What's the best colour?

Asking me certain questions causes my mind to grind to a halt. I don't like it, and I'm certainly not proud of it, but it remains true, all the same. Certain questions simply have no answer, and it always strikes me as...odd...that such questions are asked at all--

--and yet, such questions are asked!

An artist asked me yesterday which brushes are "the best". Even if she had asked, "which type of brush is best for acrylic painting on canvas", or something equally specific, the question is truly unanswerable. Artists have asked me occasionally which brand of paint is "the best", or which colour is "the best" for skies, or--worst of all--which colour is "the best".

I tried talking about this to another friend, last night, but I don't think I was very effective in getting my point across. There simply is not a "best" brush, not even a "best type" of brush. Folks who know what they're doing, can achieve far better results with a "medoicre" tool, than a novice will, using a relatively "better" tool.

And, so much of what a person likes about a given material is based on very personal preferences: the way the person works, the other materials they use, and how their materials--as a whole--interact with how that person uses those materials.

What this means is, there is no "best" in any objective sense. There is only what is "best", for you. And, you have to find out what that is, for yourself. No one else can find it for you...thus, to ask someone else, puts that person in a very awkward position.

At least, in my opinion.

PHOTO: My old glass palette, at the old place. The new glass palette is slightly larger than the entire table in all directions! The paints are still arranged with "warm" colours on the left, "cool" colours on the right...