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