Today's topic: Giving your painting a title, share your methods (bonus question: provide a title you thought was especially effective, yours or someone elses)
Celeste: I have been painting for the Strada Daily Painting Challenge. I elected to paint my cats for the entire 31 days and to assign a "film noir" type title to each one. I have been historically bad at titling paintings and this seems easier because there is a theme. I've titled paintings things like: "Scene of the Crime" and "Eyewitness". I always liked this title that I gave an early painting of mine (that was displayed in an exhibit about armed conflicts) ..."If there can be peace, why is there war"?
Becky: I seem to only title my paintings if they go into a show. I have been painting for the Strada Daily Challenge. I did title this one..."Plumpazorus" (Laughter)! I do run out of time before I feel done with these! The Strada Easel page tagged one of my paintings on facebook. Apparently, that meant that a whole new (bigger) audience got to see it, which was interesting because people I didn't know commented on it.
Susan: When I read the question the first thing that came to mind was the painting "The Scream". Titles give the painting a continuous story. It can be an obvious meaning or it can stump people. I have a "Scream" coffee cup and a Monet coffee cup. I choose the appropriate cup for the appropriate mood! (Laughter)! One thing I like to do is ask people on facebook for suggestions about what to title a painting. I recently went to a Jazz party. I didn't have friends there.. so to make myself feel less nervous I sketched this. I am also showing this oil painting.
Chris: I called this "August on Lighthouse Hill" but my alternate title is (see photo below) (Laughter)! My other painting..I called this "Afternoon Walk" but my alternate title is (see photo below) Laughter! As an aside, I discovered that walnut alkyd medium makes the painting very shiny.
Raphael: I usually try to come up with a play on words...but that method can disappoint me. I had an artist friend who painted "flying flags" that was his thing! One of his titles stayed with me: "Passing Wind" ! (Laughter)! You'll all remember that I am working on a mural. I am working on it in earnest now, it is underway. I also wanted to share this with you. *I* made the cover of this newly published book! (Applause)!
Dana: I brought this painting that I titled:"Amanda and Carrie"! Not imaginative, I know. I will try harder after listening to all of you.
Bonny: I went to a workshop where the instructor had us write nouns and verbs on separate cards. Then we mixed up cards and chose one each from the nouns and the verbs. This (ostensibly) would help us name our paintings. I guess it was a valid method, but I never actually did this. (Laughter)
I do try to do better than something like "The River on the left" (Laughter)! I attended a free workshop about botanicals. It was challenging, but fun for me. Most people dropped out! (Laughter)! Here are some of the results.
Donna Stevens: I try to avoid nouns. To me, a noun can seem too static. I try to consider verbs because a verb seems more open to interpretation. Here is an example...I called this "Being There".
Wendy: I have been learning about lost and found edges. Well, I don't like these paintings, but I brought them anyway. (Laughter)! I have never titled anything. I know someone, however, who used to cut phrases that she liked out of publications. She got together a lot of these and put them in a drawer. She would just reach in and blindly choose one, naming her painting with whatever was on the paper! The amazing thing was that it seemed to work every time.
Annie: When I am in a Museum I try not to look at the title first. I want to take in the painting on my own, without any influence. I have only titled one scary self portrait. I called it: "I'm just reporting". (Laughter)! I'm showing recent value studies.
Joanne: When it is a landscape I generally just name it the name of the location. The paintings that I do of chickens are much more fun to title for me. I name them things like "Princess Lay-a" I have had a good time painting goats and coming up with endearing titles for them. ("Weekend Goat-a-way" is an example). I inadvertently named two paintings the same thing...that can be especially problematic when someone online wants one of them! Which one is it? (Laughter)! I have recently sold 7 paintings at Ten Oaks! (Applause)! I don't have titles for any of the paintings that I am showing. The snow scene was painted from one of Tim Young's photos.
Steve: Titles interest me. At first I did not want to title anything. Now, I realize that the title is nearly as important as the painting. The perfect title is out there and to me, it is naming without describing. Words come to me while I am working on a painting and I listen. I want to be open to the thoughts that come to me. One of my most provocative titles was "Of Cancer, in Idaho". All this said, this is my newest painting and so far I've called it "C Series 10".
