of flower arrangements & asymmetrical-balance

there is a stretch of wilderness that we drive past every time

and among the wild patch of ferns and other fauna

i will always spot this cluster of wild branch-y plant with small pink flowers

i don't have a photo of it, will remember to take a photo next time k drives past it again

and i've always this wistful thought: if i did my own arrangement

i must get my hands on these flowers

and also of collected fallen branches that i see in a little patch of woods on the way home

i once thought of doing it for my wedding. 

but there were too many things to handle then so it was left as a thought

i find most of the flower arrangement in sg rather contrived & banal

other than the flambouyant arrangements at the various ps cafes, 

which are alluring by their sheer size and volume

and those in their washrooms that are quite in-your-face 

leaving u no choice but to engage with the flowers

because you have to in order to reach the tap

i've often wondered why there aren't any arrangements of plants & flowers we see by the roads

such as the bougainvillea and the wild flowers i spotted

well perhaps in their original state, being such a common sight in sg,

many tend to overlook the beauty of in them 

but with some pruning and composition, they can be quite handsome:

left: source:: John-Richard Collection Bougainvillea Bouquet USD425, source:: houzz

right:: thorny woody vines of beauty, source:: passport to design  

i recently came aross, via martha stewart living magazine,

this little-flower school

and i like their approach to flower arrangement, 

which speaks to what i've been trying to express:: 

"both designers are on a mission to break flower arrangers away

from the tight, symmetrical dome-shaped bouquets...

flowers should show their natural gestures - 

and maybe even appear a little messy."

left:: sketch from paul klee's pedagogical sketchbook

right:: paul klee's painting:: red bridge

asymmetry - something that i've tended to veer towards

be it to architecture, flower arrangements, 

or the clothes and accessories that i put on

i once also read about asymmetrical-balance* 

which is something Paul Klee was trying to achieve and express in his paintings

i really should manifest all these thoughts into actual works

- something less arduous than architecture

but, what's stopping me? 

- will hold that thought for another post

*Asymmetrical Balance is achieved with dissimilar objects that have equal visual weight or spatial force (equal eye attraction). Symmetry can appear artificial, as our visual experience in life are rarely symmetrically arranged. Asymmetry appears casual and less planned, although obviously this characteristic is misleading. It is actually more intricate and complicated to use asymmetrical than symmetrical balance. Instead of merely repeating the mirror image of elements on other side of the central axis, attempting to balance dissimilar items involves more complex considerations and more subtle factors. 

source: http://des1012.blogspot.com/2008/06/design-elements-principles-summary.html