Welcome to my latest Painter in Residence, Monika

It’s that time again! I am delighted to introduce to you my newest Painter in Residence, 84 Square. 84 Square is the passion project of furniture painter and upcycler extraordinaire, Monika Charchula, (with some occasional support work and collaboration from her fiancé, Tom). Furniture painting Inspiration incoming.

Like many other Painters in Residence before her, Monika is a well-travelled sort. Originally from Gdańsk, Poland, Monika moved to England (South Devon) in 2017 and discovered Chalk Paint here. “Starting a new life in a new country wasn't the easiest, so I would pick up furniture for pennies and add my style with Chalk Paint”, she continues. “My upbringing had a big influence on me, my parents and sisters are all frugal yet resourceful and very creative. I always preferred to make something myself than just buy it”.

I discovered Monika’s work a few years ago and since then she’s been to visit me at Chalk Paint HQ in Oxford, established a close relationship with her local Stockist at Flotsam 50, and produced some gloriously beautiful painted pieces!

Her work is gothic, opulent and features religious symbolism throughout. I was drawn to her use of rich jewel-toned colours, the sense of indulgence she creates with her deep and magical palette. Religious symbolism is a huge inspiration for Monika who passed her childhood in a Catholic country populated with many beautifully decorated churches.

I’ve had a sneak peek at the work Monika has produced for her reign as PIR and I know you will all be so delighted with these fabulous pieces. If you’ve wondered how to upcycle furniture to give a glamorous look then these are the step-by-step projects for you. They’re romantic, theatrically gothic, rich, ecclesiastical, and sumptuous.

Welcome to my new Painter in Residence, Sabah

My newest PIR will be the fabulously bold, colour confident, and jaw-droppingly prolific Sabah Bardhan of Just Restore. Sabah is based in the UAE and has only been painting furniture for two years!

“I wanted to try something new creatively and canvas just didn’t cut it for me anymore. So, I painted some old stools which were lying around the house and the furniture painting obsession took over! I started painting any furniture in sight and to my surprise, after I posted the stools I painted on social media, people wanted to buy them. Surprisingly, it was my husband who discovered Chalk Paint® for me. I was using any paint medium I had at home to paint furniture when I started out when he chanced upon the Chalk Paint stockist, Artistique, here in Dubai. He asked some questions to the lady at the shop and came rushing home to tell me he had found paint specifically for furniture. I drove up there immediately and bought my first few pots and that was my first date with Chalk Paint. There was no looking back after that.”

I first discovered Sabah on Instagram when I saw a wardrobe she painted in the traditional Indian Madhubani style of Art (pictured above). The background of Chalk Paint® in Amsterdam Green makes a luxurious and dramatic statement against which her portraits shine. This piece was informed by Sabah’s childhood in Mumbai, which she frequently looks to for inspiration).

“I was a cabin crew for 12 years and was fortunate to travel around the world. I take most of my inspiration from the beautiful memories and photographs that I took when I visited so many cities. I found the by lanes, restaurants, flowers and foliage, souvenirs, traditional costumes, landscapes, etc all fascinating and captured those wonderful moments, which I now revisit every now and then when I want to draw on inspiration”.

Like myself, Saban seeks inspiration from the art world, too. She named Gustav Klimt in particular because of “his use of gold in his paintings, which I am partial to”.

“I find the work of Diane Hill absolutely hypnotic when it comes to Chinoiserie. There is so much to learn from her. I could watch her paint for hours Closer home, I have to mention my father. He is the one person I have learned all I know from, and he is an exceptional artist. He taught me how to be patient when I paint so that I never miss any attention to detail. He always pushes me to add more detail, an extra feather here, another stroke there, a deeper shadow in one corner, the list goes on”

“I most enjoy painting birds, especially the Japanese cranes. They are extremely majestic, graceful and have such beautiful movements.”

