Simon Olsson's Indian Inspired Style

When I first introduced you to the work of my Painter in Residence, Simon Olsson, I was thrilled by the positive response of my readers. There is something so pleasing about his painting technique, and in particular the texture he creates. Simon has really mastered the art of turning a standard piece of furniture it in to something incredibly beautiful, using my paint, Chalk Paint®.

What I love about Simon's style is its affinity with a bohemian, Indian style. The two pieces I'm sharing in this blog are hugely influenced by Indian style and colour, be it intricate carving of the table or the distressed patina of the cabinet.

The unusual shape and indentations caused by the many doors of this antique Indian cabinet lends itself so well to a textured, painterly and layered finish.  Simon used Graphite, Provence, Old White and Louis Blue from my Colour Palette to create layers of paint, which he distressed heavily, to create a rustic, chippy look.

Simon began by painting the cabinet in Chalk Paint® in Old White, applying the paint quite thickly. He then added a coat of Graphite, before finally covering it in a custom mix of Provence, Old White and Louis Blue. Once dry, Simon sanded the piece heavily to reveal the different colours underneath. And then, to protect all that lovely paintwork, Simon finished the whole piece with a couple of layers of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. I love the turquoise colour he has created here. Doesn't it look fabulous against the monochrome of the Graphite and Old White?

Ornate and intricate wood carving is an ancient art practice across India, and this stunning table is a prime example. It lends itself well to being painted as there's so much gorgeous detail to highlight! I love Simon's colour choice for this piece - my pale pink Antoinette. It adds a modern touch to the piece, and the sensitive yet bold way that he applied the paint makes the most of the detailing. 

Have you been influenced by Simon's work or Indian style? Show me your work by tagging me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and use #anniesloan, I would love to see your pieces!

Yours, Annie 

The 12 Crafts of Christmas – No 1: The tree

After my recent weekend at Kirstie Allsopp's Handmade Christmas Fair in Manchester, I am well and truly in the festive spirit! My gift to you comes a little early this year – over the next few weeks I'll be sharing 12 Christmas crafts to inspire you to pick up a paint brush and get crafting over the holidays. When I say 'crafting', I mean 'making' – generally speaking I like crafts to be gutsy and bold!

Today, I'm sharing the first of my 12 crafts of Christmas, and where better to start than the tree?

This tree is really very simple to make and is a perfect option if you don't have much space in your house. You can decorate this tree in just the same way that you would decorate a traditional Christmas tree too – adorn it with fairy lights – like I have, hang decorations from the branches, or wrap the branches in garlands!

And all you need to make one like this is a bunch of dry branches or twigs, rope and your favourite colours from the Chalk Paint® palette!

I began by laying my branches out on the floor to create the shape that I was looking for, once this was decided I cut the branches and rope to size. (When cutting the rope remember to leave an allowance for the knots.)

Using Florence that had been watered down in to a wash I painted the rope and left it to dry by a heater. And then I started to paint the branches using my two colour distress technique, painting each branch in a different base colour; Provence, Versailles, Greek Blue, Old Violet, Duck Egg Blue, Emile and Olive.  Then, once this coat was completely dry, I painted over each branch with Old White.

After an hour or two, once the branches were dry, I applied a coat of my Clear Soft Wax and distressed the paint using a fine grit sandpaper, this reveals area of colour and highlights the gorgeous texture and pattern from the bark of the branches. This worked particularly well for me as I has used branches from a birch tree, which have a beautiful texture.

Using a double figure of 8 knot, I created a loop in the middle of the rope and hung this from a nail in the wall. Working down the rope, I used a clove hitch to secure each branch in place, leaving an even space between the branches. On the last branch I added a form of stopper knot and loosened the strands to create a tassel – where I has applied the paint to the surface of the rope with a brush, the remainder of the rope was left un-dyed, which created a pretty candy-stripe effect.

What do you think of my painted tree?

Yours, Annie

Jelena Pticek's English Yellow Sideboard

For Jelena Pticek's third Painters in Residence project, she decided to brighten up a rather heavy looking sideboard using my paint, Chalk Paint™.