Renita: I heard a suggestion...that you should write out a complete story about your painting! I thought Oh my God, now I have to learn how to write stories on top of everything else??? (Laughter)
I am showing more paintings that I did from photos of a hike. My objective is to learn how to paint water.
Tom Kane: I title everything. I think titles are profound. This is a painting of Doug firs. I call it "Doug" (Laughter)! I changed things in this painting. I wondered how many of you revisit your paintings (go back into them after they seemed complete)? I think that might make a good topic!
Donna Sanson: Imagine if the Mona Lisa was called something else. The title can make a real impact. I am showing some paintings that I did with gouache on Yupo paper. I am also showing a painting I recently completed. I titled it: "No Parking Monday Through Sunday" (Laughter)! I am sharing a book that I got when I visited Paris. If you go to Paris, make sure you go to the Orsay.
Tom D: I title things only for facebook and if something goes into a show. I have been out of commission for a while. I am showing this copy of a snow scene (by Sisley) that I painted recently.
Carol: I have been painting for the Strada Daily Challenge. I tend to title things with titles like "From the Bluff, over the Falls". This is "Green Bottle and Persimmons" (Laughter)! (I scraped it completely off and restated it). When I taught high school art I would collaborate with the creative writing teacher and together we devised projects for both classes that overlapped. That seems to help students get out of their respective comfort zones.
Linda: I call this "Bellingham from the Bay". In retrospect I think it is a melancholy painting and why didn't I say something about that? Why didn't I mention this important warehouse in the title? Why didn't I? (Laughter)!
Tedd: I made up a title and put it on instagram with a hashtag. Someone emailed me (whose last name was involved) and he said "my family lived on that hill". (Laughter)! Remember...I made it up, so no, his family didn't live on that hill. I painted this for my brother...for his birthday. It is of his property.
Mike: All this angst about titling..I see it as two ways. 1. You have a real passion for what you painted. (For example, I painted my grandchild at the coast and the painting was easy to title). If it is a special moment for you, it is not going to be a difficult task to title it. 2. You title the painting with a suggestion and it gives the viewer an opportunity to make up their own story. I did a nocturne painting last night that I had to abandon. I went to bed and thought...why do we all persist with this painting thing when the outcome is so often disappointing? Why? why...?? (But, I'll try again tomorrow) (Laughter)!
Jim: I don't usually title them. I just call them something like "Study 812" to keep track for record purposes. But, in the spirit of today's topic I am calling this one "After the last Brandy Alexander" (Laughter)! I painted this from one of Kat Sowa's photographs. I just really connected with it. I'll call it "Winter Chill"
Sandi: I am not a painter, but I wanted to show these paintings (that have been handed down to Jim and me) and ask you a question. What medium is this? This was done by my Aunt and probably around 1926. Also, just for fun, I wanted to show you this other "heirloom" a painting made with objects (photos below)
Tim: I don't market my art, so I don't generally give paintings titles. Sometimes I do go ahead and give a title on facebook but then I almost immediately forget what I called it. (I figure facebook will always be there in case I need to look it up, right)? (Laughter)! I painted this from a hike I took. It is ink and gouache.
Geri: To me, titles are very important. I try to keep it "universal". I like generating a conversation. Recently I showed a painting that I called "Bonviant". That is a good example of universal, because it said something, but it didn't say too much. I like to engage people without spelling it out completely. I like to be with the painting and not rush it. It's like having a baby...."POP" It just pops out! (Laughter)! I visited an outsider artist's home after he passed away. Jeff and I had a budget and we chose paintings. The artists daughter just named them on the fly..."Let's just call this one ________(whatever she thought)" . I call this recent painting "I'm just going to Grab me some Bliss"
and these are recent abstracts. I titled this Chieftain and this one "Big Guns". The cool thing about abstract is it can mean nothing!
Serena: This is an oil painting on paper. I am calling it "Night Light". I taught high school art. I had students produce non-objective work. Then I had them blindly choose words out of the dictionary. I'm from Chicago and there is a famous red sculpture there by Calder. It has a different name, but I know it as "Bob's Chicago"
Sarah: I had a bad habit in school, I'd name something and then add version II to the name, then version IIa, then version IIb on and on..because I keep working on something. I don't really title anything except for my records. My mentor explained the "Artist Statement" to us in art school. He said we should all learn the art of bullshit, because it really does sell paintings. So he would have us think about why we did paint the painting and go from there. It would start with something like "I like yellow" and the next thought would lead to the next thought...it's ridiculous. (Laughter)! I am showing an ink drawing I did (that has to do with the remake of Lady and the Tramp).
