How Do You Title Your Artwork? 

by Rachael McCampbell

When I’m in a hurry to get a painting photographed to send out, I get lazy on creating interesting titles. I’m trying to be better about this because I do think it’s important and can make or break a sale sometimes.

Witty titles that make people stop, think and laugh can be fun. I saw a painting once of a sideview of a rabbit in a bowl entitled, “There’s a hare in my soup.” Some people will even buy a painting mainly for the title!

When collectors are considering an art purchase, they often like to create their own personal story about what they are looking at and how it makes them feel. If you get too descriptive with your titles, you risk tainting that person’s interpretation of your work. Keeping a title mysterious and vague can be helpful.

“The Troll Bridge, Elkmont, Smokies,” Oil on panel by Rachael McCampbell

When I do plein air studies, I often like to use generic titles that simply states the location of the place…almost like a postcard description. But when I create a larger studio version of this painting, I try to get more poetic with my titles.

The genesis of your title can come from anywhere. For title ideas, I usually turn to song lyrics, poetry or if it’s a landscape the location name or history. Sometimes I alter the words I find—mixing a phrase with other words to create a unique thought or impression.

“The Swan,” inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem by the same title, 18″ x 24″, Oil on canvas by Rachael McCampbell

Mary Oliver’s poetry is often a great source for my titles. In one case, she wrote, “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness.” Intriguing but not what I wanted. From that I borrowed, “A box full of darkness” but switched out darkness for light—“A box full of light.”  From another Mary Oliver line, “A bride married to amazement,” I shortened it to become, “Married to Amazement.”

“From Bitter Searching of the Heart” , Oil and acrylic on canvas, 4′ x 6′ w, by Rachael McCampbell

Leonard Cohen’s song, “Villanelle for Our Time,” I used two lines from the first stanza for two different painting titles: “From Bitter Searching of the Heart” and “We rise to play a greater part.”  Both of those were used for my equine art which has nothing to do with those words. By juxtaposing an image with words that are non-descriptive, I feel it creates a more engaging experience for the viewer.

The Bible or other spiritual resources can offer a magical turn of phrase, for example, 2 Corinthians 4:18, “…what is unseen is eternal” — a nice title for a landscape.

Titles are subjective and personal. I believe they should resonate first with the artist as it’s an extension of you and your work. But sometimes, when I get stuck, I post a painting on social media asking for title suggestions, which not only can give you something you never could have dreamed up on your own, but also engages folks with your work and helps them to feel a part of the artistic process.

Happy titling!