Annie Sloan • Paint & Colour: Introducing Painter in Residence Karen Donnelly

20 March 2015

Introducing Painter in Residence Karen Donnelly

“I’m an artist who loves to paint. My mother and my grandmother were both artists so I grew up with a lot of creative encouragement. I had the support of my family to go to Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, PA and received a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art).

I believe art-wise you have to work on projects that make you happy and not be afraid to fail. Layout, colour and design are very important for a successful painting as far as I’m concerned, but I do love to dive in and not contemplate the plan too much. I don’t strive for perfection.

And Annie's paint?

I feel Annie is a wise person and has a fun sense of humor. I feel I connect with her as a person (she has a positive, creative vibe) and I appreciate her sharing and inspiring others. I also respect her as a talented artist: she has a lot of knowledge especially in use of many different mediums, color mixing and color theory. Annie knows that there are many ways to create and design and helps her students find their ‘own’ design style or look.

My sister Patty [Seaman] and I were working together doing fine plaster wall finishes and furniture painting. We tried Chalk Paint® and loved it! Patty became a Stockist (one of the original Annie Sloan Stockists at Classic Wall Finishes located in Central New Jersey!) and I helped Patty with her business, doing instructing and commissions (At Patty's new shop, Paint Passion that stocks Annie Sloan products and runs wonderful workshops. Located in Red Bank, N.J)

What you’ll see from me

I love creating original oil and water colour paintings, so using Chalk Paint® I am going to incorporate my landscapes, seascapes and florals into pieces of furniture. I feel that the hardest part is going to be finding a piece that lends itself to this type of painting.”

Here's a glimpse of projects to come from Karen...