December 19, 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



11 



THE ART OF FLOWER 

 ^ ARRANGEMENT i^ 



By FRED C. W. BROWN 



DOUBLE INTEREST DESIGNS. 



The Standing Harp. 



In the preceding articles of this series 

 we have restricted ourselves to the use 

 of the wreath, and the reason for so 

 doing is that the simple and propor- 

 tionate lines of a wreath lend them- 

 selves readily to the explanations we 

 have tried to present. Now we are 

 going to proceed into a little wider 

 field and introduce what are called 

 double interest designs. 



By a double interest design we mean 

 a form such as the standing harp shown 

 in the illustration, 

 with its double sub- 

 ject of form and 

 base. In this class 

 of designs are in- 

 cluded all the stand- 

 ing forms, such as 

 wreaths and crosses 

 with a base, gates 

 ajar, broken col- 

 umns, etc. In these 

 designs we find our 

 artistic skill taxed to 

 its limit to produce 

 a pleasing effect, a 

 result that •does not 

 border on the gro- 

 tesque. 



Body and Base. 



If you will analyze 

 one of these double 

 interest designs you 

 will find they are all 

 composed of two 

 8 t r o n gly opposing 

 factors, the main in- 

 terest or body, and 

 the foundation or 

 base, as exemplified 

 in the picture of the 

 standing harp. You 

 will plainly see that 

 we have two distinct 

 subjects and you will 

 readily recognize 

 that the identity and 

 purpose of each must 

 be kept apparent. 

 Just here is where 

 the skill of the de- 

 signer is called into 

 play. 



We have the harp 

 proper as our main 

 attraction and the 

 base as our direct 

 opposition or double interest. So let 

 us turn to the rules and see what is 

 our proper and natural course in such 

 an instance as this. Let us select our 

 rule from the book of common sense 

 and reason. 



A Third Factor. 



Where there are two strongly oppos- 

 ing factors, then a third factor, if 

 properly chosen, will almost always 

 unite the two into a harmonious whole. 

 We have identified our two factors in 



Mr, Brown will be pleased to answer, as this 

 series of articles processes, 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 harp proper and the base. As ex- 

 plained before, the point of greatest 

 opposition is the point of greatest in- 

 terest or attraction, so we easily recog- 

 nize this to be the junction point of 

 our two interests, and we qualify and 

 combine them with the cluster of lilies 

 as our third factor. 



We have intensified this interest 



point by the prominence of our lilies. 

 While we might have subdued it by 

 the use of ferns and leaves in the 

 background, instead of the lilies, we 

 would then have made the design more 

 objectionable by the unrelieved compli- 

 cation of the two interests. So we find 

 that, with our harp and our base dis- 

 tinct, we have harmonized them by the 

 third factor, the lilies. And by making 

 the cluster prominent and using it as 

 our connecting link, we have greatly 

 reduced the complicated double interest 



of our design. Here, again, is where 

 the artist demonstrates his skill, for it 

 should be clear that up to the time of 

 placing the lily high light the work was 

 practically mechanical and required no 

 great exercise of ingenuity. 



Is the Meaning Clear? 



Whether we have succeeded in tell- 

 ing a story with our lily high light is 

 the question. Our desire was to tell 

 of a harp of flowers on a properly pro- 

 portioned base, with a cluster of lilies 

 growing up and on the harp. If our 

 meaning is clear to you, whether you 

 are educated or un- 

 educated in the the- 

 ory of art, then our 

 design is artistic — 

 more artistic, at 

 least, than if its two 

 main bodies ha-d 

 merely been con- 

 nected by the wire 

 support, with a piece 

 of smilax or green 

 twisted around it. 



Liberty Limited by 

 Law. 

 There is undoubt- 

 edly room for a great 

 amount of contro- 

 versy as to the treat- 

 ment of these double 

 interest designs. 

 Your manner of ar- 

 rangement is limited 

 only by your ability 

 to originate different 

 methods of convey- 

 ing the combined 

 principle of the harp 

 on a base. The 

 height of your 

 power is reflected in 

 the pleasing effect 

 you produce by your 

 finished article. Your 

 ways and means are 

 almost unlimited, but 

 there are one or two 

 essential features 

 that you must not 

 forget. Remember 

 that you are making 

 a harp ON a base, 

 not a harp AND a 

 base, and you may 

 thus avoid two of 

 the most common 

 faults. 



Two Mistakes. 



As already intimated, sometimes the 

 two distinct interests are well and care- 

 fully arranged, but there is no attempt 

 made to harmonize them. The propor- 

 tion is pleasing, but the harp stands 

 clear of the base and is connected only 

 by a thin wire, partly concealed with 

 ferns, but giving the design, viewed 

 at the distance of a few feet, the ap- 

 pearance of ' * Mohammed 's coffin, ' ' sus- 

 pended in midair. 



Then, again, you must not make your 



