What's In A Name?

The photo below is of a piece I recently acquired.  It is by Judith Meyer, a collage/assemblage artist.  I was immediately attracted to this piece when I first saw it.  It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why, sometimes I just like something because it "speaks" to me.  In this case,

• it is blue - there is either blue or red or both in most works that catch my eye.  There's even some red in the cord attaching the key to the lock.  
• I like locks and keys -  and the location here is close to the heart 
• the use of an x-ray image is unexpected
• I like maps - woven in and over the x-ray

I still can't say what exactly it is that I intuitively like about this piece; however, when I first saw it, I didn't know the title, but I was definitely interested in the piece.  Then, I went to a showing of Judith's work that included this piece, and I saw the title which made me want it more,"And How Shall I Answer You, and What Shall I Bring?"...I'm happy to say that I bought it.

And How Shall I Answer You, and What Shall I Bring?  by Judith Meyer

One thing this incident made me think about was the importance of naming a piece of artwork. How many times have you looked at a piece and started to move on, but you then read the title of it and went back for a second look? I have done it many times. Unless the piece is Untitled or just some vague number in a vaguely named series or the name of some unknown person being portrayed, the title can add something to the piece. At least it does to me. Usually, I'm looking back to see why they might have named it what they did. If it is a portrait, is it describing what the person was doing or preparing to do or a situation they are in or an emotion they are feeling? With many pieces, I look back wondering, "what is the artist trying to say that I have missed?"

The importance of the title has not really occurred to me before; thus, I have named works simply Masque I, Masque II, ....Masque VI....vague, unimaginative titles. Now, I will put more thought into them. Maybe this is something covered in an art appreciation class or painting 101. I don't know. I have taken neither of them.  But, I have done my research now and found that there are many good reasons for naming your baby something other than "Untitled", among them these 5 reasons.

I haven't had a chance to ask Judith how she came about the title of her piece, above, and what the work represents to her, but I will.   I'll share it here when I find out.

Glassell Student Art Show 2013

Each year Glassell has a student art show around the holidays.  It's a great time to find some one of a kind gifts, or if you're like me, it's a great time to acquire a few more pieces of art for your own personal collection : )


I went to the show last month and WOW! there was a lot of art to look at.  I didn't show any of my art, but if I am enrolled in Glassell this year, I will give it some serious consideration.


I was immediately attracted to one of the first paintings I saw.  As I walked along,a couple of other paintings caught my attention.  Each turned out to be by the same artist, so it's fair to say that I appreciate this artist's work.  Since the pieces were fairly large, I told myself that I would keep them in mind and, if after looking at the rest of the art, the first one was still there, then it was meant to be and I would buy it.  Later, after I had finished looking at the paintings, ceramics, drawings, jewelry and mixed media, I hurried back over to where we started and the painting was still there.  I walked away with it while some people were there looking at it...they didn't appear to be discussing whether or not they wanted to buy it, so I don't feel too bad :)


The painting is called Snow by Sabine Juery and I'm happy to say it looks beautiful hanging over my sofa.

"Snow" by Sabine Juery

New Addition to My Art Collection

I'm so excited and can't wait to hang this painting.  I just bought "Market Day" from artist Brenda Furman.  I LOVE the colors and texture.  They made me say "WOW!!" the first time I saw this and Brenda's other paintings.  She uses such a bright and cheerful palette and her subjects are so lively.  This particular painting was inspired by her daily experiences from the time she lived in Cape Town, South Africa.  Brenda says she has yet to see anything here in the states that compares.  Brenda is a very nice lady with a lovely South African accent.  I love listening to her talk. 

As is the case with most of my art collection, I not only love the piece I have purchased, but I also have fond memories of the artist, and some place and/or time associated with each one.  This one will always bring me joy and remind me of my South African studio neighbor at Art Square Studios.

Packages in the Mail

I love getting little packages in the mail! Today, my order from Cathy McMurray arrived.  I had ordered one of her paintings online through her Etsy shop.  "One Fine Day" is a serene and cheery piece.  It came with a Certificate of Authenticity, a little gift card, thank you note and Cathy's biz card, each was a mini-print of her beautiful artwork. Opening this package was a perfect way to start my day :)

"One Fine Day" by Cathy McMurray