27 October 2017

My latest Painter in Residence: Ildiko Horvath!

I am beyond excited to reveal my latest Painter in Residence, the incredible Ildiko Horvath aka Restored4u!




Based in Ontario, Canada, Ildiko has been creating some wonderful work over the past couple of years with my paint and products. I know lots of you are familiar with her work so let's take a look at some of the previous pieces that show just how talented a painter she is! 



I love the way she layers colour together to create a gorgeously rich and sumptuous patina. Often using blue, the way she merges colours is seamless and stunning. 

 






She is a master of the 'ombré' technique, where you gradually blend colours from one to the other. The projects that she has done for me as part of her residency reflect her previous work, so of course, there is a fabulous ombré piece in there too! 

Ildiko says: "I have come to see the pieces I do as works of art and they give me pure joy. It satisfies me to know that although this type of thing may not be for everyone, those who have managed to acquire one of my pieces truly appreciates them as I do."

I couldn't agree more when Ildiko says she sees her pieces as works of art, and as I begin to share the pieces she has painted for me as a Painter in Residence, I'm sure you'll agree that they truly are!

Keep an eye out on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page: @anniesloanhome to keep up to date with my Painters in Residence!

Yours excitedly, 

Annie 

4 October 2017

#25Project : Michigan, US!

The space has been inspired by the Bloomsbury Group.
Here is the 25 Project from Michigan! When choosing the space I was really drawn to the ethos of it being used as a community learning centre for young and old alike. I am a firm believer in the idea that you never stop learning and that everyone, adult or child, should be encouraged to be creative. The East End Gallery in Marshall, Michigan, does this perfectly. This not for profit organisation aims to 'encourage, promote, educate and cultivate the arts throughout Marshall and the surrounding area.'

One of their classrooms in this old building needed a little lift so along with the volunteers and my stockist in the area, Janet from Bayberry House Interiors, have been giving it a makeover. This particular project is ongoing due to construction and remodelling, however, I thought I'd share with you some of the pictures I've received as they are too lovely not to share.

The wonderful volunteers! 

Fantastic painted frames here!

Lovely details using my Coloured Linen, Stencil Collection and of course Chalk Paint®!

If you want to keep up with the transformation as it progresses then follow the East End Gallery here! 

Well done to all involved and I hope that this new space, now given the name the 'Bloomsbury Classroom' is a hub of creativity and learning for the whole community. 

Yours, 

Annie

7 September 2017

#25Project: Raglan, Wales!

It gives me the greatest pleasure to present you with the latest 25 Project – this time from Wales! As it's 'back to school' for a lot of you this week, I thought it fitting to share this transformation of a gorgeous old school hall with you.


With a population just short of 2,000 and the nearest town of Abergavenny 15 miles away, this Old Church School Hall has always been a focal point for the village of Raglan. A little history first: built in 1857, this hall started as a local community school. In World War II, many of the families in Raglan opened up their homes to evacuee children and so the school had to accommodate an influx of new children.


Over the years, as the old school became a hub for the local community, it understandably started to show wear and tear. Together with some fantastic volunteers – young and old – my Stockist Lucy Hywel, who runs That's Lovely That in Abergavenny, gave the place a much-needed facelift.



Using mainly Old White and Duck Egg Blue, they really made a feature of the wood panelling on the walls. Touches of Aubusson Blue help bring everything together, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

I've been told that, since the completion of the project, two new clubs have been formed and are now using the hall for Yoga and Tai-chi. This, along with the other organisations and clubs that use the space already – that's martial arts, kids clubs, art groups, film nights, and girl scouts. Phew!

Well done to everyone who participated in this gorgeous transformation. May the Raglan Old Church School Hall continue to be used by the community for at least another 160 years!

Yours,

Annie

18 August 2017

#25 Project: Methilhill, Scotland!


























Are you ready for some bright and cheerful colour? Well, I have just the thing with this 25 Project from Scotland!

