A new addiction

I’ve watched a million, OK maybe dozens, of YouTube tutorials on chalk pain, examined the beautiful brush stroke-free finishes and drooled over the colors in the Annie Sloan color chart.

But I wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge without taking a class first. I wasn’t sure which brush I needed for what technique, how to properly apply wax or create some of the cool distressed techniques I saw on my favorite blogs and pins.

So when the stars aligned for me to be in town and not have something planned during a Chalk Paint 101 class at the Bucktown Center for the Arts, signing up was a no-brainer. On an aside, the Davenport, Iowa, artist studio/retail space was once in the red light district of the city back in the days of Prohibition. Let’s just say it used to be the home to depravity and makes for a fun history lesson.

Back to chalk paint. The class was taught by Vintage Home & Art by Juliet, an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockist and artist who creates beautiful pieces out of tired furniture that was used and abused by its previous owners. Check out her Facebook page to see some of her amazing transformations. She also sells supplies online, if you’re looking for a place to get Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

In the class we learned four techniques, two color distressed, wash, impasto and crackle. You can see my class samples above. I had so much fun practicing all the techniques and using colors I never would pick for my own home.

It is pretty safe to say I am already addicted to chalk paint. The night I came home from class I finally started on the dresser I intended to paint for Angela’s nursery before she was born. She’s almost nine months now, but who’s keeping track? I also started on a sewing cabinet that was my grandmother’s and I intend to use in my new sewing room, more on that upcoming transformation later.

I’ll share my transformations as I finish them, but in the meantime it is pretty safe to assume that if I’m not at the sewing machine, I’m in the basement with a paint brush in hand.

If you’re thinking about giving chalk paint a try, be warned that it is pricey, but it goes a long way. I put three coats of paint on five large dresser drawers and still have more than half-a-quart left. And let’s be honest, quilting isn’t exactly a cheap hobby, so you really shouldn’t have too much sticker shock at dropping $100+ for supplies for your latest creative project.

Have any of you given chalk paint a try?