[dropcap type =”circle”]A[/dropcap]nnie Sloan, 68, is the world’s leading authority on paint, colour and technique. Revolutionising decorative painting with the creation of the now-iconic Chalk Paint™, Annie’s contagious enthusiasm, passion and expertise has unlocked creative potential all over the world. Born in Australia to a Scottish father and Fijian mother, Annie settled in Oxford, where she has lived for the last 25 years. A family business, Annie works alongside husband Dave, a company director, while middle son Felix is Brand Director.
After training as a fine artist in the 1970s, Annie began painting murals on commission. Researching different paint types, Annie was unable to find one paint that would do everything she needed.
She said: “I wanted a paint that was easy to use, quick to dry and could be mixed with other colours. The most important thing for me was not having to do any prep, so you can just start painting whenever the mood takes you.”
In 1990, mother-of-three Annie turned visionary inventor with the creation of Chalk Paint™, a unique water-based non-toxic formula of unrivalled quality, with a velvety matt finish that sticks to just about any surface, from furniture to walls and floors, inside and outside the home, without the need for priming or sanding. Now available in 36 mixable colours, alongside a range of decorator’s accessories including brushes, waxes and varnish, Chalk Paint™ was joined in 2015 by 16 shades of Wall Paint, followed by a fabric collection of coloured linens, tickings and painterly prints. Originally produced in Belgium, thanks to Annie’s passionate belief in local production, paint for the UK market is now manufactured in-house in a purpose-built factory alongside the brand’s Oxford headquarters.
In 2000, Annie opened a shop in her home town to showcase Chalk Paint™ and run courses and workshops. ”Everything I do, from my books, to my new launches to my classes, is designed to help my customers transform their worlds and inspire them further in their decorative adventures.”
Passionate supporter of small businesses
A passionate supporter of small business, Annie Sloan paint is distributed via Annie’s personally trained, hand-picked network of 1,700 independent retailers in 56 countries.
Annie added: “Supporting small makers and shops is an integral part of my ethos and I’m committed to ensuring my products are exclusive to them. No high street retailers for me! Inspired by Chalk Paint™ projects around the world, I set up the Painters in Residence initiative to highlight my favourite painters. I’m passionate about personal relationships – I run my own Instagram account and see it as a wonderful opportunity to raise the profiles of my many fantastic stockists, each of whom I personally train so they are able to run workshops to inspire their own customers. It’s thrilling to me to see the wonderful things people do with my paint, from the real experts to first timers. It’s always been my mission to transform the world through creativity, one step at a time.”
A true paint legend, Annie has written more than 25 books in 20 years, translated into 11 languages.
For more information contact 01865 713 080 | www.anniesloan.com
