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  • August 10, 2018 at 1:53 am #460232
    vanislandgirl
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        I’m just getting started selling my work. I’ve sold some pieces in the past, but took a long break. I think my work is a bit different now than it was then and I’m having a hard time with titles.

        I know that in order to sell my work, I really should include a title. I can’t tell if I’m over thinking it, or what I need to do. I have some common themes in my work that I could probably group into a series. For instance, animals, or undersea creatures, (I have several octopus pieces) but they could also stand on their own, and maybe they should.

        I also have drawings as well as paintings. I feel like those would be titled separately.

        A previous series I did years ago was a set of paintings of travel trailers. The way I titled those was “No Fixed Address” as a title for the series, and then I’d pick a place name out of an atlas for each individual trailer painting.

        Now I’m stumped. I think I’m trying to future-proof this so that I don’t run out of titles. Am I totally overthinking this? How do you pick your titles?

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        August 10, 2018 at 11:12 am #673290
        La_
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            ideally everything has a title that’s either descriptive of what it is [Octo I, II, III] [Blue Octopus, etc]. or descriptive of what’s going on [Octo in a cave] or whatever.

            most viewers appreciate a title, but also your inventory log needs titles so you can keep track of things.

            your ‘no fixed address’ scheme is brilliant, carry on along those lines.

            la

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            When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know Peace

            August 11, 2018 at 3:03 am #673292
            Tipo
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                Titles are more intriguing if they have nothing too do with the painting.
                Wake or make up a list of titles while you have nothing better to do and then attribute them to the paintings numerically.
                The public love a puzzle especially if it can’t be solved!

                Tipo.

                August 11, 2018 at 6:24 pm #673293
                vanislandgirl
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                    I like the idea of keeping a list of potential titles handy. I feel like that might ease the pressure of trying to think of a title in the moment.

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                    August 11, 2018 at 8:16 pm #673291
                    Ellen E
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                        I agree that you’d definitely want to name your paintings and keep track of them.

                        I think a title for a grouping of similar works would be good and then you could give numbered names to each of the subsequent works falling under that category, naming each one.

                        I haven’t gotten to that point yet but I’m going to use some kind of system to keep track of mine once I do feel like I’m ready to start selling and keeping track of my watercolors.

                        August 12, 2018 at 1:21 pm #673294
                        vanislandgirl
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                            Ok, so taking some of this advice, I’ve started a little notebook just for titles. I’ve been brainstorming titles using various ideas and just letting my mind wander. I figure if I have this book to take a title from when I need it, I won’t feel so much pressure when it comes to naming the piece.

                            Ellen, as far as numbering and keeping track of your paintings, I think using a spreadsheet like on Google Drive would probably be sufficient to start.

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