Sun and Summit

20” X 10” X 1.5”

Acrylic on Canvas

I like to think of myself as a capable wordsmith, a creative writer. Although I can handle the nuts and bolts of technical writing, I’m more at home with word play. I like to string words together to express my thoughts or tell a story. I play with language as verbal paint that I apply to a paper canvas, or a digital one. One of my favorite forms of writing is titling. I enjoy creating clever or creative titles. I rely on puns and alliteration. Lately I’ve been creating titles for my paintings that follow a “This and That” format utilizing alliteration. Such as “Elm and Elderberry” or “Squid and Squalene.” During and after creating this sun and summit piece, I went through numerous ideas for titles, but none of them captured the essence of the work. It seemed that the harder I tried, the worse the ideas became.

One day my ten-year-old son, Eli, looked at the painting and said that he had a good idea for a suitable title. Often adults shy away from ideas or advice from children, assuming it will be silly or somehow inferior to their own work. But I thought I’d humor him and see what he had to say. He told me that I had two main subjects in the piece, and that they should be the title. He said, I know you like to use the “This and That” format with alliteration, so why not call it “Sun and Summit.” When he shared his title idea with me, it instantly rang true. “Brilliant!” I thought. Straight to the point. Although I fancy myself as a fancy wordsmith, sometimes the Son also rises.