This very day I’ve just finished 4 big paintings. They’re the biggest I’ve ever done. I was a little apprehensive about working to this large scale but I’m happy to report it’s all gone swimmingly well. Now it’s time to carefully sign my name in the bottom right corner, lay down an isolation coat, a couple of coats of varnish and ….. drumroll please, GIVE IT A TITLE.

The signing and finishing coats are simple, consider them done! But the title – ugh. My brain slumps in my head, solitary dying sparks fizzle – I’ve got nothing. Not a clue or even a microscopic gem of an idea. NOTHING!!

And this is how it is every time I finish a painting. So, I turn to Social Media. Here’s a pic of my latest painting – what shall I call it? Sometimes I get a good suggestion, but clearly others struggle just as much as I do. If you, dear reader, have every been one of those generous souls who have gifted me with a title, please don’t be offended.

I did receive the best of all titles once by surveying my followers. “Waiting on Tables.” How good is that title? The painting had no tables or people of course, but somehow it just suits the painting. I think there was a squarish shape that was quite dominant in the composition.

Let’s analyze why that title is SO good. It suggests an activity that everyone can relate to. It’s short – 3 words. It relates to a shape in the painting, but isn’t literal. It offers something MORE than the painting itself.

I recently applied this analysis when I named another painting ‘Dance Steps for Men’. It’s something that everyone can relate to – (we’ve all, I’m sure, noted that a lot of men could do with a little plan of dance steps to refer to when the need arises.) It’s short – 4 words and I thought it kind of related to the painting as there was an awkwardness about it. I don’t know if it did me any favours when it came to selling the painting though. A woman fell in love with it, but when she took her husband to give his final stamp of approval before they parted with the cash, he HATED it!!! Clearly no dancer… and his associations with awkward girations on the dance floor didn’t endear the painting to him. Fortunately, a light footed man obliged later on… and his wife bought the painting.

I’ve researched online what other artists recommend is good practice for titling a painting. As you can imagine the advice was almost as varied as the art. Some said describe the painting, some said don’t describe it - leave the title open to interpretation.

Help the viewer out with the title, versus let the title be as enigmatic as the painting. I prefer to let the title hint at what the painting is about. Being literal narrows the experience you’re offering the viewer. For eg. My big yellow painting could be called “Yellow Brick Road”, but that’s quite a narrow interpretation, whereas calling it ‘Sunshine’ leaves it more open and more inclusive for every viewer to apply their experience and maybe somehow connect to the painting.

Other suggestions found were: look for arrangements of words in poems or prose, and song lyrics. Using well known sayings or proverbs “Look before you leap” “You are not your brother’s keeper”. These could be quite random but may connect with someone and get them thinking. References to fairy tales or children’s stories that everybody knows could help make a connection.

If you want to be completely random you can just wildly stab at words in the dictionary and see if you can make arrangements of noun, verb and adjective. Eg Cat Chasing Cerulean – catchy!! In my desperation I have resorted to this method at times – you’re in the lap of the Gods, but they can smile on you occasionally and bless you with a goodie.

Now to put all my research into practice. One of the paintings I’ve just finished reminds me of travelling in a hot air balloon – (no, of course I’ve never done it, I’m not completely stupid and reckless…. I’m imagining…) I’m not going to call it ‘hot air balloon’ – that’s too limiting. But I’m thinking of warm air currents and birds eye view. After a quick dive into Wikipedia I’m honing in on ‘Thermal Lift’.

Thermal Lift – it’s short, it relates in some way to the painting and its interpretation is open ended. Tick, job done! 3 more paintings to go…

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any further ideas on naming your paintings leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.