Welcome To Shard 2!
If you have read shard one of this chain of articles, on "composition in custom oil painting", then I welcome you, most heartily, to shard 2.
If you did not read shard one, then I'll give to you a clue about that, which you missed: it was the uncovering of marks, left on the viewer's mind, by positive, versus negative tokens; and how every token, whether good or bad, has its own right, and useful, time and spot.
The Jungian Mandala Is The Highest Of All Art Symbols
Judging by all the lore, that I have been yet able to get, I find that the "Jungian mandala" is the highest of all tokens. Because of that, every artwork ought to be a mandala - or ought to be an element, in a display of furniture, that makes a Jungian mandala.
Yet, it is now too early in the development of the Jungian Mandala Movement, for me to cause you to accept the idea, to make your every custom oil painting to be a Jungian mandala.
Because of the too-soon-ness, I hope to entice you, bit-by-bit, into that thought, by telling to you, first, of the betokening of the palm tree, and how you might put it to use, in your art works composition.
Palm Trees Are Trees, Too!
Since a palm tree happens to be a tree, it, therefore, shares the symbolic impact, of all other trees. Thus begin we with the symbolism of trees, per se.
Please, I beg of you, bear in mind, that to interpret a symbol is a subjective process, in most cases. The expert must be an intuitive person. I have gotten some interpretations from websites about dreams, and some from websites, of intuitive folks, who are not dealing with only dreams.
What Betoken Trees In An Artwork?
Here is some, of the lore, that I discovered, about the meaning of trees, in dreams, in one's consciousness, and in culture. Any of the following may apply to art paintings, as well.
Trees, seen from within a grove, an orchard, or from within a greenwood, betoken the character of the people who surround us. It has been said, that the height, of the trees, betokens the height, of our ambitions. To see the treetops, it has been said, betokens attainment of our ambitions.
Seen from a distance, in art works, such as art drawings, or fine art paintings, the same trees might betoken a social setting, which we view from afar, not having gone into it yet, as, for example, a traveler might see a town from miles away, before he ever goes into it.
What Means A Solitary Tree?
A solitary, or focal, tree, in a custom oil painting, betokens the person-who-looks-at-the-art, the looker, himself.
When you consider a painting, or oil portrait as a possible gift, see whether a lone tree is in the composition. The condition, of the tree, tells the looker, about what feelings he is to have, about himself.
What Are The Best Trees?
A tree, that is healthy and tall, with leaves, flowers, or fruit, tells the looker to feel well about himself. It tells him to have life abundantly. An end, of his feeling so, about himself, would be his success.
If we truly care about someone, then our art painting gifts, and presents, to that someone, ought to have, in them, tokens, that are wholesome.
The tall, and healthy, tree tells the looker to see himself as inwardly strong. The oil painting artist, who knows his stuff, will display the tall and healthy tree in the gifts, that he paints.
The custom oil painting, that shows a lush, green tree tells the looker to have hope, to desire, to be safe, and to be stable.
What About Sick Or Defoliated Trees?
Otherwise, a sick, or defoliated, wintry tree tells the looker to feel that he is incomplete, inwardly weak, or undeveloped. Art gifts for our loved one ought not to show any tree except a healthy one.
When we consider custom oil painting, as one of our gift ideas, then it behooves us to think of the possibility of adding a tall, healthy tree to the composition.
You may remember, that I told to you, that I studied graphology. That is the art of handwriting analysis. It divides up the writing space into symbolic areas. Healthy movement is upward and to the right. This is confirmed by other research, such as hand motions and eye movements.
What About Trees That Block The Flowing?
I suspect that a tree, in a work of oil painting art, when put on the extreme right-hand side of the page, could form a symbolic barrier.
If the view of the tree is so close, that the stem, or the tree, appears to block the eye's movement, or the flowing of the composition, from moving to the upper right-hand edge of the picture, then the tree may betoken an obstacle, even death.
Because of all that, it is important that views of trees be from slightly afar, or else there be space around the tree, or, if the tree is close to the looker, it ought to be on the left.
For example, a photo, or other work of art, that uses a tree stem, or tree limbs, to frame the picture, ought to place the tree on the left, and to leave the right-hand space to be open.
What Are The Exceptions?
Exceptions, whereof I can now think, are 2. One exception would be a picture, that is to be used in a mandala-arrangement of furniture.
Exception, number 2, would be if the picture contains a Jungian mandala composition in the middle, then it shouldn't matter if the right-hand edge is "blocked" by "framing", of a tree, or of any other object. Here I am only guessing, though it is, for true, an educated guess.