Greg: I never give anything a title unless there is a reason. I have done editorial illustration, the story will be in the title. I was in a Saturday drawing group once. We would drop words on paper into a hat and draw a paper from the hat. We'd draw whatever we thought of for the word. It was a great way to be prompted to draw something "unexpected" and fun.
Judith: Well, I'm pregnant, so I hope Geri is right! (Laughter)! When you think of it, it is all so weird what we do. We put paintings on a wall and put words next to it. It's just weird. I'm with Mike, I think the words next to a painting just give people something to do. It allows them to participate. I have told this story before, but the topic demands it. I went to Gage Academy. I didn't fit in and I painted a painting that went completely against the specific assignment. The image was a naked woman, walking out of a forest fire. I titled it "How do you Like your Eggs?" (Laughter)! I painted it as my way of thumbing my nose at Gage Academy. It went into the exhibit and......it won first place! (But, I couldn't get too puffed up over it, because I asked the juror why she selected my painting and she responded: "Well, it was the least banal") (Laughter)!
Thomas: I am showing a recent painting. It is in progress. I have 4 days in to it now. I am thinking of titles such as "Waking up in Mother's Bed" or "Just 5 minutes more, Mom". We know that titles predispose the viewer. In the plein air world, when you paint paint paint and stick them in frames and up on the wall in a hurry...often those titles are something like: "Interstate Cafe". Studio work will lend itself to more thoughtful titles. Don Demers gave a great lecture once where he recommended that before you paint you figure out the title (first)! Sometimes a successful title can be a double entendre or a pun. I also like to ask others for title suggestions. They'll see and think of things that I did not think of at all. Ideally, the title will provide a connection between your statement and your audience...the viewer.
Announcements:
The "Brightest White-Light" healing thoughts winging up for Ken Mazzochi who had cancer surgery today. (Speedy Recovery, Ken)!
Elo Wobig Demo Feb 6 6:30-8 OSA https://www.osartists.org/classes-and-workshops/demonstrations
Michael Lindstrom, Solo Show, Art on the Boulevard Friday, Feb 7, 5-9pm 9pm http://www.artontheboulevard.org/
Thomas Kitts workshops (Sicily, Maine France and others): https://thokitts.wixsite.com/pleinaireverywhere
http://www.thomaskitts.com/
Pacific NW Plein Air (at Maryhill Museum) submit via online juried shows (Deadline March 15)
https://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/Default.aspx?OJSID=43182&fbclid=IwAR3xZeT75GZNU3IR-dAVT31zlNGfBunEQZPKPSGwSTuIl0vV7GPUDr92Jrk
https://pacificnwpa.com/
Gauguin movie Living Room theater, this Sunday and next Thursday:
http://pdx.livingroomtheaters.com/coming_movie_detail.cfm?movie_id=3560
Oregon Society of Artists Joanne Kollman, classes Friday am and pm
+ Saturday ongoing portrait class
https://public.osartists.org/public/adultclasses
Oregon Society of Artists Susan Kuznitsky classes Satudays and Thursdays
https://public.osartists.org/public/adultclasses
Bonny Wagoner and Dana Belisle at Columbia City Library: Feb 3 (Sorry, didn't hear the time, please send info and put on our facebook page)
The Hiatus Drawing Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/333152383542909/?multi_permalinks=1347675355423935¬if_id=1579815702328596¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic
Our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/222304114527014/ (put news about you and or announcements of your own directly on our page)
I just discovered this amazing plein air event website, check it out! https://www.paintouts.com
Thanks everyone for the great discussion today, we went "overtime" but next meeting will start at 9am. (Try your best to be early or on time and thank you for supporting the food cart).
Next art discussion meeting: Thursday Jan 30 9am, Suggested table topic: Your personal "work ethic"...what do you do "right" and how (in your opinion) can an artist improve (their work ethic)?
Painting that belongs to Jim and Sandi Syfert
Object Painting that belongs to Jim and Sandi Syfert
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