I hadn't stopped to look at my work kit for quite some while. I simply use it when required, semi-clean it, and add it to the pile until the next job.
Just yesterday I was working on a small job, and suddenly realised that ALL my brushes were no more than worn-out rubbish. Frankly I was somewhat embarrassed by my own lack of 'care'.
'Professional' painters are far more slap-dash than their 'Amateur' cousins. Whereas the Amateur will buy sets of colours, sets of brushes, nice wooden palettes, and ready made canvasses, the Pro' will often make do with whatever is handy at the time; I once had a friend who used toothpaste instead of white paint; what his work looked like after a few years, I can't imagine. Winsor and Newton's clientele, are far more likely to be members of an Art Club, than to have graduated from the RCA.
Looking at my kit, above, I've realised that a visit to my nearest supplier is definitely on the cards. If someone was to ask to borrow a brush, I'd have to refuse.... they are disgusting.
I once visited Francis Bacon's mews studio in South Ken; it was way far filthier than mine, his piles of brushes were left uncleaned, and there were tubes of paint all over the floor. I'm not yet that bad.
Some contrast to the kit the sign writers used before vinyl wrap. Their brushes were kept in fine fettle.
ReplyDeleteYes; amazing brushes too.
DeleteYes, they have brushes with hairs a foot long for lining. Very impressive.
DeleteIn my experience it's the professionals in whatever "trade" who keep their tools sharpened, their brushes clean. Shipshape. Unless, of course, you have the riches of, say, Mick Jagger who is said to wear a white T-shirt only once.
ReplyDeleteStill, nothing wrong with a bit of feeding romantic folklore as to the artistic mind, the absent minded genius.
Come to think of it your photo above would make a good one hundred pieces jigsaw puzzle.
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You obviously know much more about the subject than I do. Thank you for putting me right.
DeleteI expect talented yet impractical artists just buy new brushes rather than clean or maintain old ones. Yours just look worn out.
ReplyDeleteLike me!
DeleteTut! Was your toy box that messy when you were a boy?
ReplyDeleteWorse; and you should see Boo Boo's!
DeleteI thought your top picture WAS an accidental work of art. You could call it "Neglect" and sell it to the Saatchis for a million.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I could suspend them in formaldehyde.
DeleteI presume the natural progression to that would be to host 'Have I Got News For You'. I look forward to it!
DeleteI'm just waiting for the phone call.
DeleteThis took me back to the days of my first husband's studio but he always used to say he knew where everything was.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally it would be good to see one of your paintings - any possibility?
I, too, know where everything is, my only problem is the mess.
DeleteI'm surprised to see those brushes. You're a person who doesn't leave anything half done or not done at all.
ReplyDeleteYour artistic temperamento shows in that photo.
Today was my shopping day, and guess what; I forgot to buy more brushes!
DeleteI seem to produce my best work when I'm surrounded by chaos and mess, it's a necessary part of my creativity. Quite strange really because in other parts of my life I am very neat and tidy.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say the same, although in the kitchen I'm extremely organised.
DeleteOld paint brushes make splendid texure brushes. You can trim and smoosh old brushes into texture brushes. You see mess. I see treasures.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean for 'scumbling'? They would certainly be good for that.
DeleteA textures brush used as a brush, sort of like a stamp does on paper. I had a tree brush I used to touch the canvas, roll, and next stroke, move down to create the tree trunk. A 2 inch plastic brush pressed down so it curls and distorts the fibers when dabbed in paint, can create a lot of branches or texture.
DeleteTime to go shopping! It will be exciting, there'll be lots of goodies to contemplate and you'll probably get some gift-with-purchase for your patronage.
ReplyDeleteYour assemblage of your tools of the trade does rather look like the proverbial bottom kitchen drawer. Everything you might need should be in there, but what a chore to go through it all first!
That's only part of it. It's a mess, and Lady M is constantly telling me to do something about it.
DeleteLOL. We all have our ways, don't we?
ReplyDeleteI certainly do!
DeleteThat photo has spurred me on towards a more sorted study...slowly!
ReplyDelete