Memories of Painting Past
Feb 13, 2022
I remember that I used to enjoy working on several paint-by-number
projects when I was very young and I tried to think of what they were.
They were commercial kits that contained paint,
brushes and a preprinted canvas to paint on.
I remember a couple of them were a pair of clowns,
Emmett Kelly was his name.
Another one was a detailed battle scene from the Civil War. I have not determined yet which old painting it was adapted from.
These kits provided small cups of oil paints (Today the kits appear to include less expensive and faster drying acrylic paint.)
Oil paint has a distinctive smell which is the linseed oil that acts as the medium to which pigments are added to make up the paint.
I used to love the smell of the oil paint when I was a youngster
working on these paintings; over the years I had forgotten all about it.
Then a few years ago I decided to take up painting in oils seriously.
I purchased many books, canvases, brushes and paint.
Then something wonderful happened. I opened a tube of oil paint
and smelled it. At that moment I was deluged with memories of
painting with the most wonderful kind of paint in the world,
the beloved oil paints of my youth. I still get a surge of excitement
whenever I mix paint with linseed oil and get to smell it
and experience the joy of great memories.
There will be more posts soon! Thanks for reading.