brush up

I’m no painter.

I admire those who paint, but I’ve  never been terribly comfortable with a brush myself.  It’s intimidating.  Only recently have I even tried decorating my own pots with a brush.

I’m kinda digging’ it, though.  I’m learning more and more with each batch of pots I make.  The key is a swift, light, deliberate stroke.  Hesitate and you’ll screw it up, especially when decorating pottery.  You have to keep the marks fresh, or it just looks like you’re trying too hard.

Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few brushes.  I separate them by style, storing them in cafeteria trays for easy viewing.

Hands down, my favorite brushes are made from, of all things, cat whiskers.  A single whisker does a great job of laying down a really fine line.  I’ve tried as lot of other materials, but whiskers work the best.

I assure you, no cats were harmed in the making of these brushes.  I have to wait for Kitty to drop one naturally and that doesn’t happen very often.  So, as you can imagine, they’re precious.  I only have three.  They’re so precious, in fact, I keep them safe in their own foam-lined box.  ∆