The Art Supply I Keep Buying Even Though I Don’t Need It
Episode 1 of my new series "Studio Habits I Pretend Are Normal". There’s a moment — right before I click “Add to Cart” — when I swear I can hear a tiny voice whisper, "Jay… you already have twelve of those." But does that stop me? Absolutely not. I have a weakness, and its name is "paint brushes". Not the fancy, heirloom ones. Not the rare sable brushes that cost more than a car payment. No — I’m talking about the everyday workhorses. The flats, the filberts, the rounds, the angled shaders, the ones that promise “crisp edges” or “smooth blends” or “revolutionary synthetic fibers.” Every time I see a new one, I convince myself it’s going to unlock some hidden artistic superpower. And then there are the brush holders. Why do I keep buying brush holders? I have holders for clean brushes, holders for dirty brushes, holders that spin, holders that stand, holders that fold, holders that look like tiny canvas toolboxes. I even have one that clip...