What is in a name...

If you have been following me on any social media platform, or here, you will have caught wind that 4 months ago, one of my dearest friends committed suicide. Sonya Scott was an incredible artist and designer, and I was so lucky to have her as a good friend. We were working on a collaboration for Co:Operation Garnish, an upcoming exhibition. We had been talking about salt and all the possibilities and significance of salt, and how we could use it for this project. I have since been referring to it as "The Salt Project."

When Sonya passed away, I decided to keep the collaboration going. It took her husband about a month to find the journal she and I had been sharing, and in the meantime, I got to writing down everything I could remember that we had spoken of. Once the journal was found, her words gave me a lot more focus and direction.

I am now making two neckpieces--one is a locket which doubles as a brooch and pendant, and the other is a statement necklace meant to signify the value of salt as a trade in ancient Roman times. So now, I am faced with the prospect of naming these two pieces.

Naming a piece is always an interesting process. I tend to start out with an intention, or idea, and let it mull around in my head for a while. For instance, for the locket, there is a quote of Sonya's I have in the journal. I may use the entire quote for the title. Or, I may shorten it.

For the statement necklace, ideas such as "What Value We Bestow" are floating around. Sometimes I tackle the dictionary and thesaurus for ideas--even just changing one word can make the difference I was looking for. In a name, there should be enough intrigue to keep people guessing a bit. I am a big fan of innuendo and imagination. I am rarely satisfied with "Untitled," although sometimes that is the best title there is.