“Don’t be afraid to be unique or speak your mind, because that’s what makes you different from everyone else.” ~Dave Thomas, American businessman
It’s not often in life that people “call them as they see them.” It’s even more rare within the abstract art world, as the very nature of this type of art seeks to avoid a concrete description and allow the individual viewer to reach their own unique conclusion. Even still, there comes a time when it benefits the artist to allow certainty into the abstract. Artist Jim Klein recalled one such time when it came to titling a recent piece, Woman in Kitchen.
How did Woman in Kitchen come to be?
Jim: I started this painting inside the Art Factory as a detailed wash covering the entire canvas, which I thought was a great work in itself. From that point on, I was not sure what to do with this painting. I grew worried that I was going to mess up this beautiful wash because once you start painting, it will take off on its own. There’s no eraser with acrylic paint on a good wash background.
Still stuck on exactly where to go, I decided to take the easel and canvas from inside the Art Factory to outside on the sidewalk. Sometimes a change in scenery can help the creative process. I also brought a chair to sit down and studied the canvas for a long time, trying to understand what direction I should go.
Did bringing the unfinished painting outside help your process?
Jim: It did help, although not initially. As people passed by on the street, they gave really nice comments on the canvas, but that made it even more challenging. These folks already liked what they saw; I really did not want to mess up this wash!
And from there it becomes very hazy; I don’t even recall what happened immediately after. Somehow and very spontaneously, I started to paint an outline. I also remember going in and out of the Art Factory to grab different paints, adding to the paint pool. The blanks started to fill in as the different colors were incorporated and the painting began to take off on its own.
Then, seemingly all at once, it was finished.
Where did the title “Woman in Kitchen” come from? It’s very specific compared to some of your other works.
Jim: I really struggled with this part. When I can’t think of a name for one of my paintings, I always ask people walking around on Main Street and their suggestions often greatly help title my works.
In this case, I was very stuck. The finished painting sat outside with me for a few days. I heard many suggestions from many helpful passersby, but none of them felt right.
After some time, I decided to carry the painting over to the gallery and have my art consultant give her thoughts, but along the way, I ran into a small family walking around town with their young daughters. The oldest seemed about my granddaughter’s age, so I asked her what she thought I should call this painting. The young girl studied the canvas for a moment, then answered, “Women in a Kitchen”. She was very stern about it and so sure. Her parents came up with a few other suggestions, but the little girl was very certain about her title. “NO”, she emphasized to her small audience, “that’s a woman in the kitchen.”
Her mind was made up.
I thanked the family, then carried on to the gallery. I showed the painting to our art consultant, and after our discussion, I returned the canvas to the Art Factory. Studying the painting, I thought back to the little girl and how set she was on what she saw. I decided that was the best title for the piece.
I hope that lovely family comes across this painting again so they can see that they helped name it. I wish that little girl well; maybe she’ll be a great artist someday.
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