Jelena chose to work with a simple technique and one main colour – English Yellow – to really emphasise the transformation that can be made from painting an old, pre-loved piece. English Yellow is a brilliant bright yellow from the Chalk Paint™ palette and is a great fifties, vintage colour. As well as brightening the piece up, Jelena wanted to emphasise the wonderful ornate detailing which was previously almost unnoticeable. To do this, she lightly rubbed sandpaper over the details to reveal areas of the original wood.

Inside the cupboard, Jelena used Scandinavian Pink, a colour that works beautifully for the interior of cupboards and drawers, and created a gorgeous contrast. Jelena then finished the piece with my Clear Soft Wax.

How have you used the wonderfully colourful English Yellow on your projects?

 

Yours, Annie

Follow Jelena on Instagram, Facebook, and their website:http://www.poppyseedcreativeliving.com/

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.

Agnieszka Krawcyzk's Pretty Pastel Shelves

Today I'm sharing the final project from my wonderful Painter in Residence, Agnieszka Krawczyk. For this project, Agnieszka chose soft, pastel colours from the Chalk Paint® palette to create a delicate and romantic, vintage look.

She began by using one of my Pure Bristle Brushes to paint the whole piece in Paris Grey, and once this was dry, she applied a layer of French Linen. Agnieszka removed areas of paint using sandpaper and a scraper, revealing the paint and wood below. 

To create contrast and depth, Agnieszka left the inside of the piece predominantly in French Linen, but continued to work on the exterior surface – applying a coat of Old White, distressing again with sandpaper, and finishing with a top layer of Antoinette. Agnieszka chipped and sanded in to the edges and corners of the piece even further, revealing the built up layers of paint. She completed the piece with a coat of Clear Soft Wax and a dash of Dark Soft Wax to bring out the texture. The result is a truly vintage look.

I hope you've all enjoyed Agnieszka's work as much as I have and have been inspired to get your sandpaper and scrapers out... and start distressing!

Yours, Annie

Follow Agnieszka on Instagram, Facebook, and her website: www.beforeandafterblog.pl 

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.

Agnieszka Krawczyk's Old Violet Side Table

I fell in love with Agnieszka's work after seeing it online – her technique and recognisable style are inspiring. I admire the way she experiments with my paint, Chalk Paint®, and explores the art of decorative painting. 

For her third Painters in Residence project Agnieszka applied Chalk Paint® decorative paint in a whole range of colours – Old Violet, Louis Blue, Henrietta, Emile, Paloma, Duck Egg Blue, French Linen, Original and Old White. She applied the paint thickly to create texture. Along the way she used scrapers, sand paper, a putty knife and woodworking tools to scrape, sand and chip away at the layers of paint – creating beautiful character and revealing areas of colour. This technique results in a piece that looks like naturally worn paint work – aged and distressed over time. 

Agnieszka finished the piece in my Soft Clear Wax – this protects the surface and adds a little depth to the colour.

Have you been inspired by Agnieszka's work to create your own heavily distressed piece?

Yours, Annie

Follow this blog for exclusive pictures from Agnieszka's residency and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and her website: www.beforeandafterblog.pl 

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.

Agnieszka Krawczyk's Boho Cupboard

I love this second project from Painter in Residence Agnieszka Krawczyk. Agnieszka has used Florence and Graphite – two very strong, rich colours from the Chalk Paint® palette. They work beautifully with the golden wood of the cupboard. 

Agnieszka started the transformation by applying two coats of Florence (one of her favourite colours) to the outside of the cupboard. Distressing each layer using a metal scraper, sandpaper and a putty knife, she revealed areas of the original golden wood beneath. She painted the shelves and interior of the cupboard in Graphite (a soft black that can be darkened with my Dark Soft Wax) and then, once dry, gently sanded the paint back in certain areas. 

To finish the cupboard, Agnieszka applied Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax all over and, while the wax was still soft, began working Dark Wax into the surface to highlight texture, darken the colours, and adds richness and depth. Agnieszka left the wax to dry without buffing to create a beautiful matt finish. 

I love how Agnieszka has used my Work Book to experiment with her colour combinations and plan this project. How have you used yours?

Yours, Annie

Follow this blog for exclusive pictures from Agnieszka's residency and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and her website: www.beforeandafterblog.pl 

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.