tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post8628800761537058280..comments2024-03-28T16:36:12.581-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Titles for Paintings, Part 3James Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-973492015389892352013-01-10T16:03:01.736-05:002013-01-10T16:03:01.736-05:00Thanks for taking your valuable time to write wond...Thanks for taking your valuable time to write wonderful tips. Particularly liked the way you labeled the painting on whether you took the photo or not, etc. Was just thinking about ideas earlier and what a surprise to find that you had already thought about the solution.<br /><br />EllenEllenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17821170372491062921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-730340201470007842012-12-28T16:58:50.455-05:002012-12-28T16:58:50.455-05:00Sometimes the titles occur to me while I'm wor...Sometimes the titles occur to me while I'm working, very occasionally before I start and usually after the painting's done.<br /><br />I keep my titles short now after someone at the old Arts for the Parks competition shortened my title for me to one word without asking me. It was the first national juried show I'd ever been accepted into and was kind of taken aback to see "Breaktime" in the show catalog instead of "Breaktime at the Old Faithful Inn". I still think that was inappropriate and disrespectful.<br /><br />Since I now pretty much only paint subjects from Mongolia and am learning the language, I have started to, for select pieces, title them in Mongolian with the English version in parentheses. A friend who translates Mongolian poetry and literature helps me as needed to make sure the Mongolian is correct. <br /><br />I keep on hand a sheet of pre-printed adhesive sddress labels that I set up on my computer with blank lines for the title, the copyright symbol and my name with space for the date. Plus verbiage that states that I retain all reproduction rights in all media. One of these goes on the back of every painting as I finish it.<br /><br />Then all the basic information (title, year of completion, size, price, etc.) is entered in a simple Numbers spreadsheet on my Mac. The spreadsheet is great since it lets me access the info for each painting in a number ways very easily.<br /><br /><br />Susan Foxhttp://www.foxstudio.biznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-19012821519009326082012-12-27T00:37:45.649-05:002012-12-27T00:37:45.649-05:00James-
I’ve recently found it necessary to reorgan...James-<br />I’ve recently found it necessary to reorganize my images/project files on my computer. What a mess! It’s definitely better to do it as you go, with a well thought out plan like the one you suggest, rather than trying to manage a mountain of messy, incomplete data. <br /><br />Most of my early works are murals by commission so its mostly just documentation, but as I produce more easel paintings and pieces in different media and genre, in addition to titles and documentation I am also dealing with issues of inventory: storage, retrieval, packing/transporting/shipping, and display.<br />(I may be getting a little off-topic, but maybe fodder for future posts?)<br />(especially storage. How do you store/file your work?)<br />(Thanx –RQ)<br /><br />@Pat- abstracts can be the hardest. It helps me to work in a series and title the series (the series could be poetic or just: yr/mo), then the paintings become 1,2,3…A,B,C…Doe, Ray, Mee… of the series.<br /><br />@Gina- your right, this guy’s stuff is good! And the Titles fun, too! <br />http://www.bobcoronato.com/pages/Etchings<br /><br />Robertohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01751501281929627657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-14490055076997006442012-12-25T19:19:15.912-05:002012-12-25T19:19:15.912-05:00Titles - and remembering which is which - is more ...Titles - and remembering which is which - is more difficult when one does abstract work. My current series was challenging to name so I (1) used a thesaurus and (b) did a little sketch of the piece next to it's name on a list. Voila! <br />If anyone has any other thoughts that anyone has re abstract titles, I'd love to hear them!<br />PatPatricia J Finleyhttp://patriciajfinley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-65370168564880987732012-12-25T04:46:51.636-05:002012-12-25T04:46:51.636-05:00I work at a photo studio, and one of the first thi...I work at a photo studio, and one of the first things we do after downloading a media card is rename the files with the client's name. I would suggest that artists who take reference photos rename their files accordingly. That way, if a file gets separated from its folder, you still know what it is. There are free photo editing programs like IrfanView that have batch rename functions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-25263139478100369022012-12-24T22:42:46.353-05:002012-12-24T22:42:46.353-05:00I love a good title...take a look at the very tale...I love a good title...take a look at the very talented etching artist Bob Coronato. His western (old West) themes works have some pretty long titles, and many times bring a smile to your face, especially if you are familiar with the things horses and cattle can do. I don't think it works against this artist at all!GinaAgravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15785880148733272394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-71504150692760339792012-12-24T18:12:47.850-05:002012-12-24T18:12:47.850-05:00The "title" posts have been great, and I...The "title" posts have been great, and I think they will be very useful to other artists. This list is everything that I try to do, though I learned it through hard trial and error. I do find that I have to have just the right title for one of my pieces. Sometimes it's just the title of the story I'm illustrating. Other times, story or not, I give it the title that fits it.