#25 Project Transformation 6: South Africa!

Three little ones enjoying their new crèche! 

Welcome to the first #25Project transformation of 2017! I can't think of a better project to start off the new year with than this one from South Africa.

Intandokazi crèche in the Nkobongo Township was in desperate need of attention when it was nominated for a transformation. Even though owner Dudu had made every effort to create a safe and fun learning space for the 92 children in her care, the crèche was still in a sorry state. What did shine through the photos I saw was the love Dudu has for each of the little ones that arrived day after day, so it's just perfect that a place that means 'most loved' has been given a new lease of life thanks to the work of over 50 incredible volunteers – and a whole lot of paint!

The incredibly humble and hardworking Dudu behind her favourite Barcelona Orange door

The crèche before the transformation

Although filled with love, the space was in dire need of attention. 

The space before.

The transformation begins! Along with the local community and local counsellors, the team was joined by stockists, customers and distributors from all over South Africa.

I love how joyful and colourful these photos are!

The incredible volunteers get started.

Bright and bold colours bring cheer and joy! 

The place is ready! Those colourful hooks were once workshop boards from a stockist of mine.

All the children and staff from the crèche in front of the amazing mural the volunteers painted.

The amount of work put in by the army of volunteers has been staggering. Inside and out has been completely remodelled, with walls knocked down, insulation installed, new floors, doors and windows, and even a new roof! It just goes to show that with just a little kindness, a whole world can be transformed.

Not only that, but this is just the beginning for this little crèche. There are big plans afoot to create a new playground, improve the sanitation and water facilities plus much, much more. I personally want to thank each and every person involved, and cannot wait to keep up with all the ongoing work that Dudu has planned! 

Yours,

Annie

Christmas in South Africa

Christmas now seems a distant dream – I hope yours was a merry one. I was very, very lucky this year and spent Christmas in South Africa with my husband David and two of our sons, Henry and Hugo. My son Felix (whom many of you will know works with me here at HQ, couldn’t come as he and his partner Lizzy are expecting their second child in the next couple of weeks – we were sad they couldn’t be with us, but so excited about a new addition to the family!).

South Africa was really gorgeous, I loved it. I think it is one of the most creative places I’ve ever been – it’s incredibly inspiring and I’ve been trying to put my finger on why that is. I think in part it must be due to the extraordinary mixture of international influences and visitors dating back to the Seventeenth Century. I met some great people – I really enjoyed a conversation with my taxi driver on Christmas Day in Cape Town – as a self-identified ‘Cape Coloured’ he spoke three languages – Afrikaans, Arabic and, of course, English. Another lovely man I met whilst doing a wine tasting (it’s the law to do a wine tasting in South Africa!) told me his great, great, great, great, GREAT grandmother was from Indonesia. The cultural mix coupled with South Africa’s separateness and the Afrikaans heritage, based around farming and home-making, make this a peculiarly unique part of the world. I don’t know how, or why or what, but the effect on the country combined with fantastic weather and such diverse flora and fauna plus those inspiring views make it an astonishing, and very, very creative place to visit.

It *was* a holiday, but I’ve come back wanting to make things. I found a freedom of expression, a loose style – people don’t do fiddly, precise little things. It’s much more in keeping with the way in which I like to work – no restrictions, just pick up a brush or pencil and enjoy yourself.

Here are a few little sketches I made while I was there – I didn’t really make them with the idea of sharing them, but in my blog back in October, when I introduced my new Chalk Paint Workbook, I wrote that I always like to have a sketchbook to hand... and here’s the proof!

I also took advantage of the opportunity to pop into The Pause Room in Cape Town, and say hello to my Stockist there, Michelle Kunze. And, of course, I visited lots of galleries. The style is so craft inspired – African workers using traditional techniques to make tremendous, contemporary pieces. Above all, they’re not scared of colour in South Africa – not in the slightest!!

Finally, please indulge me by letting me share some photos taken by my son, Henry, who has a Facebook page. His photographs really capture some of the diversity and colour I loved so much!

Yours, Annie

Across the great divide

2014 was another exhilarating year, rounded off by two fantastic trips to Ireland and South Africa.

Northern Ireland
In October, I headed across the Irish Sea firstly to Northern Ireland to see my Stockists (over 20 now!). While there, I was able to visit lots of my Stockists' shops and spend time meeting customers. I was very honoured to cut the red ribbon opening of the second Doris and Jeannie shop (below) on Belfast’s Ann Street.

While stopping by to visit Little French Barn in Lisburn (below), I couldn't believe my eyes when the mayor turned up to meet me in his full regalia!

Ireland
Then it was a train to Dublin and a packed reader event with the Irish Times who recently published a fantastic feature about me. Among the many Irish Stockists we visited, it was great to see visit two great shops in Dublin (Rua Dublin, below left and Find, below right).


I adore Ireland: it’s wonderful and it tugs at my roots – I’m part Scots Irish – my great great grandfather John Sloan came from County Down so it was lovely to go back there.

