Coming up with titles for artwork can be a real drag

I recently went to an open house in a studio of a friend of mine. She had a beautiful painting of frogs on lily pads. The frogs were all facing the inside of the painting which kept the eye within the painting. Great composition! Then, I looked at the title of her painting. It was called “Executive meeting”. So then I looked up at the painting again and saw the artist’s witty and whimsical personality come through that painting. I was smiling at the painting.
 

I don’t know about you, but for me coming up with great titles for artwork can be a real drag. Sometimes it seems like it’s more work to come up with a title than it is to create the painting. If I were a natural wordsmith I’d have ventured into poetry and not trying to become an artist. So, the question is, do titles really matter, and how much time and effort should you spend titling your work?

 

 

If you’re going to exhibit your work then I do believe titles matter. A buyer wants to feel like that artwork they are about to purchase from you is one of your best ever – that it truly is one of your masterworks. They’re going to have a hard time believing that if you’ve called the piece “landscape No. 427″. 

 

 

So what makes a good title, and how can you come up with good titles without going insane? After a bit of research, this is what I have found: 

• A good title will provide insight into your inspiration for the artwork, and may help the artwork tell its story.
• A good title will leave room for the viewer to bring his or her own meaning and interpretation to the artwork.

Additionally, a good title will:

• be memorable and catchy;
• be original (or at least as original as anything can be in a world where nothing is ever truly new) ; and
• not be too cheesy.

So where do we start?

• Start with the obvious – if there are elements in the artwork that are key focal points, use those elements as a jumping off point.
• Was there a driving emotion or inspiration that lead you to create the work? If so, try and draw a title from that inspiration.
• Is there an underlying story behind the work? Try to clue the buyer into the story with your title.
• Try to put yourself in your viewer’s shoes – what will they see when they look at the work? What do you want them to focus on?
• Keep it short. While there are obviously exceptions, if you need a 30 word title, you are probably doing something wrong (and maybe you should have become and author instead of artist!)

I imagine that the more one paints that coming up with titles can become more difficult over time. This all sounds great in theory, and will work for the first dozen or so pieces an artist creates, but what about after you’ve created hundreds of pieces? You might run out of creative, unique titles. I know I certainly will.
 

To combat this issue, try to come up with a naming system. Some artists look to poetry or mythology for inspiration. Try visiting galleries to see what reputable artists are using for naming conventions.
 

Best of luck in finding the titles that makes you stop and think, and the more you think about it the more intriguing you find the piece.
 

This week's watercolour discovery is Michal Suffczynski. Here is one of his paintings

Danielle

p.s. publishing early this week since I'm participating in a 3-day art show

Creating Beautiful Skies

There are many elements  that contribute to beautiful landscapes. This week when looking at Anita Bentley''s recent painting (see below), I was struck by how beautiful her sky was.

Probably one of the most important things to learn in order to paint captivating skies is the value of observation. Just from watching a sky you learn an awful lot and that will be of great use later on when you try to paint it. 

Certainly, being the source of light, skies are an ever-present bonanza for the watercolorist whose fresh transparent washes over white paper are the closest approximation in visual art to the glory of light.  The essence of sky is transparency. You look through it into infinity.

Although it's difficult to go wrong during the first wash, a sky is the most dangerous area to go back into after  it is dry.  You certainly do not want to introduce any opacity or different edges often cause by partial washes.

Clouds make or break the sky and cumulus clouds are likely the most difficult because they are constantly boiling and puffing. To the casual observer, the edges may appear sharp. They are not. Their edges must be treated so they look soft and the highlight must be kept inside the soft edge. As with other design elements (e.g. rocks, trees, etc), put the larger objects in the front to create the feeling of distance. When you have variety in size and larger shapes forward you achieve nicer design.

Cumulus clouds also have holes and caves which is somewhat similar to foliage. Notice how distant cumulus are smaller and have flatter bottoms.

The distant sky is colder and it keys into the clouds. Always have one area of interest in the sky - one place that is more aggressive. It's suggested that you exaggerate the cools and warm colours under the clouds and that this be done on wet paper. An occasional hard edge will add variety and interest.

