Alex Russell Flint's Bedroom

In December, I shared Alex Russell Flint's Chalk Paint® mural with you. Now I can show you a bit more from this, his final Painter in Residence project. Working around the rest of the room with Chalk Paint®, Alex transformed his bedroom (once part of an old schoolhouse) into a sumptuous haven.

Artist Alex brings a romantic and rustic tinge to his French elegance – he juxtaposes a finely panelled door with a distressed and weathered Aubusson washed wall. He has painted the bedroom door in Olive, picking out lines of the panel frames using a complementary colour – Primer Red. He then also painted the antique wardrobe and ladder in Primer Red. The floor is painted in Paris Grey.

I love the way he has carefully composed his collection of found objects and paintings (all in frames painted in Chalk Paint®). Everything has been very well spaced to avoid any sense of overcrowding or cluttering.

This is the final project from Alex's Residency. I hope you've found his work as inspiring as I have. I still have three more projects to share from my first set of Residents: Beau Ford and Janice Issitt. And then I will be able to introduce you to my next set of Painters in Residence. Watch this space!

Yours, Annie

Follow Alex on Instagram, Facebook, and his website:http://www.alexrussellflint.com

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

Introducing Painter in Residence Alex Russell Flint

“Hi I’m Alex Russell Flint and I call myself a contemporary realist painter in oils and I came here to west central France when I was 20 to study with an American artist who has his studio nearby and that’s how I ended up here. I live in a former school house in Argenton-Chateau, about 300 km southwest of Paris in the Deux-Sevres (Poitou-Charentes region). It’s a very beautiful village with a river, the Argenton, running through it in a valley. The big old building is perched on a hillside and commands great views and is the first home I’ve ever owned and I’ve fallen in love with interior decoration and Chalk Paint®.

One of Alex's oil paintings - his home and studio provides
 the backdrop to many of his paintings.

And Annie's paint? 

It was the paint I’d been looking for but didn’t know existed. As an artist I was only too aware that when you paint on a specific wall on a building it’s very different to how it looks from a colour chart; but with Chalk Paint® this was never an issue.

It’s just been great being able to slap the paint on stone, wood and metal and create a bespoke finish and colour to fit each room. I love the matte finish on a paint for a wall especially if the walls are quite badly damaged. It’s very forgiving, it doesn’t get highlights on every crack so the very chalky finish is great.

As soon as I met Annie I knew we were on the same page in terms of decorating and trying things out. Annie is passionate about what she does, very down to earth – and as an artist it was nice to ask her how she developed the paint and what inspired her.

What you’ll see from me

My first project is going to be an outdoor bathroom using a 19th century zinc bathtub which I shall make more luxurious adding decking with old oak floorboards and old shutters and create an area overlooking the trees of this valley.

I source all my décor from vide-greniers (boot fairs), brocantes and salons d’antiquaires. I’ve also got some very nice quality curtains but in the wrong colour so I’m going to paint and wax them. That’s just for starters.”

Here’s a sneak peek of projects to come from Alex:

I'm Missing France

We haven't been to France for a while so I started thinking about the houses and the colours.  So much so that tonight we are off to France to our house in Normandy. We'll probably get frostbite - there is no heating in the house except a big log fire, some 'slow to have effect' electric heaters and hot water bottles.  It'll take ages to warm the house and then well be coming home. 

But the colours will be good 

and the patinas That'll keep me warm...

Positive colour but so beautifully toned it doesn't look loud or shouty.  
This is in the north of France on the Normandy coast - in historic and ancient Honfleur - it was under English rule in the 14th century, it's  where French settlers left to for Quebec in 1608, and many of the Impressionists lived and worked in the area 

 

Coco with some Old White might do it or even some Paloma in it ? 

Greek Blue and some Old White or maybe some Louis Blue 

Of course the shape of the door is beautiful and the lamp post looks like Louis Blue. The top of the widow has a very pale Paloma look about it - interesting combinations I think. 

Country Grey 

French Linen

Old White door and dirtied and slightly whitened Greek Blue

Old Ochre and make the green with maybe Florence and French Linen 

This is the town of Eymet in Aquitaine and one of the old Bastide towns - meaning they are medieval fortified villages. They are little changed and quite magical.  This one is one of the most touristy.  I was there to run a workshop for a stockist of mine. 

Provence - the shutters are this colour 

The shutter catch on a house in Bergerac although they are seen all over France. 

Olive or Chateau Grey mix with Provence

                                      à bientôt, Annie !

                                  ( see you soon) 

PS . Have a look at our list of stockist in France - distributed by Claire in Brittany.  We have a new one in Cherbourg.... yippee! 

 http://anniesloan.com/acatalog/Ireland_and_Europe.html#France