For me, Sabah is an artist and through. Her medium may be furniture rather than canvas, but as these pieces attest, she has a rare talent. For her PIR pieces, she’ll be providing step-by-steps, helping you to unlock your inner artist too and to be bolder and more creative with your work. I’ll leave you with these inspiring words from Sabah on her painting philosophy…

“ The best thing about art is that there is no wrong or right. The artist decides what meaning a particular piece of work has to it. Sometimes, the first try looks the best and sometimes the tenth. What is important to remember is that what may work for you may not work for the other and vice versa. Not everyone needs to have a steady hand to try painting an artwork, there are so many different types of art and mediums available to create what you want and that is what I have explored in my pieces as Painter in Residence. You can paint as proportionately as you like, or exaggerate any aspect, like I did for the features of the Indian couple. I’d love for everyone reading the step by step to enjoy the process and see how it evolves, try more colour or less, make it darker or lighter, do what makes you feel happy!”

Be sure to follow Sabah’s journey on social media and check my Inspiration Page for the step-by-steps.

Click here to discover our Past Painters in Residence.

Yours,

Annie

Welcome to my latest Painter in Residence, Olivia Lacy

I’m delighted to announce Connecticut based, American furniture artist Olivia Lacy, of Pigeon & Pip as my latest Painter In Residence. Please join me in helping to make her feel welcome!

Pigeon and Pip’s work is Immediately identifiable thanks to her signature whimsical, theatrical, charming style. She has deftly brought imagination and surrealism to the art of furniture painting and created a kind of Alice in Wonderland universe of furniture. Follow her journey as she demonstrates how to use Chalk Paint® to bring a sprinkling of magic to your furniture and home.

I first became aware of Pigeon and Pip when she spotted Olivia’s painted trompe l’oeil bed headboard on Instagram. The headboard had been painted with a pastoral scene, typical of Renaissance painters and grand stately homes. The structural elements have been highlighted with Gold Gilding Wax and in the middle of the bed sits Olivia – transported by the latest issue of my Bookazine, The Colourist. I was, of course, charmed!

Here I’ve spoken to Olivia about her career thus far and selected some of my favourite pieces of her work so that you can be as excited for this collaboration as we are here at Chalk Paint® HQ.

“Painting furniture took hold of me when I was a stay-at-home Mom, when my kids were small and I needed a creative outlet that was also useful. I turned my attention to the outdated, hand-me-down furniture that resided in our house. I painted nearly everything, it felt like functional art, and I didn’t want to stop”.

“Years later my obsession of finding and painting old furniture has turned into a business, taken over the garage, and occasionally drives my family crazy. My husband devotes hours to driving me around the state to pick up these hidden gems. My father helps me with any structural repairs out of my league. My kids groan as they snake their way through the furniture paths in the garage trying to get bikes or sleds or hockey bags out... but they all love and support me, so they deal with my passion”.

“After some early failed attempts painting furniture, I was introduced to Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. Chalk Paint® is a dream to work with, very forgiving and all the colours complement each other so well with very little effort. I live in New England and I think my colour choices reflect that. I am drawn to those “hardy” New England colours that are understanding of small children and pets and toss in an unexpected element of colour or design to make sure it doesn’t get too serious”.

“Inspiration for my work comes from my childhood and was renewed through the eyes of my own children. I spent my summer days playing in the woods and the brooks with my sister. Always creating a "secret" world where magical things would happen. I try to capture that whimsy and childlike magic in my work. My youngest son has an incredible imagination and often helps me with staging ideas for my furniture, while my oldest son is sure to step in and let me know if things don’t look up to par.”

“Overall, I would say painting furniture has become a family affair. I’m thrilled to show my work as Annie Sloan’s Painter In Residence.”

If you’re anything like me, you can’t wait to see Pigeon and Pip’s work. Her first work as PIR will be shared on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter tomorrow. Stay tuned! In the meantime, please show your appreciation for Pigeon and Pip’s work by following her on social media! The Painters in Residence programme is an unpaid opportunity for talented craftspeople to meet a wider audience and your support is so valuable.

Click here to discover our Past Painters in Residence.

Yours,

Annie

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.

My latest Painter in Residence: Jemma & Fanny of shed eleven!

It’s a fond farewell to Jeanie Simpson, who created some truly fantastic pieces during her time as Painter in Residence, and a big warm hello to two more Australasians! You really do love colour down under!

