JUMB 13, 1912. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



9 



HEART DESIGN x 

 FOR CRITICISM 



M 



HEABTUSSS HANDLING HEBE. 



Getting What is Asked For. 



A few weeks ago a subscriber sent 

 several photographs to The Eeview, 

 with the statement that the designs 

 shown were samples of his work and 

 that he would be pleased to have them 

 criticised. One of the designs, with 

 criticisms by four experts, was pre- 

 sented in The Eeview of May 9; an- 

 other design, a wreath of galax and 

 carnations, received similar comment in 

 the issue for May 30; the heart design 

 is picked to pieces herewith. 



The maker of the designs, being so 

 good-natured as to submit the photo- 

 graphs for such a purpose, is undoubt- 

 edly receiving the criticisms in the 

 same spirit, perhaps remarking: "I 

 am getting what I asked for — honest 

 criticism, whether it is entirely just or 

 not, and I have neither the right nor 

 the disposition to grumble because the 

 critics are finding flaws. I am not suf- 

 fering any; the martyrdom is less 

 severe than I had supposed it might be, 

 and it may be helpful to others besides 

 myself. ' ' 



The letter that accompanied the 



photographs was as follows: 



I am sending you pictures of some of the work 

 I have put up. I shall be glad to have you 

 reproduce them In The Review and criticise 

 them, as you have done with others — I want to 

 know what the trade thinks of my work and 

 trust that you will do Justice to this opportunity. 

 In reproducing I ask that you leave the name In. 

 Hilary E. Le Page. 



Too Vague in Outline. 



The first impression received on 

 glancing at this piece is a sense of 

 vagueness. "What is itf" That was 

 the first question asked by several per- 

 sons to whom I showed the picture. If 

 the heart had been completed in the 

 same way in which the upper left-hand 

 corner was filled it would have had a 

 clear-cut, smooth surface, and it would 

 have become a distinct piece. The 

 edge around the right side is fairly 

 scalloped, where the outline should be 

 smooth and unbroken. On the lower 

 left-hand side the outline is equally ob- 

 scure. 



The next time you make a heart, 

 round up the center, with moss, and 

 cover perfectly solid and smooth from 

 the bottom of the outside edge to the 

 center until it looks as even as the sur- 

 face of a piece of paper, not forgetting 

 to shape the dip at the top correctly. 

 Carnations, asters, pansies, chrysanthe- 

 mums, or Paper White narcissi make 

 the choice of material for construction. 

 Use no foliage except in the decoration, 

 and one kind of flowers if possible. 



Those places which appear to be only 

 dark spots in the photograph may be 

 dark foliage or flowers, and the extent 

 of harm which their use causes might 

 not occur to one until the photograph 

 shows them up. 



Another "don't": Don't mix colors 

 indiscriminately if they are not har- 

 monious. 



The construction of the heart frame 

 is faulty in that the dent at the top is 

 too deep. • This might have been 

 remedied in the filling by an extra 

 bunch or two of flowers on the inside 

 of the frame. 



There are two styles of decoration 

 for a solid heart: A loose bunch in 

 the center, which does not extend far 

 enough outward to break the outline; 

 or a few small flowers, such as forget- 

 me-nots, violets or rosebuds, scattered 

 over the surface, pinned as they would 

 fall and lie if scattered or dropped 

 from above. Theft nobody will question 

 its identity. It will be a clear-cut, de- 

 cided heart. 



Friend, just reverse the order of 



What is its cause of existence? What 

 theory does it contain or what story 

 does it tell? Nothing! The eye sees 

 the whole outline and is pleased by its 

 curved j^pportions, and so travels on 

 into the picture for further information, 

 but in this instance it is shocked by a 

 heterogeneous mass, absolutely without 

 rhyme or reason. 



We find masses without any mass 

 principle, for they are broken into by 

 meaningless vacant spaces and differei^t 

 varieties of blooms stuck into the form 

 with the appearance of a desire to con- 

 sume a given quantity of material, and 

 even then failing to fill the before- 

 mentioned spaces. 



There is no story; there is no opposi- 



Heart Desi^Q Sent in for Criticism. 



things. Make your heart designs plain 

 and clear-cut, even formal, and your 

 wreaths and sprays free and easy, with 

 vague outlines and straying stem lines. 



Gertrude Blair. 



No Interest Point. 



This is evidently a heart; the outline 

 to a greater or less degree proves it. 



tion, and no high light or interest point. 

 Had the maker taken his narcissi, 

 which appear to predominate, and 

 massed them alone to give his heart 

 form, or even utilized his carnations if 

 needed, he could then have lengthened 

 his rose, valley and hyacinth stems and, 

 using one as the high light, treated the 

 other" two as his opposing factors. The 





