I am going to stop naming my pieces

I have never looked at the title of pieces I have loved in galleries, didn’t even think of it when it’s hanging on a wall. It’s all about finding my own story in what I see, to get lost in my own narrative that changes every time I see it. The state my mind is in dictates how I see the world for that timeframe. Hungry? Sleepy? Angry? Happy? It feels like the brain looks for props to fuel its own drama.

There’s a lot of truth in why abstracts are so popular. The art form is free: from shape, form and rules, anything that confines it to one story or one emotion. I’ve seen this first hand when people experience different things in that one canvas. Things that I didn’t intend on doing find roots in that one color, one shape, one corner that brought something through to the viewer. This is when the title became useless and actually did the piece a lot of disservice, and my brain rolls her eyes at my sheer myopia and kicks myself to do better. 

Yes, titling my art is the least favorite part of the process. Its hierarchy in my life is only next to emptying the dishwasher, I dislike it so much that thats the only thing I will actually pay my kids to do. I feel like I’ve thrown my heart and soul at that canvas, what part of that process is so true to it that it should be titled after, in a word or two, of the whole journey. What about when what I set to do has taken a new shape, which is usually the case because I am still trying new techniques. The answer is usually a blank and then I’ll use the first thing that comes to mind and call it a day. Am I happy? NO! Did I get the job done? May be. I give myself a solid C-.

One way I am thinking about it is very clinical at this moment. 2026-piece number. Yes you’re right, thats terrible. Hear me out. I am hoping to play this mind game where come June, it will make me work harder and not end up with a terrible score at the end of the year. See? Not all that terrible of an idea after all. But I can do better.

The other thought was to use the ever-so-proper Untitled. Untitled 2026-01. It feels like the story isn’t over yet. That the viewer, and hopefully the buyer, of the artwork will add that last piece of the puzzle, the title, and make this whole journey complete. I love the feeling of this route. Not only am I manifesting a sale (ha!), there’s ten percent happiness in ending my conundrum and the rest is a celebration of the emotion of the viewer to find their story.

See? Talking out loud helps. Now I have a plan. There’s the title issue that has worked itself out, AANNDDDD if I ever sell a piece, I’ll ask the buyer to title it for me, and that is how it will live on my website: Sold. Title: (insert amazing point of view here).

Oh what a magnificent day this has become. 

Thank you for listening to me ramble.