How the Heck Do You Title a Painting?
Have you ever happily finished a painting only to agonize over the title? If so, this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure episode is for you!
While there’s certainly no formula for how to choose a title for a painting (in fact, titling your paintings is totally optional!), I’m happy to share a few simple tips on how to come up with awesome titles for your equally awesome creations.
Speaking of great titles, I’d love for you to share some of your very favorite painting titles and how you came up with them in the comment section below. Can’t wait to hear from you!
Thanks so much for tuning in,
xo flora
Have a question for Hey Flora? Please submit them to: [email protected], and include ‘Hey Flora’ in the subject line.
*Don’t want to miss an episode of Hey Flora? Sign up for my News, Art, Love newsletter and receive a love note each time there’s a new post. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming workshops, free videos and other goodies.
Music by Kyrstyn Pixton.
This recent painting is a great example of how I sometimes use a word that emerged organically in the painting as the title. The first layer of this painting was a letter to my mama, so it was full of words. Only a few words remained in the end, but it’s sweet to me knowing the others are underneath. xo
I got to be in a one night show here in Maui. I took a painting down from my wall and realized it wasn’t finished. I painted for seven hours. While I was painting I heard voices talking to me. They let me know that what I thought my painting was about wasn’t its true form. They gave me the title, “A thousand holy Mothers pray for the waters”. Much Love, Kendra Rose [email protected]
I kind of find that my Artworks ‘speak to me’ when they’re done… I look back when they’re finished and let their wisdom be felt and can usually see a narrative emerge.
A related title usually then pops in my head pretty easily!
Other times, a beautiful saying or intention will guide my painting process.
I recently titled an Artwork ‘Softening into Compassion’; a sentence Alena Hennessy used in her painting course. I loved it and the whole painting took shape from this.
Thanks Flora, I love what you’re doing here with your open generous heart xx