Titles

For me a painting isn't finished until I have signed it, framed it (archival, of course) and given it a proper title. A title sometimes presents itself as the creative process begins, sometimes during and sometimes after. Every painting I do is personal and sometimes it's difficult to really reflect all the feelings I have about a piece in only a few words, but I think a good title gives a viewer direction of what I was thinking in addition to their own thoughts about a piece. It can be simple, serious, nostalgic, and sometimes humorous.

A few examples:

"Red Flyer" is a painting of a cardinal flying over the snow as I was painting, all I could think of was the red flyer sleds we used to have as kids and the name just presented itself.

In "Ah Go Ketch She Eye" the male is the standout of the piece, and in the scenario he is trying to win over the female with his good looks, I went for a "trini" sounding lingo on the title because the birds I observed were in Trinidad—wouldn't they "speak" trini if they could talk?

In the piece here, I kept thinking how the hens would like the "bad boy/rebel" personality, perhaps his "cocky" attitude was attractive, perhaps he's a "Lover Boy"?

"Lover Boy" (rooster) water media painting, © Beatrice Bork

Where did May go?

For months I had been working on the "Wild Together" show, the work was hung, the show began, and in a blink of an eye, it's almost over. By next week the paintings will be moved from the feature room and into regular circulation with the rest of the gallery, and a new show will begin.

Normally an artist's life is basically solitaire, you paint on your own, and create and live in your own mind for some time, I personally (maybe weirdly) talk to the subjects in my paintings to see what they're thinking (I figure as long as I'm aware that they won't "really" be answering me back, I'm okay!). A exhibit gives me a chance to meet people, I had an interesting conversation with someone from South Africa, I thought "how cool is that?" I'm just gallery sitting, and I get to meet people from unexpected places! Then there are people that I have seen for maybe 10 years or more, which is really great because they have seen what I have been doing year to year, I get to hear their comments and the fact that they continually come and show their support really means a lot to me.

The last day of "Wild Together" is June 6th, and I will be at the gallery take it all in one last time, meet a few more people, and enjoy the day... then get back to painting.

Artists' Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville NJ. Open Fri/Sat/Sun. 11 am to 6 pm