I’m sure that this is not the first time on which I’ve remarked on the perpetual and recurring problem of artists, namely, the question of what to call a work. Titles can be the bane of one’s life. It isn’t so bad if you are into portraiture, when the name of one’s sitter is enough. … Read more
On several occasions in the past I’ve commented on the difficulty of finding titles for art work. There are occasions, however, when something just leaps out at you, demanding attention. That happened today, when I was thinking about the little still-life I’m working on at the moment. It consists of three items only …. a … Read more
It seems that mine come in the middle of the night. It is quite common for me to be awake in the small hours, to the extent that I have to get up and do something. I don’t paint, but it is not at all unusual for me to find myself writing.* Last night, to … Read more
…. they will show up. I’m back to titles for pictures again. Regular readers will be familiar with my lament about how difficult it is to find an effective title for a piece of work. I have been interested during the past week to repeat an experience I have had before. Just when you think … Read more
A few days ago I mentioned the difficulty I have often in landing on titles for my work. In connection with the set of pictures on which I’m working at the moment it does look as if I might have solved my problem. It is interesting, the way in which ideas float into one’s head, … Read more
You might well find this surprising, but one of the most difficult challenges I face as an artist is the choice of titles for my work. Perhaps you find this hard to grasp, but it is true. In my case this requires special care because my wife has definite ideas about it, particularly where a … Read more
Deciding what to give as the title to a picture can be difficult on some occasions. I know that some artists chicken-out, and just give numbers to their work. (Diebenkorn was a devil at this!) I recognise that a title can be a helpful way into a work for the viewer, and invariably try to … Read more
I mean, trying to find a title for a picture. This can be a devil of a problem on occasions. It’s fine when I’m able to produce a simply descriptive phrase….like Almscliff Crag in Snow from the South West, or How Stean Beck in Summer. Where a picture is not purely referential in this way, … Read more
My wife has a “thing” about the titles of pictures. She insists that they are an integral part of what is offered to the viewer and not just an identification tag. Her greatest displeasure is reserved for artists who dare to exhibit a piece with the label Untitled. For this reason I have come to … Read more