ANNIE SLOAN
The colour expert and paint guru on her kaleidoscopic approach to life
NEW BEGINNINGS
After eight years of art school, all I wanted to do was paint! This gave me great practical experience, which I put to use by writing books on decorative restoration. Then, at the grand old age of 40 and with three young children, I realised I wanted to change the way I worked. For a while, I’d been mixing my own paint – it was easy to use, quick to dry, and worked on anything – and it occurred to me that perhaps other people would like it too. Creating my business was an organic process, and I was soon selling paint and posting it all over the country from a little shop in Headington in Oxford.
TEAMWORK
My factory is a dream come true. Everything in the whole building is painted, and so is the outside! I have an inspiring workforce. There are 60 of us, including my lovely husband David. Everyone is creative and collaboration is key. I’m never not on social media, and love to watch what our paint community gets up to – it’s endlessly fascinating to see how they interpret my colours and hear what they love. It’s important to listen to feedback and helps us to see things through fresh perspectives.
GLOBETROTTING
I’m very much a citizen of the world, feeling affinities with many people, places and cultures. I’m incredibly fortunate that I’ve been able to explore around the globe. Ethiopia was a particularly fabulous trip, as I travelled with Oxfam and was able to meet women farmers from empowerment projects it was running. I loved engaging with them in an outstanding setting of verdant countryside, and seeing their colourful fabrics.
POWER OF COLOUR
Colour feeds, nourishes and stimulates. When you find a bold shade you love, it gives you confidence and strength. Of all the colours in my collection, I most adore Firle, an energetic green, and Napoleonic Blue – it’s bright and bold and easy to work with. Vibrant red is also a favourite. In our house in Oxford, my Emperor’s Silk paint sits next to a wall in Graphite. For me, it’s more about combining different colours than picking just one.
HISTORY OF ART
It was my father’s appreciation of art that sparked my love of colour. I found myself drawn to the work of Gauguin, and one of the colours in my collection was inspired by a shade of dusky lilac he often used. I named it Emile after his son. I love the American abstract painters too, and recall a fantastic collection at The Broad that I saw on a visit to Los Angeles. I adore the work of British artists Eric Ravilious and Ben Nicholson too, and while their use of colour is relatively muted, I’d happily display them at home.
HOME & HEART
I live in East Oxford, close to lots of shops and restaurants. Anywhere on Cowley Road is almost guaranteed to be worth eating at! We’re well served with museums and galleries too. My favourite is the Pitt Rivers. From the outside, our home looks like a regular townhouse, but inside my tastes are bohemian. I play around with paint here – it’s a good way to test if our paint can be used for a mural on your bathtub (yes, perfect), or if it will hold up on your kitchen cabinets (five years and counting). In a dream world, I’d have fresh flowers every day, but compromise with lots of plants. They’re good for the mind and the soul.