Brushes make such a difference! With just the right spring and paint holding power a brush quickly becomes a friend. But that's the problem. They are so hard to give up that when they wear out it's tempting to "use them up". Frugal and loyal, I've painted whole pieces with brushes that have lost their spring, spread so the point has worn away and left a line of paint like a thread of toothpaste. The painting is a throw away because of it's cottage cheese surface. So this is to remind me to stock up on brushes and allow them to join the ranks of the "used up" sooner than later.