Jemma (left) and Fanny (right) of shed eleven are sisters-in-law who live in the leafy North Shore area of Sydney, Australia. Fanny was born in Ivory Coast, Africa, and Jemma in Papua New Guinea. They both describe nomadic childhoods which developed into a shared love of travel in adulthood. They credit their identities as “citizens of the world” as having bestowed a rich and multicultural tapestry of inspiration from which to draw in their creative endeavours. 

shed eleven was established when Fanny moved from Singapore to Sydney and the pair began working on their largely commission-based business together. Their base became the shed in Jemma’s garden, at house Number 11 – and shed eleven was born! Like all the best furniture painters, Jemma and Fanny establish a real relationship with their clients and with the individual pieces of furniture they work on. Expect to see a smorgasbord of styles from this dynamic duo. 

Jemma and Fanny first came to my attention from half a world away after I saw their work on Instagram. Their linen cupboard (pictured above) won one of my regular Win-a-Tin competitions; which just goes to show the value in taking these opportunities to share your work and the importance of hashtag-ing so that here in Oxford we can find you – wherever you’re based. 

From rustic to mid-century modern via France, China and the coast, peruse some of my favourite shed eleven pieces below - and get ready for more eclectic examples on my Instagram and Facebook over the coming weeks!

Yours,

Annie.

My latest Painter in Residence: Jeanie Simpson!

Keeping secrets has never been one of my gifts so I'm delighted that my team have given me the go-ahead to reveal my NEW Painter In Residence.

Ladies and gentleman, please meet the talented Jeanie Simpson!

Jeanie Simpson lives on the opposite side of the world to me, on a hill country sheep farm in a small region of New Zealand. I discovered her work one evening on Instagram when I was browsing the #AnnieSloan #ChalkPaint hashtags. Just goes to show the value of publicising your creations!

With two small children and a little extra spare time, Jeanie picked up a paintbrush and began up-cycling furniture and homeware. She has always had a strong interest in art and design - something that she draws on heavily for inspiration in her pieces. All the work I have seen from her has been meticulously researched, which the History of Art and design nerd in me absolutely loves.

Jeanie is also passionate about re-using tired, unloved furniture from the past because of the better quality workmanship and materials, and the sense of history not seen in modern pieces. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is such an important message and with these projects to inspire you – why wouldn't you?

Above is an example of the work you can expect to see from Jeanie! I challenge you to have a browse and not feel excited for what she comes up with throughout her residency.

Yours,

Annie.

Quick and Easy Step by Step with my Mini Project Pack!

This little side table is one of a pair that I'd recently acquired. Pieces like these are easy to come across and many people will already have something similar in their homes. They're often finished in that orangey pine that people have fallen out of love with which makes them the perfect candidate for a new year makeover using just a little of my paint, Chalk Paint!

And when I say a little paint, I really mean it -  it took just a couple of my small project pots to do the whole piece! If you were lucky enough to receive one of my Mini Project Packs over the holiday season and are looking for inspiration of how to use it, I hope this helps.

At this time of year, the colours that I start to use in my work are rich, earthy, warm and full of depth. They comfort me and give me that little injection of earthy nature that I so long for in the dark winter months. Which is why I've chosen to use Amsterdam Green and Aubusson Blue on this piece - two colours that work beautifully especially with the injection of Black Chalk Paint Wax which really brings out those deep jewel tones whilst highlighting the texture of the paintwork.

Or course you don't have to use these colours, and with my Mini Project Pack you choose the colours to suit your taste.



For this makeover you will need:

• Small Project Pot in Amsterdam Green 
• Small Project Pot in Aubusson Blue
• Mini Clear Chalk Paint Wax 
• Mini Black Chalk Paint Wax 
• Pure Bristle Brushes
• Wax Brushes
• Lint Free Cloths 

1. Start by removing the drawers from the shell of the piece and paint the front of the drawers in Aubusson Blue using a Pure Bristle Brush. Apply the paint thickly, moving the brush in all different directions to create that gorgeous texture that my Coloured Waxes thrive on. 

2. Paint the shell of the piece in Amsterdam Green - again applying the paint thickly, moving the brush in all different directions.

3. Once the paint is completely dry apply Clear Chalk Paint Wax. Make sure you work the wax in to the surface and wipe away any excess with a lint free cloth. Using one of my Wax Brushes makes it really easy to get the wax in to all that gorgeous brushwork.

Annie Sloan Wax Brush

to

apply Clear Wax

to

the

painted surfaces. Wax Brushes aren

’

t included

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the Mini Project Pack

but

are a brilliant

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and

make waxing so simple, b

ut

if

you

don

’

t have a Wax Brush a lint-free cloth

works well too. Work the Wax

in

to

the surface

and

wipe away

any

ex

cess.

