Cleaning Brushes - Wet a piece of plain laundry soap then rub the brush bristles into the soap. Next gently rub the brush into the palm of your hand to work the soap thoroughly through the bristles. Use a backwards and forwards motion, like painting a large area. Squeeze the soap out from the bottom of bristles through to the tip using your fingers. Rinse the brush in water and repeat the squeezing until the brush is clean.

Conditioning Brushes - When the brush is dry put some wet soap paste on your fingers and rub this on the bristles from bottom to tips until all the bristles are a tidy chisel shape. Brush will have the "just bought" look and shape. Now wrap the top part of the brush in waxed paper, folding the paper to cover bristles in a neat envelope. Smooth flat with your fingers so paper clings to bristles then fold over the tip. This will keep brushes in chisel shape and stop moths from eating them.

Store brushes rolled up in a SUSHI mat. You interweave hat elastic through the mat and put brushes behind the elastic, roll up mat and carry the brushes. Keeps the bristles protected and you don't lose the smaller brushes.

For small brushes wear an old fashioned a rubber finger guard, like accountants put on pencils to help them grip pencil. This stops you bending your index finger incorrectly and getting arthritis, calluses and bone injury.

Always use the biggest brush possible for the job - Try to avoid tiddly little brushes because they make your painting tight.

Yolanda is a very experienced artist and has many more hints to add to these. Come back for a peek from time to time.