My lastest Painter in Residence, Girl in Blue Designs!

Charlie Anne Massey, better known as Girl in Blue Designs from Georgia, USA, has been on my radar for a few years now, and I’m delighted to cement the relationship by announcing her as my latest Painter in Residence!

No doubt you will have seen some of her pieces shared on my Instagram and Facebook – including once when she won one of my “Win-a-Tin” painting competitions. Charlie’s signature style is expressive, painterly and life-affirming; there’s an exciting, colourful wildness to her work which I find completely exhilarating. I’ve included some of her previous pieces below so that you can see for yourselves! I’ve also spoken to Charlie about her journey from Chalk Paint® novice to confident, capable, Chalk Paint® connoisseur!

“Since I could hold a pencil, I've always needed to create. For years that meant drawing, painting on canvas, and of course dabbling in various other mediums. Never once did it occur to me to try and make a living off of my art. I may have sold a drawing in a random social encounter here and there, but really it was always just something that I did for myself. Some people need to exercise the right side of their brains on a regular basis, and I'm one of those people. It wasn’t until I was 29 and very pregnant that I was introduced to Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. Once introduced, I just couldn't put that brush down. I painted small, easy to handle pieces that otherwise would end up in the dump. The amazing thing was, that they sold, and rather quickly! I was hooked! Once my daughter was born, I obviously had no time for the brush. Once she was 1-ish though, I began to find little pockets of time to work/play. It escalated from there…"

"…I can’t say that I was an immediate natural as far as painting furniture. Not by a long shot. I had a lot to learn, including the different styles of furniture, which styles of paint-work look good on said type of furniture etc. But when it clicked, it clicked. I started listening to what each piece had to say, noting which styles gained popularity with the few followers I had, and most importantly I learned to bend the rules and have fun…"

"…Within a couple of years, painting furniture with Chalk Paint® was no longer a hobby that provided me with a little supplemental income. It was my yoga, my passion, my art form, and my business! Once I figured out what I was good at and what my audience wanted to see from me, a hobby became the most stress relieving job I've ever had."

Keep your eyes on my Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Inspiration Page to see all the pieces this Girl in Blue produces for her residency. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Yours,

Annie.

Lem Lem - supporting Oxfam & helping beat poverty!

It’s early Spring as I write this; here in Oxfordshire the gardens are beginning to bloom and the evenings are drawing out with beautiful sunsets. This luxuriance of verdancy puts me in mind of one very special colour: Lem Lem. So good I named it twice!

For those of you who don’t know, Lem Lem is the colour I created in collaboration with Oxfam. Along with some of my team I travelled to Ethiopia last year to see the results of Oxfam’s Seed Project. This initiative empowers women farmers to grow their own crops and sustain themselves and their families. The women I met grow alliums; and the soft green of Lem Lem is inspired by the rolling fields of healthy crops I saw. We call Lem Lem “the colour of hope”

I asked one of the women farmers, "what does green mean to you?" and she immediately said, "growth" and I thought that was fantastic. The women grow the alliums for their seeds which they then sell. One woman with four children under nine had made enough money to buy a house, a cow, an ox, schooling for her children, and a TV (its arrival promoted a party in the village). Even more unprecedented for a woman in this part of Ethiopia, she has been able to set up a bank account of her own. Growth, by anybody's definition.

The development of a new colour is always a huge undertaking and of course there was even more impetus to create something incredible for such an important cause. Click here to watch a video about my trip to Ethiopia and the subsequent development process.

Every time you buy a tin of Lem Lem you are supporting the Seed Project and other worthy causes which help impoverished women and communities around the world.

But what can you paint with Lem Lem? Lem Lem is great for creating a retro 50's look, a contemporary cool vibe, AND works well as part of a vintage floral style. Freshen up your bedroom, bathroom, garden, living room or kitchen with this calm and cool shade. Take a look at the inspiration on my Oxfam page, from Painters in Residence and friends of Chalk Paint®, for a wide range of inspiring ideas. With such beautiful projects, not to mention an inspiring back story about our sisters in underdeveloped communities around the world, there’s no better time to snap up this limited edition colour.

Click here to see one last Lem Lem project - it's a short video of me vs a very orange, very varnished pine bedside table of the type I'm sure you'll all recognise.

Remember: every pot of Lem Lem bought by YOU will raise vital funds for Oxfam, helping people beat poverty worldwide. Click here to purchase a tin of Lem Lem now, or visit your local stockist to buy, and make a difference.

That’s all from me for now – I’ve got some gardening to do and I’m feeling rather inclined to pick up a paintbrush and Lem Lem something myself, having had such a pleasant reminiscence about the incredible women I met in Ethiopia!

Yours,

Annie.