Why change to oil paint?

Why change and paint in oil?  For the last, almost a year, I have had a full set of oil paints just sitting around waiting for me to paint with them. I loved painting in oil but the smell would drive you right out of the house. In the last 15 years, since I stopped painting with oil, new brands like Gamblin, have come out that don’t make the house smell like a furniture factory. I had asked for them for my birthday last year and I couldn’t wait to get back to it. So I said but I kept putting it off saying “when I have time” but the time never came. Well the time came this March 15th, not right away but soon after the state, the country and the world shut down. Shelter in place they said so now would be the time.  I felt so excited to start again with oil, excited and nervous.  My first shot was not so successful.  I tried working the way I had when I left oil, painting with knives and not a brush.  My colors before had been hard and very bright, pretty angry really.  The paint was put on very thick like spreading icing.  I was so unhappy with the piece I had to stop in the middle of that painting and start a new one.  It just wasn’t working. Clearly, I no longer paint that way, I’m just not that person anymore. With oil I do not use black oil paint.  In sumi Ink the medium I have been using exclusively for the last 15 years, it’s all shades of black and gray with only a small splash of color.  To create dark colors in oil I use a mixture of Burnt Umber or Burnt Senna and a blue either Cobalt or Prussian depending on whether I want a green tinted black or a purple tinted black.  Shadows now have color and exploring that is exciting.  Have you ever really looked at a shadow?  It has muted shades of every color in the rainbow if you look close.  All juxtaposed together to give you gray.  My walks outside now take on new meaning and new exploration of color. Shadows can be outlined in blue.  The shadow combinations of color changes whether it’s on pavement or grass, time of day or season. Next time you look at a shadow, really look and see if you can pick out any colors.    ~