For many Artists, this is NOT even a question. They would feel incomplete to display a piece of sculpture, paintings, even jewelry, without some kind of title. They might decide to create a series and add numerical values to each piece, but somehow, they end up with a title.
Titles have many functions. They can create a sense of “place” or illicit a mood. They can project your persona. They can illustrate a specific point of view. They can also be totally irrelevant and create a sense of the “artsy fartsy” side of our industry. Or they can be profound, political (caution required!), and some can even make people laugh out loud. A good goal to have whenever possible!
Titles can “sell” the story and – very importantly – a title can sell the piece. This happens a lot with my jewelry line and it was integral to my abstract art photography business. The two pieces in the above photo, “Cliff” and “Yin Yang” were from the same piece of ancient copper flashing. My “perspective” is easily “illustrated” because of the titles.
Let’s not forget that art through the ages, the most collected, romanced, and famous, are known by their titles. If I say “Mona Lisa”, “Guernica”, or “The Scream”, you probably know who the artists are behind those titles. And in each case, we might even have insights into the artist when we view the work and know the titles. Titles make the pieces come alive.
Another example of titles that “make the pieces come alive” would be from one my favorite artists, Judy Hintz Cox. She goes crazy with titles and they add so much. Some add playfulness. Some add serenity. And some (of my favs) add deeper connections to our social consciousness.
Of course, it helps that she is a brilliant artist working in my favorite genre: large abstracts with minimalist tendencies in mainly monotone palettes.
What a title! Stage a Sit-in for Peace! Can it get more real? Can it be more evocative? Maybe my mind is just ready for a smiling moment, but so many of her titles just make me smile. This one did.
See more of her collection here. And pay attention to her titles as you view the collections. If you are interested in learning more about this piece, contact Judy directly: jhc@judyhintzcox.com
Connect to your target audience
One of the most important parts about creating titles is “speaking” directly to your audience’s expectations of you, your brand, and your personality. A title can extend your persona and educate and inform your collectors.
Titling your art brings your insights & mindset front and center. It humanizes your oeuvre. Click To Tweet
Of course, there is an elephant in the room. I can hear some of you saying, I am a ceramist. A coffee cup is just a coffee cup, isn’t it? Or maybe you are a weaver, leather artist, or a milliner. It’s rare that I see anything artfully constructed that won’t benefit from a title.
Maybe you paint florals and have many dozens of tulip paintings – in all varieties of colors. So, how many names can you come up with for a painting of red tulips?
It’s easier than you might think. You just need to grab a thesaurus and look up red. Here’s a section (about a third of the two-column list) for red.
When it comes to paintings or photographs, it gets more exciting. Just look up every color! Then use this formula. It can apply to an image of a tulip or an old barn. Here’s one for tulips. Just fill in the blanks:
(Color) ______ Tulips (verb)____ in the (noun)_____.
Here’s a sample of a filled-in title: Crimson Red Tulips Lavishing in the Morning Sun. Or Scarlet Moments Standing Tall in the Light of Dawn. For those who love a more stark message, imagine using just the word “dawn” or “daylight”. Red Dawn? Crimson Daylight?
And take some time to go look at titles of other artist’s work. Look back in history. Look at as many sources as you can. Then, find your voice. Find your rhythm. Find your niche and style. And invest in a thesaurus. My favorite is here on Amazon.
Sidebar: a decent thesaurus will come in handy for all your business writing needs. (Or just hire me!)
Be enticing with your titles
Dig into your artful center and find the descriptive word or words that will inspire a reaction from the viewers. Imagine your buyers and collectors. What will be enticing to them?
What is it about your work that is most appreciated? What kinds of unsolicited praise does your work tend to receive? If people love your choice of colors, or the subject matter, or the techniques, you can highlight that in your titles. If you throw unusual sized or shaped clay vases, then you can name them accordingly. Very fat shapes might be the Pot-bellied series or Blimp series. Very thin might be the Skinny or Stick series.
Some of my clients actually create work based on a title that they come up with! I do that sometimes with my jewelry. You can also take a word or concept and expound on its genre. Take a word like Rock from my well-worn thesaurus. It will yield a lot of names: stone, boulder, pebble, river rock, gravel, sand, shale, slate, limestone, lava, flint, crystal, marble, cobblestone, cornerstone, keystone, whetstone and of course the ever popular, tombstone.
Do any of those names make you think of your art? Do you have a glaze for your ceramics that is slate colored? Do you work with patterns in your weavings that conjure up a lava flow? Could you imagine a series of watercolors that celebrate river rocks?
Clearly, this is a very personal experience. And yet it is one of the few things we can create that can forever be copied and used by others. I am sure that many thousands of paintings exist with names that are similar if not the same.
The two titles for my photographs, “Cliff” and “Yin Yang”, are likely adorning hundreds or thousands of other pieces of artwork. So you never need to worry if you have a title that is “common” or already used by others. When it is used to title your work, it is in a new context.
Clever is not always the goal. It may not be “original” or flashy, but if you have painted a still life with white flowers and you want to name it, “Still Life With White Flowers”, go for it. The only thing to steer clear of is using that title again for your own art. The next still life using white flowers might need to be called, “Still Life With White Flowers in Morning Light”. Or, as is common, you can name it “Still Life With White Flowers #2”.
Frankly, you could go on to paint nothing but a series of still lifes with white flowers forever. Although that sound tedious to me.
