Thoughts on Painting

My husband helped me to come up with the title for my recent painting "Winter Nest." I don't have a hard time painting them, but naming them is another story. I  get writer's block like you can't believe. My hands gets sweaty, a million really ridiculous titles run through my head as I brainstorm. I think it's because I'm trying to encapsulate every feeling and mood that I've put into that particular painting into two or three words that aptly describe it. After portraying all of that through brushstrokes it's torturous to then have to put words to it too. I think I would much more enjoy each viewer using their own words to describe a painting. A title can steer someone's perception in a painting so much. 

An example of this is "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh.

When I hear the words Starry Night a peaceful image is what pops into my head, a sleepy little town with brilliant blazing stars overhead, villagers warm in the cottages portrayed at the bottom of the scene. What if Vincent Van Gogh decided to name his painting "Deadly Tornado" or "Eye of the Hurricane?" I can look at that same painting and feel a bit of fear and trepidation, and worry for the villagers sleeping below right before this horrible tornado rips the roofs off of their cottages. 

Now Rembrandt, here's an artist who knows how to name a painting. Here is Self-portrait in a cap, with eyes wide open, etching and burin, 1630. 

This is kind of how I name my paintings. When I look at the painting the most basic name for whatever I have painted jumps into my head: Cardinal in Snow, Eggs in Copper Pot, Red Flowers......you get the picture. 

I envy artists who come up with these amazing paintings and then come up with equally amazing titles like "Discarded Roses" by Renoir. I feel sad for the roses, tossed aside by an angry lover.  Named by me the same painting would be "Red Roses." Ho hum.  I find myself realizing the importance of an adjective.

"Summertime" by Mary Cassatt in my world would become "Two Girls Floating" Again, ho hum.

 Mary Cassatt's title evokes warm air with smell of freshly cut grass and fireflies in my head. "Two Girls Floating" could be two girls in a canoe or it could be the good title for the latest Mafia movie. You get the picture. An awful lot goes into naming a painting appropriately.

So my hope is that as my paintings evolve in style my titles evolve and get better as well. I know it is not the most important thing in a painting but it's kind of like the old saying about a first impression...."you never get a second chance to make a first impression." The title is usually the first impression someone gets of your painting. Make it count!