Joanie

Wes, when you get above ten or so, the odd/even doesn't matter. It is when the numbers are smaller, because our brains are very quick and they can "count" in just an instant after we see the overall composition. Our brains divide things into sets, or pairs, because we are wired to seek symmetry in our world. Finding the symmetry, we want it to "balance" into two equal halves. This doesn't leave any tension for us to keep our interest.

When there are an odd number of trees, it keeps us engaged because of the need to seek symmetry. We are intrigued, we are kept off balance, and our eye and mind move over and through the composition rather than finishing with it. Just as with the movement of the trunk, going out of balance and back into balance... just as with the offset of branches..... and the scalene triangle, with uneven sides. These are all ways that we "play" with our brains and perceptions, using our innate quest for symmetry to keep us interested.

Just my opinion, though. From talking to a lot of artists, trying to pin down why something works and why something else doesn't.

Joanie

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