<br /><br />Thanks for a great, inspirational year of posts, and best of luck in the coming year.Russell Dickersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12854569325129096817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-78872469791482530412012-12-24T17:22:05.442-05:002012-12-24T17:22:05.442-05:00The formal method of archiving names with 'The...The formal method of archiving names with 'The's, 'An's and etc. is to put it at the end of the title, separated by a comma.<br /><br />The Work of Art<br />Work of Art, TheAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-74837168375399183832012-12-24T16:55:26.748-05:002012-12-24T16:55:26.748-05:00Great topic, James. Thanks for interesting tips a...Great topic, James. Thanks for interesting tips and thoughts on an aspect of art making I haven't considered in MANY years! Hopefully that'll change in 2013...<br />MERRY XMAS!Mark Henghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05872172199243865094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-49626481472856229802012-12-24T16:22:38.090-05:002012-12-24T16:22:38.090-05:00Brilliant! Thank you!Brilliant! Thank you!Melle Ferrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370366181768395772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-88640545751498353522012-12-24T15:39:21.869-05:002012-12-24T15:39:21.869-05:00Really good advice James.
It is hard in the beginn...Really good advice James.<br />It is hard in the beginning to decide how to title art,<br />trying to anticipate all the unknown variables or what if's.<br /><br /><br />I like your suggestion in #4 and will adopt that advice.<br />I have found that loooong titles always get shortened or abbreviated (by others) anyway when being referenced so I always keep them as short as I can.<br /><br />I've seen artists who like clever humorous titles, problem is one day they run out of these ideas and their titles feel forced.<br />I prefer a straightforward system, like your #8 and #9. <br /><br />Much like clever titles, over time, poetic titles and such will start running a little thin.<br /><br />And when you have to title EVERYTHING you do, sketches, studies preliminary work... starting with a long one will lead to titles that are a paragraph long as you add-on the necessary references for each.<br /><br />MERRY CHRISTMAS!David Teterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16747334525619423349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-69699842731551321222012-12-24T15:28:16.341-05:002012-12-24T15:28:16.341-05:00Yes, very annoying when artists have numerous '...Yes, very annoying when artists have numerous 'untitled' paintings. Similarly when they have several Ophelias or Ladies of Shalott. Surely they could think of something more imaginative, since they are supposed to be imaginative types! That said, I don't mind dull titles. There is nothing worse than a picture that is more dull than it's title. Plain descriptive titles are fine by me, for the most part. Gordon Napierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374065314604533766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-91409103594953955782012-12-24T14:29:13.374-05:002012-12-24T14:29:13.374-05:00There's a story about the naming of "Citi...There's a story about the naming of "Citizen Kane." A number of Orson Welles' compatriots were spitballing ideas around to replace the original title, which I believe was something like "The American."<br /><br />Anyhow, one of Welles' secretaries piped up with "A Sea of Upturned Faces." And, after the laughter subsided, this became the gold standard for bad, pretentious titles for the rest of Welles' life.<br /><br />However, "Numb Fingers Working While the Eye of the Morn is Yet Bedimmed by Tears." beats it by a thousand miles! <br /><br />Have a happy holiday!<br />kevkev ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09509572970616136990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-74394212867527226182012-12-24T12:10:27.790-05:002012-12-24T12:10:27.790-05:00Merry Christmas! - mpMerry Christmas! - mpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-80294368016509667322012-12-24T10:46:44.254-05:002012-12-24T10:46:44.254-05:00Thanks for the awesome tips! I always keep the tit...Thanks for the awesome tips! I always keep the title of my works beforehand but was never aware of its importance.<br />Also for the quick sketches, I keep the dates for the archives (specially digital), for eg. If I have done anything today, its 20121224.<br />And Merry Xmas James!Bhaskarhttp://www.bhaskarrac.comnoreply@blogger.com