Hey, I have a great idea: Let me know in the comments what tricks you use to come up with titles and what medium you use. If you aren’t using titles and don’t want to, I would love to hear your thoughts, too.
Of course, if you are stuck, contact me anytime for help with titles. It’s one of my favorite things to do! But I really encourage you to spend some time looking at art online – especially Judy’s art – and breath new life into the very next art piece you create.
PS: A coffee cup can have a name, too. It can be based on the glaze colors or shape or size. I know of an artist who calls her extra large cups, the “Start Your Engine” Cups because they are super-sized. And she points out that they are great for cereal, too!
Great article! Sometimes I like to look at song lyrics or poems to get ideas as well!
Excellent Idea!!!! Love that, Chris. Thanks so much for the comment and your compliment, too.
Generally, Craig and I will name our pieces of jewelry so we can keep track of them (Suguaro Sunrise, Suguaro Sunset, Silver Suguaros, Arizona Sunrise, etc.) and only on occasion refer to the names as we talk to a client. We had a turquoise pendant that we referred to has 5 toes, but the client said, “Oh no, that’s a bear paw!” She bought it after a bit more discussion and when I sent her the thank you note, I did refer to it as a “Bear Paw” because that’s what she saw.
Since you are naming them – whatever the reasoning – I would encourage you to “elevate” your viewer’s opinion and USE those names, Dusty. Just the fact that you have named a piece adds VALUE to the collector. I have little paper signs for some of my display with the jewelry titles and it’s a conversation starter at the very least!
Sometimes a title is everything! My husband sometimes takes a month to come up with a title for a painting.
There you have it! It’s a really important step for “finishing” a piece of art. Thanks for the comment, Amy.
Thank you so much McKenna for giving me such a wonderful boost. I really appreciate what you said about my titles and my art.
And just need to let everyone know how helpful you are when signing up for some time.
I love reading your blogs.
I loved featuring your art, Judy! You know what a fan I am. And thanks for the testimonial. I know you are still working on that list I created for you on our last consultation. You are so dedicated! Love your spirit AND your art.
McKenna, terrific article! And love your writing. I tend to stick with my working title for my paintings…perhaps unclever, the way I don’t wear much jewelry, it feels simple, focused. But your suggestions make sense. Thanks!
Can’t tell you (all of you) how much it means to me to know I am offering value. Thanks so much Kathy!
As for working titles… whatever “works” for you, right? Your titles are a bit “tame” but you are certainly creating artful moments. You might want to play around a little. Like the piece called “Happy Hour”…. ADDS a lot to the feeling of the piece! Makes me want to grab a cool drink and relax when I think of happy hour.
I enjoyed naming an oil painting (still life) after it’s ‘use,’ e.g: oil painting of stacked coffee cups are named: ‘After smoko.” Smoko is Australian slang for morning tea.
Who knew? Smoko? Huh… that would have sent me to googling! Thanks for sharing, Millie.
McKenna, Great post as always. I find that titles are the most difficult part of my process. I’ll begin with whatever line of poetry, lyric or quote comes to mind. Next–does it actually apply? (Mostly no…) Finally, I just look at the picture and see what it is telling me. Ex., just got back a monoprint back from the framers of blue gingko leaves. I read your post. Hmmm…Night Gingkos? Sounds good to me:)
Yes! I like it. It’s not easy – despite what I say (lol), but I think with nature – it can draw on a bit of fantasy? Think of your leaves like children or cousins or members of a marching band. They all gathered for some potential mischief perhaps? Or to solve a mystery? Wind, water, and other elements?
They also make me think of dancers. But you have some great titles, Hannah. Don’t let me get in your way!
I wish all artists and craft makers would take this message seriously, Mckenna. It has always frustrated me to see a piece of artwork without a title. I want to scream, “Wait–you’re not finished–name it!” Thank you for this article. Well, actually for all that you share with us, your fans and followers.
Wow! Thanks, Carol. I feel so encouraged! You are so very welcome.
Here is a problem I came up with- what do you think when you have a commission done and it needs a name?? Ask the client for suggestions???
An interesting question, Diane! I recommend YOU name the piece and be totally upfront that you would be happy to rename it if they have a title want instead. Commissions are sometimes so specifically created – color, size, and subject matter – that it’s not unexpected that they also want to dictate the title, so when the piece is done simply ask, “Do you have a title in mind or would you like me to title the piece?” Hope that helps.
A great post McKenna. I looked at my floral paintings and read each title with a new perspective. I realized many are not as expressive or as interesting as they could be and most do not reflect the new logo design and color theme of my website. I have two new floral paintings (not yet posted on-line) that I will try to be more creative with. What are your thoughts on changing the titles of current paintings posted on-line for sale?
You know… that’s such an interesting question! While titles are important, changing them might go unnoticed. If someone buys a painting, they may never refer to it by the title, so this is more important as part of the original presentation. If someone really loves the title and that is part of their story of the purchase, then they will likely remember it forever.
In other words, go for it… change away! The exception would be if the piece was featured anywhere else: in an exhibit catalog, on another person’s blog, and so forth.
I am so glad I made such a deep impression on you Laura! Your work is so fabulous and deserves terrific titles!
That makes sense Mckenna. With so many pieces posted and shared through social media as well, it’s probably wise to just focus on more creative title’s for new work. Thank You!
You are so right – all that sharing needs “branding” indeed!