Hello Reader,

A couple of weeks ago, I took my first stab at setting up my container display. After I arranged everything, I stepped back and thought, 'Oh my, that looks ugly!'

I wasn't sure of how to make things look better. Since I was styling a shelf, I thought lessons from interior designers might help. I found an article with examples of how to set up interesting vignettes using the triangle principle.

After reading about the visual triangle, I took a photograph of the container display and studied it. Sometimes looking at photos allows me to look at things through new eyes.

I noticed it right away. I had some of my brightly colored flowers all lined up along the bottom shelf.

As I read about the concept of triangular composition, I learned that it was a technique used by artists during the Renaissance. It can be seen in Raphael's Madonna in the Meadow (1505-1506).

Feel how your eyes move from the Madonna in the center to the figures of Christ and Saint John the Baptist along the bottom? That movement is a result of triangular composition. Raphael learned this principle from Leonardo Da Vinci.

I took another stab at setting up my patio containers. I grouped the rust-colored coleus into a triangle. After a bit more tweaking, I finally managed to find a grouping that I liked.

​
Sue