Annie Sloan Wax Brush

to

apply Clear Wax

to

the

painted surfaces. Wax Brushes aren

’

t included

in

the Mini Project Pack

but

are a brilliant

investment

and

make waxing so simple, b

ut

if

you

don

’

t have a Wax Brush a lint-free cloth

works well too. Work the Wax

in

to

the surface

and

wipe away

any

ex

cess.

4. While the Clear Wax is still wet, begin to apply Black Chalk Paint Wax. Work the Black Wax in to the surface - pushing it in to the crevices in the paint and surface, and then, use Clear Wax to gently wipe away any excess of Black Wax. If you apply too much Black Wax, don't worry, the Clear Wax acts like an erase and can remove the Black Wax. 

And there you have it! I'd love to see how you've used your Mini Project Pack so please tag me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @anniesloanhome!

Yours, 

Annie 

  

Revealing my new book!

Over the past couple of months there has been excitement in the air as my book, ‘Annie Sloan Paints Everything’ – once just a little idea in my head – has been transformed into a reality. From the moment I picked up a brush to start the first project right through to holding a physical copy in my hands, I’ve been waiting for this day. Finally my 26th book is here and exclusively available through Annie Sloan Stockists before landing in all good book stores from November.

If you’ve already pre-ordered your copy from your local Annie Sloan Stockist or you just want to know more about how this book came about, let me tell you how my most personal book to date came to be. Over the past year, as I’ve opened up my Facebook and Instagram accounts, I’ve seen a noticeable change in people's confidence with colour. As you may know, to me, colour is everything, so seeing a brighter and bolder colour palette rather than the restrained and mutes tones of the past inspired me greatly. With this book, I wanted to showcase just how easy it is to invite colour into your home.

‘Annie Sloan Paints Everything’ has 40 step-by-step projects, covering everything from walls, floors, lampshades, and curtains, to footstools, cabinets and even fruit bowls. As you can image, every single surface is different! In this book, you'll find me painting metal, plastic, glass, burlap, linen, veneer, canvas, dust sheets, even rope, like this shelf unit below. I want my book to clearly and precisely give you the tools and confidence to easily recreate or adapt each project to suit you.

I feel very proud of this book and the pictures, taken by my wonderful photographer Christopher Drake, who I’ve been working with for nearly ten years! Together with my team, we strived to make a book that hopefully shows you just how easy and enjoyable it is to fill your house with colour!

Make sure you join me as I go "on the road" with ‘Annie Sloan Paints Everything’ across the UK. On Thursday, I will be at my wonderful stockist shop The Marmalade House in Bath for a book singing, and then Saturday, I'll be popping in to The Painted Chair in Liverpool (a city that I think is in the middle of an interesting cultural explosion). On the 27th October, I will be back in Oxford at my own shop on the Cowley Road for a book signing. If you can make it to any of these places do come and say hello!

Have you got your copy of the book yet? Which project are you excited to tackle? Please let me know as I cannot wait to hear your feedback! Tag me using @anniesloanhome or #anniesloan so I can see your thoughts!

Yours, Annie

Annie Sloan Paints Everything is published by CICO Books (£14.99). Photography by Christopher Drake © CICO Books

Announcing the #25Project Winners!

From the day I announced the #25Project I have been overwhelmed with the response from Stockists and customers from across the globe, and now the time has finally come for me to reveal the winning 25 community spaces, nominated by you! It was one of the most difficult tasks to whittle down over 300 deserving nominations to just 25, however I am thrilled with the final selection. Each one is completely diverse in its use and size, however the one thread they all have in common, from the kids creche in South Africa to the specialised dementia centre in The Netherlands, is that they are an absolutely vital part of their communities. I feel honoured to be able to assist them in their transformations over the next year, and I cannot wait to share with you all the stories and photos of each deserving and special space.

And without further ado, here are my final 25!

1. ’Jugend und Familiezentrum’ GERMANY

A volunteer run family centre that offers counselling services to families, young and old.

2. ’Remember Us’ IRELAND

A social group offering activities and support for people with special needs.

3. ’Centrum Voor Wonen En Zorg Heerma’ - THE NETHERLANDS

Specialised care and housing for dementia patients.

