NOTEMBBB 28, 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



11 



THE ART OF FLOWER 

 <^ ARRANGEMENT c»e 



By FRED C. W. BROWN 



THE CONVENTIONAL IN ART. 



Its Rules and Limitations. 



We meet with many different styles 

 of designs, and designers, in our work. 

 We find one store where loose and airy 

 work is always turned out, no matter 

 what the design, and in another place 

 we find only close and severe outline. 

 It makes little difference which form of 

 work you get your trade accustomed to, 

 or what may be your manner of ar- 

 rangement, so long as you retain pro- 

 portion, whether in a natural cluster or 

 a conventional design. 



Just here we should like to define the 

 word "conventional." 



Wbat Is a Conventional Design? 



By a conventional design we mean a 

 design that embodies in its detail a 

 principle of accurate proportion. Thus, 

 a wreath is a complete circle, and if it 

 is divided into halves, the two parts 

 will be found to be equal in a general 

 way. A square, also, is conventional, 

 for it is composed of four straight lines 

 of equal length, joined together so that 

 the points are at equal distances within 

 the line of a circle. A triangle is the 

 same, only that the lines and points are 

 three, as the name implies, instead of 

 four. 



Then let us remember that if we are 

 portraying some conventional design, 

 we must not wander too far away from 

 our original form. 



Mr, Brown will be pleased to answer, as this 

 series of articles progresses, any criticisms or 

 questions that may occur to his readers. The 

 first article of the series was printed in the issue 

 of October 10. The next installment will appear 

 in an early issue. 



The Inner and Outer. Circles, 



In the illustration on the next page 

 we see a wreath that has been built 

 all out of proportion, though the con- 

 ventional lines have been retained. 

 The inner circle is far too small; there 

 is too great a difference between the 

 inner and outer circles. The eye is 

 pleased with the outer line, but between 

 its generous size and the small inner 

 space the difference is so great as to 

 cause a lack of harmony. If we try the 

 effect of greater inner space, as shown 

 in the upper picture on page 13, thus 

 commanding more respect for our 

 smaller circle, we shall find the story 

 much better told and the mind is not 

 taxed to make the connection between 

 such extreme differences. 



The observance of such principles is 

 at the foundation of your work. Build 

 well your foundation, for on this de- 

 pends the success of your finished ar- 

 ticle. 



An Unfortunate Tendency, 



There seems, unfortunately, at the 

 present time to be a tendency to overdo 

 work, and many of our designers be- 

 lieve they have reached the height of 

 perfection when they have taken the 



wire shape of some standard form and 

 so covered it that it is necessary to se- 

 cure the services of an interpreter to ex- 

 plain its meaning. We hear, in defense,, 

 that this is "the modern method." 

 But you are not dealing with modern 

 principles; you may be dealing with 

 modern interests or high lights, but the- 

 principles of your foundation are as old 

 as the understanding of art by man. 

 Your form is conventional, and while 

 you use the conventional form for your 

 foundations you must retain its prin- 

 ciples. 



Unrecognizable Without a Label. 



You may wander as far as your fancy 

 pleases in your opposition. or high light, 

 so long as you retain proportion, but 

 you must be conventional in thitfgs con- 

 ventional. A designer's individuality 

 will show itself conspicuously in .his 

 opposition or high light, but his igno- 

 rance will glare from a violation of the 

 conventional. You have your opposi- 

 tion in which to work in your own 

 feeling, but your main body is some- 

 thing you are portraying, . Do it well, 

 or you will find yourself in the class 

 with the boy who drew a picture and 

 had to use for its title, "This is a 

 pig," or it might have beien mistaken 

 for a goat. 



We are often called on to; supply 

 floral emblems in the form of some 

 society design or badge. Be faithful to 

 the demands that are made ou you, aod 



A G>mmendable Form for the Three Links Design. 



