Page:Japanese flower arrangement.djvu/63

 strength and unity at the base the group loses the effect of a living plant; it loses also strength, character, and style. An arrangement spreading and separating at the base is not Japanese.

Fifth. Branches or leaves must never cross each other in an arrangement.

Sixth. Consider the blossom as a detail of the composition, of little artistic value if disassociated from the parent stalk and from those lines of growth which impart to it its character.

Seventh. Never use even numbers of branches or flowers, always uneven.

Balance and beauty of line without repetition must be the distinguishing feature in these arrangements.

In making your first arrangement of three flowers in an upright vase, select flowers the stems of which are simple and straight without many branching leaves or flowers. The best material for a beginner is pussywillow, for its stems are pliable and of uncomplicated lines. To work with these first for [57]