South Africa

What can I say about this absolutely extraordinary, wonderful and inspiring country? It is very different to the country that I knew when I grew up in Southern Africa as a teenager. There’s a very positive vibe which I readily embraced. 
What I enjoyed the most on this particular visit was the vibrant culture of the country – I found it so exciting with the Dutch Africaans, French, German, African tribal, and Cape Coloured influences all around.

I’d been to South Africa on a flying visit in 2013 to set up our paint factory there, but this was my first ‘official tour’. The SA media and magazine interest was phenomenal and I did loads of interviews all around the country.

In Cape Town, I stayed in a most amazing hotel called the Cellars-Hohenort (below) located in the Constantia vineyard Valley on the slopes of Table Mountain. It has to be one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed in. I loved the Cape Dutch architecture and the landscaping was spectacular – it was like the Garden of Eden!

Among the very, very many highlights from this extended visit, I really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people at the book signings we did. In Cape Town, we had a fabulous time at Stockists Froggatt and Frost (below).

I also visited JustDarling in Walkerville, Gauteng, which is very French, very pretty and light.


Here I am meeting with all the stockists in the Johannesburg area.

I was interviewed by South African legend Jenny Cryws Williams (below) on Radio 702 (Thanks, Jenny!)
.

Another Jo’burg stockist, I visited was Eau-la-la in Pretoria run by Ingrid and Lili (below). I loved their bohemian-warehouse style with reclaimed African-made stuff – it was really funky and eye-catching.

Here I am in Durban, again visiting stockists (gathered below).

Thank you to everyone who came to all the SA gatherings – it’s such a vast country, some travelled over a thousand miles to see me! I came away with a powerful feeling that my heart is in South Africa. It’s like a home from home. It is so stimulating and the colours and designs really touched me.
 
I even managed to bring back some more red earth too!
 


So as we enter a new year – and not only that but also the 25th Birthday of Chalk Paint® – I’d love to wish you all a bright and colourful 2015!


Yours, Annie

‘Isn’t it nice to be home again?’

Last year was a momentous year for travelling. My itinerary took me to China, Canada and South Africa (with earlier trips to Cuba and Australia). I saw some amazing art and designs which has given me fresh impetus as I take my Chalk Paints and colour inspirations into 2014.

Inspired by China
China was not a business trip but a chance to see my son Henry who was teaching in Beijing at the time. It also gave me the opportunity to see first-hand some fantastic contemporary artistic works in the new ‘art zones’ in and around the city.

The artists face some huge cultural issues, and it is hand to mouth, but it’s better than any other ‘art area’ I’ve seen in the whole world. Very imaginative and completely inspiring –giving me lots of ideas I can pass on to you...

I’ve never been anywhere like it and there is certainly s-p-a-c-e: one art district called 798 is housed in vast disused East European 1950’s electronics factories. 

The colours and vibrancy of the paintings was so eye-catching – and a long way from the cultural straightjacket of Mao’s time. How these artists handle Chairman Mao’s legacy is revealing. Take a look at these images below – the bottom 2 pics courtesy of  my son Henry (www.manuelphotos.com)

© manuelphotos.com

I particularly like this image with its quirky juxtaposition of before, during and post-Mao! 
© manuelphotos.com

On a more traditional note, I saw plenty of the exquisite and ubiquitous Chinese red pigments in Beijing’s Summer Palace – my pic above shows how warm primary red makes a great contrast to cool, faded Graphite. And this is centuries old! I've used this combination to great effect with my Chalk Paint® Emperor’s Silk on cabinets and bureaus. You can see examples on Pinterest by searching ‘Emperor’s Silk’.

Canada O Canada

After China I took off again to Canada to ‘get closer’ to my stockists as I haven’t been there for ages. I went to Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver, and tied it in with two great ‘Home Shows’ at Toronto and Vancouver. The trip opened my eyes especially to French-Canadian culture, and I got a feel for Montreal and how I need to be more French-language-orientated for my stockists there!

Also couldn’t resist getting this pic in hanging out with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in the green room at Canada AM in Toronto for their breakfast show. He’d had hair and makeup but I hadn’t.

Whistle-stop Hop to South Africa

Then I took a weekend hop to KwaZulu-Natal to see the factory in Durban that have now started to make my paint in SA. Thank heavens there is only a 2-hour time-zone difference from the UK. I also got the chance to visit our distributor there, and to take in the beautiful primary blues and greens of the Indian Ocean. I will be going back for a big stockist’s course early this year.

With Felix Manuel and my SA distributor Simon and Mary Glaister.

A flying visit from the paint factory to see Ingrid at Palette Decor & Kitchens in nearby Pietermaritzburg.

Homeward Bound
2013 was unbelievable and a bit crazy zinging across the time zones and racking up the air miles. But I’ve been positively inspired by the sights, sounds (and smells) I’ve absorbed and I am going to pass on some fantastic news, views and comments in 2014! So Happy New Year from back home in wet and windy Oxford, and for now I’m going to unwind with that sun-drenched, very short and sweet James Taylor song ‘Isn’t it nice to be home again' playing in my head...

Yours, Annie