Make-shift brush holders

At the Studio, we're always looking for another place to store a brush or two. In January, we posted ideas for creating handmade built-in brush holders for Studio convenience. This month, we'll be featuring ideas for free-standing brush holders, perfect for taking to a favorite plein-air painting spot, or grabbing for a day's painting at the easel.

Today, we're including some ideas for "re-purposed" containers, ideal for storing brushes, palette knives, and other studio paraphernalia without the extra cost of holders made expressly for the purpose by art supply vendors.

Any open container that is strong enough to hold brushes without tipping over (be sure to test the container!) will work for holding brushes. Glass, ceramic, or wooden containers work particularly well. We've found that old worn-out jars, ceramic and terracotta pots, pitchers, teapots, and other cylindrical containers work beautifully. (When neighbors and friends give us a bulb-raising-kit for Christmas, we raise the bulb, enjoy the bloom, and then when the amaryllis or paper-whites are faded, we add the bulb container to our collection of of make-shift studio containers.)

Tags: 2010, Tools supplies and operations