the pretensions of brushes

I know what they're up to, these brush makers. They needn't think they can pull the wool over my eyes.

They know we have magical relationships with our tools, and they know about the magical relationships between the naming of things and consequent powers of those things. They want to make us believe that if we buy their tools we get extra magical powers.

Simply by using the Van Gogh or Da Vinci brush I can summon their genius to come on down and inspire mine. In effect, I become what my paintbrush sez it is.

Do you know, I hate those Connoisseur brushes (a useful, mediocre sort of a brush) simply because I don't ever have any interest in seeing myself as a bleedin connoisseur.

A short, flat/bright fine hog, on the other hand, perhaps even university bright - now that is something to be. And the ultimate aspiration for us all must be to be a Renaissance Squirrel. though in reality I suspect Factory Second is all I will ever amount to .