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latex/the perfect brush/etc

updated wed 22 sep 04

 

mel jacobson on tue 21 sep 04


this entire thread brings to mind a very serious
issue.

what is the perfect brush?
the perfect medium?

the orientals say:

each brush is perfect, you just have to find the
stroke inside the brush that it was made for.
a broom is a good brush, if that is the stroke you
are looking for.

perfect thin latex, with the right brush....is
perfection for decoration on pots.
but, to find it. the combination of materials and tool.

it is like a calligrapher, with a quill, on vellum.
perfection in line. it feels just right. natural.

i have found that the most exciting thing about
hot wax is:
you only have one chance. it is on there for good.
( i know, re/bisque. but, i don't do that.)
quick stroke, rehearsed. fast, one chance.
i have seven brushes in my wax pot. two are 40 years old.
several are made of human and golden retriever hair.
they are made long and loose. just what i want. they live frozen
in the cold wax...they come alive when the heat is turned on.

when i paint on canvas, with acrylic, i use those cheap
chinese brushes....and then cut and ruin the front edge.
the older, the craggier they are, the better. i must have
100 of them...all sizes. i let them sit in the water for weeks.
it ruins them, then they get really nice for painting.
a new brush is like `ick, ish, it is awful`.
it is the stroke i want. i have sought that for years.
i found the brush that does it. a sable brush would make
me gag with acrylic...water color, a new story.

each tool has a life of its own. it up to the artist craftsman
to find that life. you try many things, select one of many.
learn to use it. then it becomes a part of your craft/art.
those that jump around too much never find out how to use
what they have. often if is a struggle. but, more than worth it.

it is like iron bearing clay. most reject it. but, when you find
the interface of clay, glaze, fire. each making color and texture.
well, that is a wonderful find.
mel



From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com