The Journey of a Paintbrush....

The internet has made the world so much smaller...and accessible when it comes to shopping!

As an avid member (and moderator) on Faux Forum, I saw a post where someone had found a listing on ebay (UK) for some vintage paintbrushes. (Thanks Roy of the UK) 

These were not just any brushes, but hogs hair softener brushes (3 inch) made in 1946 and were sitting in a military warehouse in England! Hogs hair brushes are a bit coarse by nature and not as popular as a badger hair softener.

 I owned a few badger softeners, but no hogs hair, so I jumped on line and bought one( there were a few dozen in that warehouse) Opening the package was an experience in itself!

These brushes were made when quality was the norm, the handles were wooden, turned on a lathe with a nice grip, and the packaging was almost over the top!

The brushes were still sealed from the manufacturer and stamped with the date packed. Layers of waxed paper, thick corrugated paper and other cardboard cradled the brush as if it was an artifact.

The box certainly was musty, but the brush was in excellent condition!

Even the handle had an identification tag tied with twine..sigh...such care given to an humble hogs hair brush.

So, after waiting , forgotten in a surplus warehouse, 66 years later and  thousands of miles , a simple hogs hair brush is now working full time! I am learning its nuances and promise to care for it for the next generation of decorative artists...they just don't make hogs hair like they used to! 

Art Walk...

This weekend, I participated in a downtown art walk....

The weather was perfect and I was lucky enough to be located in an old bank building in front of the escalators...

I saw lots of friends, made new ones and talked nonstop for four hours! 

The old bank lobby still has the beautiful marble walls I remembered from childhood. The building has been closed for years and has just reopened to be renovated.

I went early enough to go upstairs(no electricity) to the main banking area. The art deco ornament still circles the lobby walls , only the gilded columns show the most wear and tear due to the lack of a controlled environment.

This was the most elegant building I knew as a child. The gilded columns, art deco frieze,  marble walls and escalator were my first introduction to architectural beauty. You can still see the pattern of the leaf on the columns, now slightly derelict. 

Patination and aging have always interested me and seeing the natural light still illuminating the now oxidizing leaf, made it even more beautiful to me. I can't wait to see the restoration of this, almost forgotten art deco structure complete!