You should keep the texture to the inside of the cloud and not in the sky. Work on achieving  subtle colour varieties in the cloud and sky.

 

Other cloud formations and cloud types to be explored on another day include

• Stratus - Wispy light clouds
• Dramatic – rain clouds - thunderheads
• Back lit clouds - sunsets

Check out the nuances and cohesiveness in this sky from Anita Bentley.

Start looking up to the sky and observe cloud formations. Take photos of clouds and you will be amazed at what you will start to “see”!

 

You might be interested in a companion article about skies in my other blog.

 

Danielle

 

How to Boost Your Creativity

Here is a second spin on creativity.   This one is from Kendra Cherry a Psychology Expert.

According to cognitive psychologist Robert J. Sternberg, creativity can be broadly defined as "...the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile." Creativity is all about finding new ways of solving problems and approaching situations. This isn't a skill restricted to artists, musicians or writers; it is a useful skill for people from all walks of life. If you've ever wanted to boost your creativity, these tips can help.

 1. Commit Yourself to Developing Your Creativity
The first step is to fully devote yourself to developing your creative abilities. Do not put off your efforts. Set goals, enlist the help of others and put time aside each day to develop your skills.

2. Become an Expert
One of the best ways to develop creativity is to become an expert in that area. By having a rich understanding of the topic, you will be better able to think of novel or innovative solutions to problems.

3. Reward Your Curiosity
One common roadblock to developing creativity is the sense that curiosity is an indulgence. Rather than reprimanding yourself, reward yourself when you are curious about something. Give yourself the opportunity to explore new topics.

4. Realize that Creativity is Sometimes Its Own Reward
While rewarding yourself is important, it is also important to develop intrinsic motivation. Sometimes, the true reward of creativity is the process itself, not the product. 

5. Be Willing to Take Risks
When it comes to building your creative skills, you need to be willing to take risks in order to advance your abilities. While your efforts may not lead to success every time, you will still be boosting your creative talents and building skills that will serve you well in the future.

6. Build Your Confidence
Insecurity in your abilities can suppress creativity, which is why it is important to build confidence. Make note of the progress you have made, commend your efforts and always be on the lookout for ways to reward your creativity.

7. Make Time for Creativity
You won't be able to develop your creative talents if you don't make time for them. Schedule some time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project.

8. Overcome Negative Attitudes that Block Creativity
According to a 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, positive moods can increase your ability to think creatively. According to Dr. Adam Anderson, senior author of the study, "If you are doing something that requires you be creative or be in a think tank, you want to be in a place with good mood." Focus on eliminating negative thoughts or self-criticisms that may impair your ability to develop strong creative skills.

9. Fight Your Fear of Failure
The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can paralyze your progress. Whenever you find yourself harboring such feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process. While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you will eventually reach your goals.

10. Brainstorm to Inspire New Ideas
Brainstorming is a common technique in both academic and professional settings, but it can also be a powerful tool for developing your creativity. Start by suspending your judgment and self-criticism, then start writing down related ideas and possible solutions. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible in a relatively short span of time. Next, focus on clarifying and refining your ideas in order to arrive at the best possible choice.

11. Realize That Most Problems Have Multiple Solutions
The next time to approach a problem, try looking for a variety of solutions. Instead of simply going with the first idea you have, take the time to think of other possible ways to approach the situation. This simple activity is a great way to build both your problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

12. Keep a Creativity Journal
Start keeping a journal to follow your creative process and track the ideas you produce. A journal is a great way to reflect back on what you have accomplished and look for other possible solutions. This journal can be used to save ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.

13. Create a Mind Map
A mind map is a great way to connect ideas and look for innovative answers to questions. Create a mind map by writing down a central topic or word. Next, link related terms or ideas around the central word. While similar to brainstorming, this technique allows for branching ideas and offers a very visual way of seeing how these ideas are linked.

 

 Here is a watercolour from Guillembe. I love the creativity in this one.  Do you?

