Maybe a stupid question, Bill, but I *love* smelling old things, cigarette and cigar smoke, tar, the smell of turpentine. How can I bring the smell of art into the studio? For me, it’s a nostalgic sort of thing. I often buy food for the memories I have associated with it, and not necessarily the taste itself. September is one of my favorite months of the year when stores bring out their autumn-themed debbie cakes. Oh, and I LOVE the smell of linseed oil.

Well, if you were to use Oil of Spike Lavender, and Linseed Oil, or Stand Oil, you will experience the absolute ultimate in “Oil-Paint-smelling-ingredients” that you will ever experience. There is a suggestion by some artists who are experienced in the more wonderful, “exotic” medium ingredients, that Oil of Spike actually inspires a more “creative attitude” when used in the studio, by its mere presence on the palette, and permeating the air as you work with it.

I tend to agree with that assessment, actually. I feel that I’ve accomplished much better, more creative work since I’ve been using the “home-made” medium that I’ve been using for several years, now. It includes Linseed Oil, Walnut Oil, and Oil of Spike. And, now that I have a solid source for the best, most economical, Oil of Spike I’ve ever used, and Water-washed Linseed, and Water-washed Walnut Oils, I am a happy camper in my oil painting!

It’s been working for me!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Vegetable oils tend to have nice scents in general, petroleum oils not so much.

In fact, essential oils (Oil of Spike Lavender, Clove Oil, and a few others) are all generally used by aroma therapists. They provide wonderful relaxing scents that help relieve stress and can in turn boost confidence. I keep a cup of coffee beans in a jar with a little candle holder in it that I light the candle of and the beans get all hot and the smell coming out is wonderful relaxing coffeeshop smells.

My studio/office has a slightly different smell than the rest of the apartment. In fact, it’s the lack of other smells from around the house that I most identify with painting, the simple slightly floral, nutty, and smokey notes of all the ingredients I use in my area.

I love smell of linseed oil and poppyseed oil too. BTW grocery linseed oil does not have this lovely smell. Or at least brand I tried.

It is the rancidity of the Linseed, or Walnut Oil that imparts the “smell” associated with “oil paint”.

I can smell a similar smell with grocery linseed oil. Oh wait, I hope I’m not getting rancid oil…

I wonder if you can get some idea of how dry a painting is my smelling it.

I think you actually CAN, to some extent!

One reason not to use food store oils as painting oils is that they have often been laced with ingredients (and other oils) to PREVENT them from “going rancid”. It is the ability of an oil to “go rancid” that makes it suitable for paint drying.

While true, this often gets overstated, and very frequently they charge more for oil that has these added antioxidants because consumers want it to last extra long. If one wants to buy a food grade quality oil, just do some research first is all, the information is rarely hard to find except if you are picking up the oil in a liquidation store (some of that stuff can be picked up cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeap, perfect for making soap on the cheap in huge quantities).