Why don’t you sign your paintings?

[caption id="attachment_164" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="artsit Ann Rea's singature"]artsit Ann Rea's signature[/caption] Why don’t you sign your paintings? I actually do sign my paintings.  I just sign them on the back.  I do this because I think that first it's about the painting, the act of creation.  I know that it’s mine and so does the collector. And each collector who invests in an original work receives a signed “Certificate of Title” detailing the transfer of ownership of the painting. It’s not because I’m not proud of my paintings or that I don’t want to identify with them.  I just prefer to maintain as little visual distraction as possible, even if it is my signature. People have asked if I would also sign the front of a finished piece.  Of course I would but interestingly these people have never actually purchased anything. Normally I do sign larger commissioned canvases.  And that’s simply because there is more real estate to work with and so the signature does not become a distraction, as it can on a smaller canvas. When do you sign a painting? Typically an artist signs their work when it’s done.  However I wait until it’s dry and I’ve lived with it for a while.  After I’ve walked away for a few weeks I can return and look at it with fresh eyes and determine if I’m going to keep it or destroy it.  If I decide to keep it, I sign and title it, and enter it into my inventory database.  Then I have it professionally photographed by an art photographer.  If it doesn’t make the grade I destroy it.  The act of destruction is somehow a satisfying act of cleansing, like ripping a bad first draft to shreds.
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