 

 

Have a great week

Creativity and Artistic Growth

Defining creativity will never receive a satisfactory answer and not everyone will totally agree on its meaning. However, we probably all agree that creativity is subjective and can be applied in many ways. Many blog articles could be written about this topic.

We use creativity in a wide range of circumstances and it has its strength across a vast array of applications. It can be applied to many areas to generate anything ranging from new ideas to tangible objects and everything between. In fact if there is a need, creativity is always there to offer the answer. 

On one end of the spectrum is artistic creativity, which is personal and is closely associated to the arts and other intuitive activities, and is generally seen as being pleasing, aesthetic or beautiful. 

On the other end is technical creativity that is closely linked to theories on creative thinking, commercial design and business. We see this in domains where people structure new theories, technologies or ideas in a logical manner to create something functional, or for a purpose. 

Between the two, there is a varying mix of artistic and technical creativity. Some activities may require a more technical approach whereas others may well tend more to the intuitive side. 

Because of our focus on art and paintings, I won’t focus much on the technical creativity which is more logical and is inclined to the left-brain way of thinking. For those of us who do not have the luxury of painting full time and hold more typical jobs, we know that this type of creativity is more structured or objective and is strongly influenced by analogy, science, language and time. 

Most of us associate artistic creativity with being more intuitive and associate it with the right brain way of thinking. It is more impetuous and plays to typical right brain characteristics such as being subjective, random, spatial, and spiritual with a tendency to risk taking and personal bias.

A typical characteristic of artistic creativity is that it is impulsive and tends to respond to, or act on current incentives. It gathers information via perceptions and expresses those perceptions through a medium or particular art form. Both of which are subjective to the artist’s abilities and state of mind at that point in time.

Artistic creativity is by nature personal and consequently not readily defined or understood. It is for that reason that the definition or understanding of creativity starts to break down and gets a little fuzzy.

 

 

Artistic Growth

Creativity is a contributing factor to the growth of an artist. An awareness of those contributing factors that influence the way the artist creates art is important.

Creating art is not a light bulb moment but rather a progression of evolving ideas in partnership with practical knowledge and lots of practice. Practical knowledge is logical, and can be learned from the classroom reading, experience or from an actual event.

Creativity often goes through the following stages:

• Collection: the artist collects the raw material for creativity. He or she is constantly asking questions, talking to different people, observing different art and processing as many inputs as possible.
• Assimilation: the artist then takes the raw material and combines it in new and interesting ways. He or she is playful and imaginative with no concerns about judging the quality of what he or she is creating.
• Assessment: the artist assesses the ideas and determines if they’re practical. He or she thinks critically and realistically about what can actually be done.
• Execution: the artist takes an idea that is deemed worthy and tenaciously follows it to completion. During this phase, artists overcome resistance, are courageous, and champion the idea.

The growth of the artist is not founded on a single event or idea, but rather by an endless process of examination, experimentation and innovation. Creativity is an ongoing process. So much of creating art is personal. Every artist has unique abilities to produce art that is distinctive and unmatched. They can adopt practical methods and techniques that are tried and tested or they can become innovative and develop their own. But ultimately, they are the artist, it is their journey, and they have to make their own decisions on what is needed to develop their own style of art. 

 

Painting from Bonnie Paruch.

 

What role does creativity play in your paintings?  Do use it to interpret photos, lessons, other paintings or do you try to create a unique body of work?
 

Danielle

International Watercolour Society

Canada, like many countries now has it's own branch of the International Watercolour Society (IWS). Many other countries (e.g. Spain, US, Italy, Greece, France, etc.) already have chapters.

This is a different kind of watercolour society. It is not meant to compete with other, already established local societies or associations, but rather to unite them. The goal of the IWS is to promote universal peace and love through art, and to promote the medium of watercolour. As such a society, it is friendly, and networking, festivals, exhibitions and workshops on an international scale are the primary ways it aims to go about achieving that goal. For more information about the IWS, please visit their new website: www.internationalwatercolor.com or their Facebook page.

Many chapters organize wonderful exhibits and workshops. Sign up with your local chapter.

The festival in Aiguillon ends tomorrow.

Danielle