I would contact the artist. That is a huge disappointment. I would think an artist would know smoke smell would be a turn off.

What is the technique/material, i.e. can it be wiped off?

http://clicks.robertgenn.com/smell-of-art.php

Thanks for the feedback. I've contacted the artist and will see what she says.

The art is acrylic, so potentially easier to clean than other mediums. But I don't want to risk damaging the art until I know if I will return it or not.

Is it on canvas? If so, removing it will be nearly impossible because it will be in the fabric. :-(

If it's not possible to return/exchange the pieces, you might try placing the artwork in a large flat box or trash bag, and cover them with baking soda (which you would then brush and/or vacuum off using a soft brush and cloth). I have NO idea if acrylic painted canvas can stand up to that, so you'd have to research it, and of course, be very gentle with the cloth, brush, etc., if you do try it.

My parents had had a fire in their previous home years ago, and were able to salvage many of my mom's needlepoints by removing the fire/smoke smell, and even some of the soot which darkened the embroidery silks and yarns, by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda over them, letting it sit (a few hours?? days??? longer???) and then vacuuming it off with a soft brush attachment. I further "cleaned" the one needlepoint they gave me (the only one I wanted) via this method prior to having it re-framed. I don't recall if we worked the baking soda into the fibers (gently, with our fingers), but you probably wouldn't want to do that on a painting (perhaps on the back of the canvas?).

I recently brought home a framed (under glass) print that reeked of cigarette smoke. I didn't even notice it when I was initially looking at the piece, but only discovered the stink when I got it home. I put it aside, and within a week or so the smell was gone. That may not work for your canvas though. Here's something I found online, which might be worth a try (although you might want to protect the canvas a bit more than just plopping it in a bag with the charcoal):

We had that problem when my grandmother (a heavy three pack a day chain smoker) passed away.
My mother had some paintings cleaned professionally and with others that were family favourites but not worth the professional price, she gently wiped off the front with a slightly damp rag and then she put them in a plastic bag with odor absorbing charcoal (like the kind used for RV's or damp basements, not the bbq kind). I buy mine from a big deparment store in the RV and camping section. They also in some stores keep it near the mothballs and laundry products.
It worked like a charm.

Put it in a big trash bag with charcoal briquets and let sit for a few days. If that doesn't work, try fresh coffee grounds. I have had smoke damage to my home on several occasions, but was able to salvage most everything using one or the other :)

You can also simply put them in a shady spot in your back yard and let them air out. My husband does this with dye-cast cars that he buys on e-bay from smokey homes before he resells them.

Thanks everyone, you're giving me hope! It's acrylic on stretched canvas.

I contacted the artist. She responded very quickly and kindly. She said there were no smokers in her house, but there is a wood fire. I've been driving myself crazy smelling this artwork to determine what it smells like. The artwork itself, could be a wood fire, I think. But the packaging, I'm still smelling cigarette smoke. The artist has offered to test Febreeze on a painting she has and let me know how it turns out.

The pieces are returnable, but it would cost a substantial amount to ship back and I'd lose the original shipping cost. I also really like them of course!

I'm going to give it a few more days of airing out, and then proceed with all the de-smoking methods mentioned.

How long ago was the painting completed? Could it be the acrylic medium that hasn't fully dried/cured that you're smelling?.

I never liked painting with oil because I'm not a fan of the linseed oil smell.

@chijim-I paint with water mixable oils so there is no linseed oil and they act as traditional oils-except traditional oils, some brands, are a tad more buttery. And they are absolutely non toxic. Water to clean the brushes, water to thin and can also be a medium. I've been using them for about 30 years.

It is fully cured, so it is not the smell of the acrylic paint unfortunately.

westsider40, do water mixable oils take as long to cure as traditional oils?

I think it's a great idea to put them in something (a plastic bin maybe) with the order absorbing crystals made for RV's and closets that IdaClaire mentioned. I bought some at a marine supply store for a cabinet I purchased and it worked very well. No mess involved at all.

ETA I've also gotten smells out of old furniture using lots of crumpled newspaper. You could try that in a plastic bin, as well.

Linelle,. Water mix able oils dry in 2-5 days depending on color. I am not exactly sure about curing and/or oxidizing but I think it's probably 6 months or way less. You can frame dry work in a relatively short time,. Few weeks perhaps. Traditional oils take a lot longer than water mix oils for any situation. There are variables, such as, how thickly the paint is applied, how much oil is used to act as a medium, how many layers there are, etc.. In any case, water oils will dry and cure faster than trad oils. Jerry's Artarama is a retailer with useful info on their website. Others are cheap joe's, art something warehouse, dick blick, ya ya. Really fun so give it a shot. Years ago, I read that talent is95% desire so I bought that koolaid and enjoyed the process. Contact me if any questions.

OdoBan has odor removing crystals and sprays.

I have wiped canvas art (gently) with a cloth dampened with OdoBan to remove cooking odors. It's safe if you're careful.

Odoban is great you can also put them in a bag with coffee grounds as they also act like a filter similar to charcoal

westsider40

@chijim-I
paint with water mixable oils so there is no linseed oil and they act
as traditional oils-except traditional oils, some brands, are a tad more
buttery. And they are absolutely non toxic. Water to clean the
brushes, water to thin and can also be a medium. I've been using them
for about 30 years.

***********************************************

Tks for the info.

Follow up ...

I aired these outside for a few days while I was out of town (shaded and protected of course). When I came back the smoke smell was 99% gone!

Now they are finally hung!

Yay! They are beautiful. Is it OK to say I think they are hung a bit high? Could just be the angle of the photo, though :)

Love your art! Who is the artist?

Glad it worked out. Looks really nice in your space.

Even better now that they're lower. And they were awesome before! Nice.

They're lovely! Nice choices for your pretty room. Glad they smell much better too.

Much to my angst I have seen many Post Office AND UPS drivers inside their vehicles with a cig hanging out of their mouths! A real bummer as an artist and online retailer myself who goes out of the way to make sure a package is clean and smells nice for customers! I feel for this shopper AND artist... must have been a huge bummer to get that smelly news! BTW A dusting of baking soda shouldn't be a problem for most any artwork unless it's wetted and/or metal.

I brought a large painting in my house from an auction. In no time, the whole house was contaminated with a very strong smoke or other smell. I gave it many treatments of vinegar, without a significant result. Desperate, I used a water-based wood primer even on the back of the canvas, expecting to damage the painting permanently. The smell has completely disappeared. Moreover, it doesn't change the appearance of the painting or the frame like a varnish would surely do. Such a smell seems to penetrate deep in the wood frame, and not only on the surface.