Photography & words: © Anna Rubingh
Publication NL SEASONS 07-2021
OF 050
OF 050
OF 057
OF 057
OF 070
OF 070
OF 035
OF 035
In Skåne, in the south of Sweden, a pure and environmentally safe paint is made; Ottosson linseed oil paint.
In early summer the flax fields of Skåne colour blue. Thousands of flax flowers produce linseed from which in a slow process linseed oil is cold pressed, drop by drop. From there the Swedish linseed oil finds its way to the Ottosson factory in Genarp. Together with natural pigments a pure linseed oil paint with highly protective qualities is made and distributed throughout Sweden and finding its way into Europe.
OF 022
OF 022
OF 071
OF 071
OF 021
OF 021
OF 062
OF 062
OF 031
OF 031
OF 033
OF 033
OF 042
OF 042
OF 072
OF 072
OF 009
OF 009
OF 027
OF 027
OF 073
OF 073
OF 060
OF 060
OF 074
OF 074
OF 075
OF 075
OF 076
OF 076
In the village of Genarp in  Skåne, Gunnar Ottosson founded his company in the late 8o-ties. 
The factory is just a short bicycle rideaway at the edge of the village overseeing the plains that surround Genarp In the workshop special colours get mixed, this is all done by hand by a very 
experienced staff. A large cabinet is filled with cardboard boxes containing samples & recipes of all the special mixed colours.
In the local Ottosson shop customers can purchase Ottosson paint. Of course the paint is distributed throughout Sweden and Europe but having their own shop helps them to keep in close contact with private customers explains Gunnar.    
OF 000
OF 000
OF 001
OF 001
OF 002
OF 002
OF 003
OF 003
OF 004
OF 004
OF 005
OF 005
OF 006
OF 006
OF 007
OF 007
OF 008
OF 008
OF 009
OF 009
OF 010
OF 010
OF 011
OF 011
OF 012
OF 012
OF 013
OF 013
OF 014
OF 014
In the Ottosson factory in Genarp the locally produced linseed oil and natural pigments are made into linseed oil paint by a dedicated and experienced staff.  
Making linseed oil paint is a craft dating back centuries. By using modern techniques Ottosson makes a durable paint that is environmentally safe and protects wood thoroughly from the inside out. Because both the ingredients as the paint itself are completely safe no special protection is required when making Ottosson linseed oil paint.
For its energy the Ottosson factory iscompletely self sufficient using wind and solar energy from its own sources. Heating comes from a geothermal plant which is located in a field behind the factory. 
OF 016
OF 016
OF 017
OF 017
OF 018
OF 018
OF 019
OF 019
OF 020
OF 020
OF 021
OF 021
OF 021
OF 021
OF 023
OF 023
OF 024
OF 024
OF 025
OF 025
OF 026
OF 026
OF 027
OF 027
OF 028
OF 028
OF 029
OF 029
OF 030
OF 030
OF 031
OF 031
OF 032
OF 032
OF 033
OF 033
OF 034
OF 034
OF 035
OF 035
OF 036
OF 036
OF 037
OF 037
OF 038
OF 038
OF 039
OF 039
I was in luck when I visited Ottosson Färgmakeri; The flax which is grown to produce linseed was just about to bloom. Fields full of small blue flowers as far as the eye can see is something spectacular to see.  
Flax for Ottosson’s linseed oil products is grown locally in Skåne in the South of Sweden. Flax has been grown and used all over Europe for centuries, using the seeds (linseed) for making linseed oiland linseed oil products and the fibre of the plants to make linen.
After harvesting the linseed, linseed oil is cold pressed at the Skåne farm. In that slow process oil is pressed out of the seeds drop by drop at the time. After that the cold pressed linseed oil is used to make Ottosson paint in the Ottosson factory in Genarp.
OF 041
OF 041
OF 042
OF 042
OF 043
OF 043
OF 044
OF 044
OF 045
OF 045
OF 046
OF 046
OF 047
OF 047
OF 048
OF 048
OF 049
OF 049
OF 050
OF 050
OF 051
OF 051
OF 052
OF 052
OF 053
OF 053
OF 054
OF 054
OF 055
OF 055
OF 056
OF 056
OF 057
OF 057
OF 058
OF 058
OF 059
OF 059
OF 060
OF 060
OF 061
OF 061
OF 062
OF 062
OF 063
OF 063
OF 064
OF 064
OF 065
OF 065
OF 066
OF 066
OF 067
OF 067
OF 068
OF 068
OF 069
OF 069
#0315b&w
#0315b&w
#0415b&w
#0415b&w
#0355b&w
#0355b&w
#0252b&w
#0252b&w
#0253b&w
#0253b&w

You may also like

Back to Top