Hogarth Curve with Broom

“The English artist Hogarth once added a palette with an S-curve like the one (above) to his signature on a self-portrait, with the words ‘the line of beauty.’  This serpentine shape is a favorite for flower show entries,” as written by the Editors of Better Homes and Gardens’ book, “Flower Arranging For Every Day and Special Occasions,” 1957.  Flower shows sponsored by garden clubs would compete for the top prize of arranging a Hogarth Curve.  Here the curve is defined by the line of broom.  The broom was wetted and taped to define the curve. The mass is rounded marigolds and dahlias.  The leaves are hollyhocks with a spray of butterfly weed and celosia.  I am going to have to take this picture to some lady friends to learn whether the stems showing in this arrangement would be point gainers or losers.  Doing an arrangement like this in certain parameters makes one appreciate the shapes of flowers and leaves, what angles the flowers sit on their stems and how large a flower is in relationship to another.