Annie Sloan

Personal: Annie Sloan lives and works in Oxford, England with her husband David who runs the business with her. Born in Australia to a Scottish father and a Fijian mother, she came to England to a farming life in Kent when she was ten years old. With spells in Southern Africa and connections to France, Cuba and the US she feels she has world roots. She has three sons all in their twenties and has lived in Oxford for the last twenty five years.

Career: Annie Sloan is probably the main reason for the painted furniture revolution through her easy, lively and creative approach to painting. She has a strong desire to communicate and empower people creatively which she does through her books, workshops and paint.

She has been painting for over 40 years as well as writing numerous books on the subject. She has made her own very special decorative paint called Chalk Paint®, which is specifically designed for furniture, that can also be used on walls, floors and in paintings. This paint has been developed through Annie's knowledge of paint, pigments and art history.

Annie trained as a painter, but turned to decorative work and understanding colour after university. In 1987 she wrote the phenomenally successful book 'The Complete Book of Decorative Paint Techniques' which was followed by over 20 other books on traditional paints, colours and techniques and has led to total sales of well over 2 million books worldwide in 11 languages. Her latest books are the highly successful 'Creating the French Look' published in April 2008 and 'Quick & Easy Paint Transformations' published in April 2010.

In 2000 she set up her shop in Oxford to showcase her Chalk Paint®, run courses, and offer interior design services using her knowledge about colour.

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