Some artists say old brushes should be thrown away, because they lose their spring and vitality. Some people even have brush burning ceremonies.

But I like my old brushes. They acquire quirky habits and can do lots of things my new brushes can't. One of my favourites is an old fellow who has gotten very thin and flat... and is the only one good at doing certain jobs. Some have bent bristles, and others are stubby, all able to give a variety of strokes and textures.

Of course, I do add new brushes every once in a while, they are very lively. But I always keep my old ones.
 

So Miro's comment on old brushes made me laugh, "I like old brushes, uneven, flattened out, that produce `accidents'. If housepainters come to my place to do something, I say to them, `Keep the oldest brushes you have. Don't throw them in the garbage can. Keep them for me, an old brush has vitality' - He clacked his tongue appreciatively - `It's a brush that has lived, that has had a life of its own.'" (231)
Miro talks to Rosamond Bernier