R-4: Harmony
Harmony, as with scale, expresses how the design components
relate to each other. Color harmony, discussed
with the design elements, is one aspect in the aesthetic judgment of how the
parts of a design fit together. There is
a particular feeling associated with each component we might select, some of
which seem to go together and others not at all. There is an incongruity of placing a large
sunflower in a delicate crystal container.
The same applies to calla leaves and roses; even if they are in scale,
their characters are very different. An
orchid may have a close color harmony with an aster, but the textural qualities
are too different. While many flowers
are available to us year-round, some are very seasonal, and there can be
discord from combining flowers such as hyacinth (available only in spring) with
summer-flowering delphinium (which we can get in spring).
This
last example may not be so critical outside the competitive circle of gardening
"purists." The much greater
commercial availability of a wider range of floral materials should be viewed
as expanding our design opportunities as the line blurs on what is the
"natural" time for obtaining any flower along with what actual
flowers are available. In a technical sense it could be viewed that the
so-called "exotics" - the tropical and other imported floral
materials - are in harmony only with other exotics. Such a strict interpretation should not limit
design. The designer needs to carefully
evaluate the container size and weight, the design concept, and how the flowers
and foliages relate to each other in size, shape, color, texture, time, and the
"idea" they may represent. Fortunately, there are many materials that
do offer good harmony, that fit together well in a design. It just requires the designer to be
observant.