Heartsong Studio

“Uncommon Sense”

We have expressions like “leading around by the nose” and “as plain as the nose on your face”, yet our noses’ sense of smell isn’t very good.  Would you dare to allow your nose to seduce you deeper into
artistic expression ?

The sense of smell is probably the  weakest of all senses for most people in the modern world.  Though smell used to be more keenly developed when humans needed it for survival.

In our culture, we go to great lengths to avoid any “unpleasant” odours.  Funny thing - to avoid our weakest sense ! 

Maybe it’s because our sense of smell is so weak, that odours can evoke the strongest, long forgotten memories and emotions.

What does an aroma look like ?  The delicate scent of violets ? The first apple blossom ?  The sweet smell of hay in an old barn ?  A pressed flower in an antique diary ?

Being there, experiencing the scents of the locale, can add a whole rich patina to your expression, for which we lack words.

In dogs, the sense of smell is hundreds of times more acute than ours.  It could be said that dogs’ sense of smell replaces our
sense of sight in importance.  Watch a dog inhaling the many odours on one blade of grass.  They can discern what animal was there, its sex and state of health, just for a start.

It would be a terrible distraction if our sense of smell were as acute as a dog’s. 

At most perfume counters, there is a small dish of coffee beans. Our noses need frequent refreshing, between each perfume sampled. The smell of coffee refreshes it somehow. This gives new meaning to the expression “Wake up and smell the coffee”. 

I’ve known a couple of people who were born without any sense of smell or taste, yet they seem to live quite rich lives without these senses. 

Here’s a tip, and a dare, for the most inspiring, deeply earthy aroma you’ll ever find.  This is one of my secret pleasures, until now. . . 

Find a dog who will let you bury your nose right in between the pads of its front foot. Inhale  deeply.  It’s the most elusive,
deeply mysterious smell on earth !

I must admit, I’ve never trusted a cat with my nose between its pads.  Those claws can be sharp.  But if you have a cat you trust,
try its foot’s smell.  I  imagine it might be like a tiger’s, whatever that’s like.  Maybe more acidic than a dog’s. . .

You could also begin with a smell, and grow a whole work of art from this one scent.  That’s how evocative odours can be.
 
What would you create from the smell of inside an old Cuban cigar box ?  What about wet wicker ?  Or the seashore at low tide ?  The scent of soup heating in a warm kitchen when you first come in on a cold day ?  Or the scent in a cool glade on a hot day ?  The compost heap ?

Often in walking through woods of evergreens and deciduous trees, there are ribbons of scent that remind me of Christmas spices.  My smeller fades too quickly for me to trace this odour.  Could be
there’s mistletoe growing higher up in a tree.

Whatever the subject of your work at the moment, just taking a smelling expedition in relation to it, can have a profound effect.
Not directly, perhaps, not illustrating a smell,  but becoming your subject.

Opening up your olfactory senses, and with them, your old memories, will translate into your work indirectly.  Your expression will be enhanced quite unconsciously,  and so will your viewers’ perception of your work.

Close your eyes and remember how a dusty road smells after a good rain ; the pungent odour of wet dog’s fur ; soggy mittens and
sheep. 

A field of golden grass in the sun smells distinctly different from the same field of grass, sodden and cold.  Stale cigarette smell reeks forever.  The smell of delicate bones of a long decomposed bird is the most delicate, just beyond elusive smell there is.

Give your nose a special vacation.  Secret smells may lead you around by the nose and enrich your sensual pleasure.  Smells can take you way back to your childhood.  It can travel all the way down your arm and into your work. 

Oil painters know this.  That’s why many artists like using oils. Moist clay has its own odour.  Cutting and welding metal has quite
an acrid smell.  Cutting open all types of wood  releases many different resin perfumes.

Even if your medium doesn’t have much characteristic scent, don’t mask natural scents with air deodorizers or perfume when you work. 

Help your nose come back to life.  It wants to get into the action, and plug you into a broader sensuality.

Was that too raunchy for you ?
Care to share your secret odour experience ?