A design for one of my wife’s cousins, Glen Mappelthorpe,
http://heraldry.aussiebulls.org/Mappelthorpe.jpg
Arms: Vert, a bend nebuly Argent surmounted of a bendlet wavy Murrey, cotised Azure between two maple trefoils slipped Or.
Crest A demi-lion Argent, armed and langued Gules, holding in it’s dexter paw a maple trefoil mapled slipped Or.
Motto: TO EACH HIS OWN
The arms are loosely based on a bucket shop version he showed me: Argent, a fesse nebuly between three trefoils slipped Gules.. Turns out that the arms were not even for his name but belong to Thorpe.
Basically, I’ve tried to retain the elements that he liked about the BS version with a few modifications. The Maple trefoil cants on the arms he showed, and since he has a long family tradition around the Mildura area, I used the bendlet cotised to represent the Murray River, (a major Australian river that separates New South Wales from Victoria. The tincture Murrey is used to play on the name). The green field represents his farming community and with the gold also symbolize his beloved Aussie Cricket team.
It’s quite nice (I particularly like the maple leaves), but I’d get rid of the blue cottisses- it’s too much clutter.
I’d also be tempted to turn the nebuly to wavy for the same reason.
Very nice design! I also like the cant on "maple". My only suggestion would be, as Maldach suggested, to get rid of the cotises and make the bend wavy. In regards to the bendlet, you could make it murrey that would perfectly represent the river, plus it would be a very unique contrast to the "expected" azure bend(let) to represent a river.
Very good design, whatever you choose. :D
Cheers,
The maple trefoils are quite an interesting development which I have never seen until this discussion. Please forward a copy of the maple trefoil onto the CHA as they need more variety. If this charge is your creation, then you are to be heartily congratulated on your ingenuity.
The bend has been described kindly as cluttered but to me it hurts the eyes. Why not simplify the bend? I rather like this blazon: Vert, a bend wavy between two trefoils érablé* Or. Of course another line of design would be to include a reference to Thrope which meant long ago a village as in Maple Thorpe.
*érablé is the term created by the CHA to describe maple partition lines.
Thanks for the critiques. Very much appreciated. In line with suggestions I’ve made the bend wavy though I think something is missing if using just a plain bend wavy.
Thanks David, I’d completely forgot about Erable.
I bet I am going to be in the minority.. but I like the second one, the cotised Murray
Sandy Turnbull;50714 wrote:
Thanks David, I’d completely forgot about Erable.
George Lucki and I will be quite upset if you forget erably.
Sandy, as i said at IAAH already i disagree with the idea that this is an overly complicated/cluttered design. i also think that when looking at this design one needs to take into account color theory and the psychology of color. on those two basis alone it is a great creation. however, when you add into it the personal touches for the armiger including local landscape imagery in a heraldic manner, then it is a perfect creation.
as i also said, and i am sure to ruffle feathers, but i frankly don’t care, far too many people think of simple as bland ... and just as much or more think of something that is truly simple as complicated due to its design elements and in this case tricking. this is ‘tricking the eye’ and is an excellent artistic feat in heraldry no les!!! you are to be congratulated on this big time Sandy.
leave this achievement as is with all things being equal Sandy. if the armiger to be does not like them then that is different. otherwise it is perfect as is and is not complicated/cluttered at all, as that is a trick of the eye - and a perfect one mind you. it is simple, clever, pertinent to the armiger, faithful to heraldic color rules, an excellent example of color theory and a great, and i mean great, use of tricking!
keep it as is mate and as i said at IAAH this is the very best creation you have made - and Lord knows you’ve made some damn fine ones - excepting perhaps your own achievement.
all, of course, IM not so humble O.
Sandy Turnbull;50714 wrote:
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Probably to no one’s surprise, I prefer the third example which is simple but unique. The other two examples remind me of some none too subtle Christmas wrapping paper with the bends in particular bringing to mind some type of old fashioned candy like a taffy or a fancy candy cane.
To address Dennis’ comments, I would like to ask who has said that simple is bland other than yourself? Simple designs can be very striking, that is clean and clear features which were once seen as important in heraldry. Is the first image posted by Sandy the most artistic design? Yes it is, but being artistic does not always coincide with being the best heraldic design. These really are two different matters.
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I’d vote for either of the top two. I think the bottom one looks a bit bland (sorry David), plus I like the use of murray for the river.
I like the second one.
Dave
As do I. It’s the most colorful without being too busy or too cluttered.
Thanks very much for the comments. Since he has no internet connection, I’ve had to snail images this morning with the instruction to do the "referigerator test". Hopefully he’ll give me a buzz next week with a preference.
Another suggestion: What about using the simplest design (a bend wavy between two trefoils erably), but changing some of the tinctures? E.g. Or a Bend wavy between two Trefoils erably Murray, or, if one wants to keep the farm/cricket allusion, Or a Bend wavy Murray between two Trefoils erably Vert.
An elegant design from the outset - although the discussion has been very useful in distilling it further to make the key symbols jump out from the design. The bend on the original design diminished the power of the symbolism of the flow of the river. Where I might be tempted to reuse the compination of elements would be to convey (with different tinctures) a tire thread for a professional dribver. 
It is no secret that my preference is toward simple arms and so while I prefer the third of the three revised options on aesthetic grounds - striking rather than bland comes to mind - I would favour the first on the basis of the cant. It is hard to pass up such a good opportunity to pun.
Your best work. The trefoil erably is outstanding .
I think Fr. Byers’ suggestion of "Or a Bend wavy Murray between two Trefoils erably Vert" is very nice.
Let’s see how that would look. :D
It’s simple, has all the symbols wanted, plus it has distinct colors.
Cheers,