4. ’Studio Artes’ AUSTRALIA

A unique organisation that provides tailor-made creative activities and life skills for adults living with a wide range of disabilities.

5. ’Lawrence House Hinckley’ ENGLAND

Provides a safe and secure environment for homeless young people.

6. ’Tea Room Chateau Rocher-Portail’ FRANCE

A listed building that is turning into a public access museum and community space.

7. ’Muscatine Centre for Social Action’ USA

Providing emergency and temporary shelter, basic health care, educational and support services for those in need.

8. ‘Centre for Mestring’ DENMARK

‘Centre for Coping’ offers rehabilitation, education, activity and support for adults with mental health issues.

9. ‘East End Studio Gallery’ USA

Community based non profit organisation whose mission is to provide a platform for artistic expression in the community.

10. ‘Public Library of Sindos’ GREECE

A public library that was a former private school donated to the people of Sindos for public use.

11. ’Raglan Village Hall Association’ WALES

An association that works to improve availability, quality and use of community spaces in Raglan.

12. ‘Ottawa Community Housing’ CANADA

Providing housing and shelter to people with special needs across many communities in the city of Ottawa.

13. Methilhill Community Children’s Initiative’ SCOTLAND

Community group dedicated to providing local children with clubs, activities, nursery and education.

14. ‘CANSA Care Home’ SOUTH AFRICA

A home from home to cancer patients receiving treatment and care.

15. ’19 Carter Community Centre’ USA

This old church space has been lovingly turned into a dedicated community space for the local neighbourhood.

16. ‘Culture House of Nagymaros’ HUNGARY

An historical community centre in the city of Nagymaros used by locals for decades.

17. ‘School for the Deaf’ TURKEY

Providing education and support for the hard of hearing.

18. ‘Beachlands Community Centre’ NEW ZEALAND

A thriving community hub in a friendly and welcoming setting providing art and craft classes for all tastes and skill levels.

19. ‘Public Psychological and Pedagogical Advisory’ POLAND

A public space offering support and healthcare in the city of Katowice.

20. ‘Inthandokazi Creche’ SOUTH AFRICA
Dedicated educational space for young children to learn and play.

21. ‘Specialised Day Centre’ GREECE

A space for people dealing with psychological issues in the community.

22. ‘Hindas Station’ SWEDEN

Culture centre for public use, which holds various activities such as art classes and theatre groups for children.

23. ‘Kubono Kids Agri-Garden’ JAPAN

A specialised learning centre for children, specifically focused on educational gardening and horticulture .

24. ‘Village Hall in Swiatniki Gore’ POLAND

After being left to ruin, this community space will now become a place for children and adults.

25. ‘Centro De dia San Fracisco’ SPAIN

A vital and thriving community space in the heart of Spain.


I think you’ll agree that each space is very deserving of a transformation, and along with the help of their local Annie Sloan Stockist, volunteers and my paint and products, these community buildings will remain a vastly important part of their neighbourhood.

Check back in with me to see the transformations unfold, I cannot wait to get started with each one of the 25 spaces, so make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, using #25Project.


Yours, Annie

Introducing the Annie Sloan MixMat™

Even though my schedule is hectic - I am lucky enough to be flying from one place to the next, visiting stockists, media and customers - I always try and paint everyday. Sometimes it’s just a quick sketch in my notebook, other times I can spend the day transforming whole sets for videos and photoshoots. Once I have an idea or style in my head, I work quickly, and use whatever I can get my hands on when working. I love mixing my colours to create hundreds of new shades, and for years and years I have been testing my colour mixes out on the closest surface to hand - my trusty studio table!

  

As you can imagine, after years of use, layers and layers of paint have built up on the table surface. They are uneven, cruddy and even though I think they look incredible, they haven't left me with the best, flat, even surface to work on! My son Felix, who some of you may know works with me here at HQ, was getting rather annoyed with my constant tabletop colour mixing!

To combat this the team and Felix came up with my new MixMat™! I’ve never seen a product like this before, its a complete one off, and now I can’t do any work without it.

