Missing Brushes

Few weeks ago I went to the Art shop and bought a new brush to my collection. I needed a large round watercolour brush and I got myself a wonderful and expensive blue squirrel hair brush from Da Vinci series - hand made and absolutely fantastic. I chose this particular one because I bought one before from the same series, only smaller, for detailed inking.

Upon returning home I have gathered all the brushes and decided to give them all a good wash. Some of my brushes are as much as 8 years old, but I have been taking a really good care of them, so all I needed is to remove the residual of paint and ink on some of them. As I was washing I arranged them by quality and size.

The smaller squirrel hair brush was missing.

I turned the whole house upside down! I looked in every case and every box. I checked my paint sets, my ink sets, I even looked into the box with coloured pencils, as some of them are soluble and I like to play with mixed media. It was nowhere to be found.

I sat down, distressed. You may not know it, but these brushes are from €10 to €30 each. Not exactly something I can afford loosing at this time, and even if I could, I get attached to my art supplies and tools very quickly; a missing brush is very significant to me. Every time I lose a brush or a pen or a favourite coloured pencil I feel as if they have abandoned me. They are my means of expression, a functional extension to my hands. How could they?!

Yesterday I was watching TV and doodling on my sketch pad. I was going to try out one of the earthy inks I bought so I lifted my head and looked into the pen stand that I brought from the office - not that I expected to find a brush there, they're all safely stowed away - and there it was. My very beloved missing brush.

I didn't notice it there before. Did I put it there without realising while I was frantically decluttering my living room? Did suddenly appear there? Or was it there all the time? How could I have missed it? Why couldn't I find it? Why did I find it just now?

So many unanswered questions..! yes, this brush will be always shrouded in mystery now.

And for that, I love it even more.