This is 'Charlie's Shed' in Methilhill, an eastern coastal town in Scotland. This space is now a cafe for the local community who use the youth club next door.

I love that the space is used as an after school club and a community cafe, and that they also hold skill building and family centric workshops there. 'Charlie's Shed' was built within the Methilhill Community Learning Garden in 2016 as the next part of their continually growing project. The idea is that this space will also be a place that offers cookery classes using the produce grown in the local garden.




Before the transformation began, the local community were consulted by my stockists based in Kirkcaldy, the wonderful Lorraine and Nadia of Love Restored. Everyone who wanted to be involved spoke about how they'd like to see the space looking. I love that the final look reflects this, with the main look being all about fun!


A total rainbow of a room, most of my brightest colours were used, including English Yellow, Emperor's Silk, Antibes Green and Napoleonic Blue. The tables and chairs in the cafe were all painted and given a coat or two of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax to protect it from food stains and spills.

The real works of art, however, are on those wooden walls. A big beautiful rainbow, adorable sprouting mushrooms and that huge tree were all painted in Chalk Paint. I especially love the stencils incorporated throughout, including my Stencil in Classical Bird that seem to be fluttering away!

I want to thank all the people involved in making this transformation happen, and I especially want to say a big thank you to all the children who helped with the painting too! Well done to everybody!

Yours,

Annie

4 August 2017

#25Project: Sendai, Japan!


Here is something special now, a 25 Project all the way from Japan! When I visited this extraordinary country in 2015, I was welcomed with open arms and came away with the most wonderful memories, so it was such a thrill to see these photos land in my inbox!

The project took place on a farm in Sendai, where a space was being built for children affected by the tsunami in 2011. This building was built by the community and painted using my paints.

The Kubono Community Association, along with the children who will benefit from the space, used Chalk Paint® to add bright, cheery personality to the furniture and walls, really making it their own. I love how the structure of the building is very typically Japanese in style, and yet the colour combinations they chose, like Henrietta and English Yellow, are so playful!

Here are a few photographs from Sendai that I feel really tell the story of how this community came together:








I'm sure you'll agree that these photos are very special, and I feel very proud of my stockists in Japan for being such wonderful ambassadors and leaders in their community.

I want to give the last word to the community of volunteers involved in this project, who told me the following:

"In 11th of March 2011, we lost so many friends, families and so many things by the huge earthquake and Tsunami, but now we stand up for our bright future. We are appreciated for having experience such a kind project. Volunteers enjoyed painting and was full of smiles. We are so proud of being chosen the project as a representative in Japan, and we are looking forward to using this space."

If you'd like to read more stories like this from my 25 Project, search #25Project on this blog.

Yours, 

Annie 

28 July 2017

#25Project: Thessaloniki, Greece!

Here is the second project from Greece! You might remember that I had the good fortune to visit the last one back in October, which you can read about here.

This delightful transformation is in the North of Greece in the city of Thessaloniki. An old public library, Sintos Library needed a little love and care and I am thrilled that the results have created a calm, studious air to the space!


When I visited Greece I noticed that the stockists were all so fantastically close, always ready to help one another, and this project is no different.

Led by their local stockist, lovely Myrsini of The Small Factory, and Elsa my glorious Greek distributor, a group of Annie Sloan stockists and local volunteers transformed this space over two days.


They mainly used a palette soft greens, blues and pinks, including Country Grey, Old Violet, Versailles and Scandinavian Pink.

I love that fun addition of my Circles Stencil on the rail, and you can see some of the other designs in my Stencil Collection dotted here and there too!

The finished place is for reading, contemplation and study.




And there you have it!

I feel very honoured and proud to have such a fantastic group of people representing me in Greece. To keep up to date with all of their work do follow them on Facebook at Annie Sloan Greece.

Yours,

Annie




13 July 2017

#25Project: Turkey!

Today I'm sharing a completed 25 Project all the way from Turkey! This very worthy venue is a school for deaf-mute children and the space that was chosen to be transformed is the art and drawing room of the school. The picture below shows a rather dated room, with walls covered with gold fabric!