The MixMat™ has been created to work on a flat surface, so it can be placed down on a tabletop or surface easily. It is made of a silicone-like material which both makes sure that paint doesn’t just glide off and also -rather cleverly - encourages paint to be taken up onto a roller or brush. I wanted something that I could use again and again without any leftover colour being absorbed in to the colours that I choose. A quick wash in warm soapy water is all they should need and I just use a wet sponge to get rid of any lingering pigment. Their handy shape and size means that, once you've finished using it, they can be rolled up and stowed away until the next time you paint!

It's perfect for mixing colours, for stencilling and stamping and for inspiration too! I wanted the design of the MixMat™ to be filled with tips, tricks and ideas, so on one side I have a whole host of of my own doodles and drawings to inspire your own free hand sketching. On the other side I have added a handy colour mixing guide. I talk about complementary colours, how to darken shades, clashing colours, how to create complex greys. My colours are meant to be mixed together, they have very little black in them so you'll never end up with a muddy colour when you blend them together.

I’ve fallen in love with the MixMat™, it has become an essential part of my painting toolkit, and I hope it will be part of yours too.

Yours, Annie

Celebrating the past in the USA!

Last week I was back in the States to attend Iowa’s annual Junk Jubilee in the city of Des Moines. There’s quite a buzz around Des Moines, and I really didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. It was my first time in the Mid-West, so I was excited to visit a different America than what I was used to. It was so cool – lovely people and a great emerging arts scene. I’ve heard people say the vibe in Des Moines is similar to Brooklyn, New York, and I really saw what they meant. There are great cafes, an amazing sculpture park and I owe a big thank you to the lovely John Whaley from Junk Jubilee who squired us around, making sure we got to all the cool places – he even gave us tickets to see Graham Nash at a beautiful old theatre  – what a bonus!

I got to the city a couple of days before Junk Jubilee so that I could do some promotion and actually held a version of my Stockist workshops for a group of around 25 journalists – Meredith Corporation who publish some of America’s most popular magazines is based in the city - and I also did some television and radio appearances.  

Junk Jubilee itself was fabulous! It was Americana to the extreme. It’s interesting, in the UK these sorts of events are often a mixed bag – a little Victoriana, perhaps a stall with nothing but glassware, some mid-century modern pieces, and in France I’ve been to many vide greniers which literally translates as empty attic! Junk Jubilee was much more curated, with lots of really cool agricultural artefacts, which I suppose speaks of Iowa as a farming state: flags, plates, and metalware – chippy paintwork and sumptuous patina! There was a real sense of nostalgia but in many cases it wasn’t so much that the pieces were terribly old, but they were certainly treasured. Many things had been cleverly repurposed. In fact, I met this really sweet young man, called Zane Hehnke, who had a great stall selling repurposed pieces – he’d been doing this since he was 13 (and is only 17 now!). Very creative. I also loved, loved, loved the many cool examples of packaging and typography.

I stayed on an extra day after Junk Jubilee to run a stockists workshop at the very hip Des Moines Social Club. I think you know by now how much I adore seeing my stockists, and we had around 40 from all over the States. Don Short who runs the inspirational West End Salvage – four stories of architectural salvage in an incredible old warehouse– treated us all to lunch, so I also owe him a huge and heartfelt thank you!

From Des Moines I travelled on to New York to meet our new PR team and do more magazine interviews, including some one-on-one workshops with various editors. Whilst I was there, Country Living asked me to do a Q&A on Facebook at my stockist in the East Village, Verdigreen, run by the amazingly named Azie Shelhorse! I thought it would be a great time to demonstrate my new Black and White Chalk Paint Waxes and was thrilled to see the views whizzing up past 80,000 in the half hour that we were live. Just amazing.


To cap it off, that evening I went with my friend Mary Anne to an event at New York University. Mary Anne was in a band with me called The Moodies, back in the ‘70s and had made friends with a young man called Andrew Carpetta who is writing a PhD on the connections between the music scene and art schools in the 70s and 80s which I wrote about last time I visited New York. I mentioned then how much I wanted to see a film featuring The Moodies which Andrew had unearthed and my wish came true! The screening was part of a series called The Colloquium of Unpopular Culture (I love it!) and I hadn’t seen this film for 20 years. Afterwards he’d organised a Q&A afterwards – there were three of us from the band, me, Mary Anne and also Rod Melvin, joining Andrew on stage. Somehow the idea of the past being celebrated in a whole new way sums up the whole trip!