Federation of Women's Clubs. L. E. M. -- The Indianapolis Star Sep 23, 1928