Simplified Arrangement

Today we have to make an arrangement by simplifying the composition to its limit.
I found this pine branch from still snow covered ground. It has a naturally curved line, perfect for this subject, but it needed a lot of trimming so that it still can express its originality without weakening its strength and beauty.

In the class, my teacher said this is a beautiful arrangement, but it didn't qualify for today's subject because it wasn't simple enough. So she suggested to replace the driftwood with a piece of wood and a spider Mum (the first picture). Since my original arrangement did not qualify, I rearranged it at home and added some leaves to make it even prettier without too much consideration (the second picture). 2/16/2011