My distributor for Turkey, Meltem of Dama Vintage and the local stockist, Tulay of Eski and Yeni, organised the design and transformation, along with volunteers from the local University and the school. To give the space a lift and to transform it into a creative and colourful room they used Chalk Paint® in a palette of Scandinavian Pink, Antoinette, Provence and Original. Everything was painted, from that gold fabric to the school desks, tables, bookshelves and chairs! I love how they created a tactile, fun and engaging space for the children by using patterns, prints and stripes with the paint. It is now a space that breathes creativity.




The best part of the project is of course, the reveal, and I’m told that this one was very special. The volunteers got a chance to meet the students who used the space and there was great excitement from the children when the freshly painted art room was revealed!

I want to thank every single person involved, from the volunteers to the school, and my Turkish stockists and distributors. Their hard work and patience has really paid off and I hope that the space helps the students creativity to bloom.

Yours

Annie

2 June 2017

#25Project Transformation 10: New Zealand!


This week I've been loving all things coastal and beachy, so what better time to share this beautiful coastal inspired #25Project from Pohutukawa Coast in New Zealand!

The Beachlands Community Trust, situated in a beautiful log cabin, is a community events space that provides arts and crafts classes to the locals amongst other things.

The wonderful people at Taylored Revival, their local Annie Sloan stockist, led the project and were there every step of the way. I thank them for all of their incredible hard work in this transformation.

It was inspiring to see just how involved the whole community were with the transformation of this space, from sharing their thoughts and ideas on design and colour schemes to pitching in with the painting.

I think the pictures from the project speak for themselves, so scroll down and have a look at this positive, joyful project! 

The before.
Dark and a little old fashioned 


The outside is done!
Now for the inside...
Everyone coming together to help paint it Louis Blue
Vinyl chairs painted in soft blue tones.
These vinyl chairs have been painted in Greek Blue and finished with Clear Wax
The table is English Yellow

Duck Egg Blue! 


To find out more about this fantastic project more head over to Taylored Revivals blog, it's a fascinating and uplifting read!

Well done to all the team and the community of Beachlands for coming together to transform this cabin in to a bright, breezy and coastal haven!

Yours,

Annie

26 May 2017

Botanical Inspired Roll Top Desk by Jonathon Marc Mendes


I'm thrilled to share this wonderful project from my Painter in Residence, Jonathon Marc Mendes. Sadly this is the last of the projects from his residency, but I know for certain that we'll be seeing much more from him!

As we've come to expect from Jonathon, this piece brings together gorgeous colour combinations, intricate techniques (including his inspired fossilised leaf technique) and bold typography.


Jonathon started by painting the inside of this roll-top desk with a mix of Chalk Paint™in Old Violet and French Linen. He painted thickly and then cracked the paint by applying direct heat from a hairdryer.

Using masking tape Jonathon masked off an area around the edges to create a border of natural, unpainted wood. He painted the ‘Office’ lettering by hand, using Old White and Graphite over the top of the surface painted in a mix of Antibes Green, Graphite and Old White. To give it that aged, speckled look Jonathon flicked a little paint off of the end of a small artist's brush.

The drawers and cubby holes inside the desk were painted in various mixes and shades of bright colours, such as that hot pink – created by mixing Henrietta together with a touch of Emperor’s Silk.

For the top front drawer, Jonathon created a leaf design using a handmade stencil and completed it by painting the detail in by hand.

On the middle drawer, Jonathon used a fossil leaf technique, which is essentially like using real leaves as a stamp! To try this technique yourself, press leaves in to paint, vein side down, and leave there until the paint is nearly dry. Then, to highlight the beautiful slightly 3D print that this creates, use a little Dark Chalk Paint® Wax.

On either side of the desk is the fantastic contemporary leaf detail, which Jonathon expertly hand painted using Antibes Green over a mix of Graphite and Antibes.

