Floral Furniture Headdresses!

Let me share with you the second project from my unique Painter in Residence, Hanayuishi Takaya, another set of stunning headdresses that, in my opinion, are truly works of art.

What I love about Mr. Takaya’s work is that it is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The response from his previous work, ‘Man with Koi’ was fascinating. When I started the Painters in Residence programme my aim was to share inspiring images which start a discussion, and all use my paints and products, of course. With Mr. Takaya’s work, it may not be something that is easily recreated at home, but it definitely makes me smile; his whimsical artistry and joyous creations fill me with a new sense of wonder.

For these pieces Mr Takaya has cleverly used doll’s house table's and chairs - a cheeky response to the fact that Chalk Paint® is predominantly used on furniture. For the table and chairs, Hanayuishi chose many of the brighter colours in my Colour Palette, such as Emperor’s Silk, Antibes Green and Provence, building the layers of paint before sanding back to create a distressed, rustic finish. The boldness of colour contrasts beautifully with the arrangement of flowers chosen, such as hydrangeas and pink scabious.
Mr Takaya is always conscious of the models he uses for his work, and with this he chose two children which really marries perfectly the theme of the whole piece.

What do you think of this latest work? I would again be intrigued to hear your thoughts.

It may not be to everyone’s taste, but then again what a boring old world it would be if it was?

Yours, Annie

Introducing Painters in Residence Abigail and Ryan Bell

“We are a husband and wife design duo based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and working together as Abigail*Ryan. We create bold hand-illustrated florals on our homeware using (we think) an uncommon colour palette. We have two pups, Angus (grumpy) & Hamish (happy-go-lucky) and three chickens, Helga, Brigitte and Henrietta.

And Annie's paint? 

Colour really drives our approach to painting. We generally like flat modern finishes, and bold saturated hues. I'm [Abigail] an illustrator, so generally create my detail work with pen and ink, but I like the qualities that paint can bring to that and the possibilities that unfold when the two combine.

Annie is an incredibly warm and charming person, and we loved spending some time with her in Belfast. She has a great sense of fun, and an infectious smile and endless enthusiasm. A genuinely lovely person... and her professional achievements are really inspiring. It’s fantastic to see how a business that has been running for such a long time found its stride and now has over 1,200 stockists. A wonderful success story for any entrepreneur to aspire to!

What you’ll see from us

To kick off we hand painted a beautiful Victorian chaise, and we are also using the paint to create a Japanese Shibori-inspired tie-die project to overhaul a Parker Knoll chair frame. We’re also really inspired to create beautiful flat modern finishes with Annie's Flat Brushes, so we have been experimenting with those. They’re great tools!”

Here's a peek of projects to come:

Yours, Annie

Follow this blog for exclusive pictures from Abigail and Ryan's residency and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and her website: www.abigailryan.com

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