Introduction: HOW I COME UP WITH TITLES FOR MY PAINTINGS

By MY SECRET PLACE
About: In my shop I have a name for hammer, saw, and plier. The saw is Tess, the hammer's Joe, and Glumdalclitch is the plier. Yes, I'm brillig, and my slithy toves still gyre and gimble in the wabe. With that, le…

As with Haiku, the title is as important as the words in the poem. So, too, with the titles I give my paintings. If it gives me a chuckle, if it has a hidden meaning, if it introduces something new to the viewer, if it makes someone think, I use it.

Not everything is a gem. The opening painting is simply called Hummingbird. But if I were to title it: "This JEM is called To Kill A Hummingbird" Would you stop and think: what a strange title? Do you know Harper Lee? the Finch family? Scout's brother?

Step 1: A FACE IN THE CROWD

A Face in the Crowd was a movie staring Andy Griffith. This is a painting of Andy Whorhol

Step 2: ACCOUNTANT AT THE URINAL

When I completed this painting I could only see that as the title and couldn't stop laughing. Yeah, I crack myself up.

Step 3: A MONKEY SHORT OF a PARLIAMENT

Here you have a whole bunch of flying owls and one flying monkey. Did you ever wonder what a group of owls is called?

Step 4: A TROUBLING

Yes, this group of goldfish is in big trouble judging by what's coming up behind them. Did you ever stop to think what a group of goldfish is called?

Step 5: BIRCHES BE CRAZY

Sheldon Cooper said, "Bitches be crazy," in an episode of the Big Bang Theory.

Step 6: A ROUND YOUNG VERSION OF MOTHER AND CHILD

This one I painted many years ago around Christmas time when carols were in my head.

Step 7: AL SHIMERS

A play on Alzheimer's.

Step 8: A GOOD BOOK TO LIVE IN

Melanie, an artist from the 60s, sang, Look What They've Done To My Song. One of the stanzas was: Wish I could find a good book to live in.

This is a painting of a character from a book: The Demon Plague by Joreid McFate. She is Crystal Donovan who lives in that book. She is reading that book, too. The tag line from that novel was THE PAST, THE FUTURE, AND NO PLACE TO HIDE. Yes, an exciting time travel page turner about the Salem Witch Trials

Step 9: Ba Tuti

Not familiar to you? This is another character from The Demon Plague by Joreid McFate. It is also the name I gave my Sun Conure.

Step 10: BREAKING WIND

Yep, that's another title that just cracks me up.

Step 11: GEORGE

Everybody sing: George, George, George of the jungle. Watch out for that tree.

Step 12: I C U

Picabo Street the Olympic skier had a summer job answering phones for an Intensive Care Unit but lasted only a day because she kept answering the phones: Picabo, ICU.

Yeah, and I like puns, too.

Step 13: KABUKI ROLLING SOMEHTING FROM HIS NOSE

This painting hung on the wall in our house for quite some time until Wifey found out the name of it, gagged, and had me take it down.

Step 14: SEEDLESS IN SEATTLE

Need I explain this one?

Step 15: KIDDELEY BEANS

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Kiddeley beans.

Don't you mean kidney beans?

That's what I said, diddle I?

Step 16: QUAGGA

No, this is not a zebra. It is a Quagga. Time to Google what that is?

Step 17: OLD LANG'S SIGN

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never read the sign on the wall.

Step 18: THE HOME STRETCH

This is a cropped picture of the home stretch.

Step 19: LUCKY LADYBUG

Another song from my youth.

Step 20: TO THE POINT

Cara Deangelis is a phenomenal artist of road kill. Yes, road kill. Her paintings have such depth and detail I paid homage to her extraordinary talent by painting this picture of her in only three colors, hopefully, making my point.

Step 21: THE SHADOW NOSE

As a kid I used to listen to a radio program in which they'd say: The Shadow Knows.

Step 22: TIT IN a TUB

Another title that just cracked me up.

Step 23: SAFKA

I wonder what the last name of Melanie is? I've got a brand new pair of roller skates. This song was actually banned due to suggestive lyrics.

Step 24: HOT AIR

There are several references being made with this title.

Step 25: READING RAINBOW

Paying homage to Kunta Kinte.

Step 26: JUMP, IT'S FUN, JUMP, IT'S EASY

From a Parcheesi commercial.

Step 27: SMOKE, SMOKE, SMOKE THAT CIGARETTE

Another song from my yute--what? Did you say 'yute?' Oh, excuse me your honor--my youth... This one by Merle Travis and Tex Williams.

Step 28: LEONIDS

I painted this mid November.

Step 29: HER LAST ARROW

When I finished this painting I realize I'd forgotten her quiver.

This brings me to the end. I hope I sent you searching beyond what I have explained.

To quote the good doctor: Oh, the places you'll go.....