To finish the piece and to bring it all together, Jonathon used my Sanding Pads to lightly distress areas over the whole desk. He then applied a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax to seal in the paint and protect his wonderful work.

So finally, thank you Jonathon for the constantly inspiring work that you create with my paint and products.  I know that you will continue to be a huge creative force for us all!

Yours,

Annie

4 May 2017

Victorian Inspired G Plan Table by Jonathon Marc Mendes


Here's the latest project from my Painter in Residence Jonathon Marc Mendes. It has his stamp all over it: the thoughtful colour combinations, the clever mix of styles and influences, the excellent paintwork and, of course, typography!

This G Plan bent wood coffee table was picked up at a local junk shop. Jonathon was drawn to the waterfall edges and clean lines. It’s a classic example of 70s design, so Jonathon decided to keep some of the wood unpainted, and add an architectural heritage detail, in this case, his Victorian tile design.

The combination of the G Plan design and hand-painted geometric details creates a modern, interesting look that is pure Jonathon.


Using the famous tile company Minton as his inspiration, Jonathon first painted the base of the table in Old White. He then used various Chalk Paint® colours to create his tile design. Jonathan used mixes of Country Grey, Antibes Green, Graphite and English Yellow, but this look could easily be achieved with Honfleur and Amsterdam Green mixes too. The pop of Giverny really makes it sing!

Incredibly, Jonathan painted the majority of this design by hand! Lots of patience is required for this, but you can use a stencil to create a similar pattern. Try my stencil in Tallulah, for example.

He then painted the sides in a mix of Napoleonic Blue and Graphite for a deep navy, ready for the Minton typography, which he created with an acetate stencil.


A coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax was then applied over the whole piece, to protect the paint and give the woodwork a refresh too.


I love the modern, masculine styling of the piece. Those 1970’s stag carvings have been given a modern twist, diagonally painted in Old White to link to the piece of furniture. And that wall is a gorgeous backdrop in Aubusson Blue.

We’re nearing the end of Jonathon's residency, I have just one more project from him to share! It’s been a fantastic three months of inspirational work, and I’m not saying I’ve saved the best till last, but make sure to check back soon to judge for yourselves!

Yours,

Annie


5 April 2017

Leather Look Chair by Painter in Residence Jonathon Marc Mendes!


Can you believe that this stunning leather look chair actually started life like the picture below? With the help of a little Chalk Paint® and Clear and Dark Chalk Paint® Wax, Jonathon Marc Mendes has turned a rather dated and old looking chair in to something classically timeless, oh so handsome and quintessentially British! 


Jonathon began by adding water to Chalk Paint® in Arles to create the consistency of thin milk. (This is a must when painting directly on to fabric - the paint needs to absorb in to the fibres.) He painted the entire fabric surface of the chair with this base colour.

Once the first coat was dry, Jonathon added a touch of Primer Red to the watered down Arles mix - this created a gorgeous, warm colour that Jonathon began gradually layering on to the chair. To create an authentic leather look, the last coat of paint was applied fairly thickly so that the seat pad would crack, just like aged leather does!

Inspired by typography seen on old clock faces and coffee sacks, Jonathon created his own stencils using card. Once the painted fabric had dried, Jonathon applied his stencil designs to the chair using a Stencil Brush and Chalk Paint® in Graphite.



And now for the wax! Because Jonathon wanted a true leather feel to his chair, he finished the piece with wax, however if you just wanted to alter the colour of your chair, there is no need to wax as the watered down paint will have absorbed in to the fibres. Take a look at my video here to see this in action.

To create that gorgeous aged leather look Jonathon applied a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax all over, and then, using a Wax Brush, Jonathon applied Dark Chalk Paint® Wax to the surface, paying particular attention to the edges and purposefully creating patchy darker areas to add to the overall authenticity. Over time the wax will act just like real leather, cracking on the surface.

Residual Chalk Paint® Wax was then used on the woodwork, adding that final, luxurious finish.

Well done, Jonathon, what a glorious way to use my paint and products.

Yours, 

Annie