Title: How I Name a Painting (and what I listen for)

Naming a painting can feel surprisingly personal.

Sometimes people assume I finish a piece, step back, and a title just magically floats into my head like a movie scene.

That does happen once in a while… but most of the time it’s more like this:

I live with the painting for a bit and listen.

Not with my ears - more with that quiet inner knowing that says, This is what it’s really about.

I don’t start with the title

When I begin a painting, I’m not trying to illustrate anything specific. I’m following color, movement, shape, and mood. I’m responding to what’s happening in the moment.

If I try to name it too early, the title can accidentally “trap” the painting, like it’s supposed to behave a certain way.

So I wait.

I look for the feeling underneath

When the painting starts to come together, I ask myself a few questions:

• What emotion does this carry?

• Where does my eye want to land?

• What does it remind me of, not literally, but spiritually?

• Does it feel playful? Restless? Grounded? Hopeful? Bold? Tender?

A painting usually has a mood before it has a meaning.

And the mood is often the doorway.

I notice the story the painting is telling me

A lot of my paintings don’t come with a clear storyline, but they still feel like they have one.

Sometimes it’s connected to:

• a season I’m walking through

• a memory

• something I’m learning about faith, hope, people, or myself

• a place I’ve been

• even a phrase that kept repeating in my mind while I worked

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There are paintings that feel like celebration… and others that feel like processing.

Both are honest.

SUBLIME LIMITS

I pay attention to the words that show up in my studio

Because I sometimes write words, scriptures, or prayers on my canvas underneath the paint, words tend to “hover” around my process.

And even when the words aren’t visible later, they can influence the title.

Not every piece gets a faith-leaning name, but many of them carry that quiet underlayer of meaning, whether anyone else knows it or not.

My little “rules” for naming

Over the years I’ve learned a few things that help:

1) I want the title to feel true, not clever. Clever fades. True lasts.

2) I want it to invite curiosity, not give a lecture. A good title feels like an open door.

3) I want it to match the energy of the piece. A bold, graphic painting shouldn’t have a timid title (and vice versa).

4) I keep it short when I can. A title should feel easy to remember… like it belongs.

Sometimes the title arrives at the very end

There are times I’ll be completely stuck on a title… and then, days later, I’ll walk past the painting and think:

Oh. There you are.

And I’ll know. Not because it’s perfect, but because it fits.

A small invitation

If you own one of my paintings, or you’ve seen one in person, I’d love to know: what title would you give it?

Sometimes other people see things I didn’t even realize I painted into the piece.

If you’re browsing for art and a painting “speaks” to you, pay attention to that. It’s not always logical, and that’s okay. If you’d like help choosing the right piece for your space, I’m always happy to help.