Covered Nude (Previously "Untitled")
Perhaps you have noticed that I generally name my artworks after the models who inspired them.
In the case of the painting shown above, the models' names were Janet and Dave. I already had
another painting titled
Dave with Janet (same Janet, different Dave), so I thought a very similar
title might be confusing. [I actually painted a reclining Janet back in 1994 and while painting
the sitting figure of Dave over her in 2001, I enjoyed the transparent overlapping of the images and continued in that direxion.]
Having a work of art titled "Untitled" makes as much sense to me as those booklets that
contain an otherwise blank page that contains the words "This page intentionally left blank." Also,
in the spring of 2001, I was considering whether or not to merchandise my work in the form of T-Shirts,
coffee mugs, and mousepads. (I already sell my own notecards.)
To help me research whether this was a good idea or not, I thought I would hold a contest via
my Web site. The contest asked viewers to suggest as many titles for the above work as they could
come up with. In return, the winning entry would award the winner the artwork image of his or her
choice on the item of his or her choice. My intent was to see which art and item my audience would like to have the
most (if at all), so I could best determine where to start. The contest ended June 30, 2001.
The winning entry was "Covered Nude" by David Ritchie* in Canada.
He selected the work Billy
to be on a coffee mug. My mother, an aunt, and both sisters were visiting during the close of the contest and
I naturally got everyone's opinion on the list of entries. We had a lot of fun with it and some titles
suggested others to my family, such as "Bittersweet", "Into You", "Fakin' It" (as a horizontal), "Fantasy (Man)",
"One-ness", and "Dreamcatcher". Ultimately, I chose the winning title because
of the idea of the male figure blanketing (cloaking or protecting) the female figure, giving her comfort or keeping
her warm perhaps. I hope this interpretation was not too far off from David's.
*Full name printed with permission.
Other suggested titles included:
- The Fabric of Her Imagination
- One
- Soulmates (more than one entry)
- In You
- Shroud of masculinity
- Whisper from a Ghost
- Just Passing By
- Looking Nude
- Turning Nude
- Inspiration
- You on My Mind
- The Woman Within
- His Female Side
- Always with Me
- United
- Body and soul
- Matrimony
- Double Exposure
- Children of Man
- Man created
- Sweet Lorraine
- After the Prom (note [from entrant]: I don't know what means either!)
- Jane's Opus
- Man Overboard
- Lois Sees Clark the First Time
- Dave's Memory
- Illusion of Janet
- Capture of Janet
- Together, One
- Souls, Intwined
- 1+1=1
- Me, You, One
- Together
- Shy Love
- Colour My World
- Enter My Soul
- Juxtaposed
- Fire and Ice
- The Rape Of Fred
- Alter Ego
- Vacancy . . . Filled
- Triptec
- Three in One
- Imperfect Love
- We Are One
- Union
- Within and Without
- Partial Eclipse
- "OPOKA" (strong help, right place,...)
One entrant included in his entry the comment: It could NOT be called "Intertwined" because the female is within the male but then looking away at the same time, in need of her own space.
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