Melissa White
Designer and painter of decorative interiors
Based over in Hastings on the Sussex coast I divide my time between designing at my home office and painting at my large studio down the road.
In a nutshell I work mostly to commission creating scenic and patterned designs for interiors. With clients ranging from interior designers to prestige brands, from private clients to Buckingham Palace, I’m given the most wonderful creative briefs to realise. The process is often very collaborative as I develop ideas into wallpapers, fabrics and other decorative mediums such as furniture, tiles and accessories.
It all began with an apprenticeship in the rather niche genre of Elizabethan wall painting. By researching and reproducing this domestic form of decoration I developed my painterly style, emulating the loose, energetic brushwork of what is a largely forgotten, but beguiling type of folk art.
As the design briefs evolved so did my style and experience in the technicalities of commercial production. Fruitful collaborations with prestige brands like Lewis & Wood, Diageo and Fortnum & Mason ensued. I’ve worked with Zoffany on award-winning designs since 2012 (new scenic wallpaper to be revealed in 2023) and this is how Kit Kemp (Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels) discovered my work. Channelling Kit’s joyful aesthetic I began to paint supersized whimsical landscapes for her hotels and later for retail.
Throughout this long and meandering decorative career I have used Colourman Paints! Way back in 1995 I was apprentice to Elizabethan Wall Painting expert David Cutmore who had met Colourman founder Chris Mowe in the 80’s. Sadly David is no longer with us but we worked together for over 17 years. He taught me how to make historic paints from powder pigment and size for historic reproductions but we used Colourman Paints right from the start too as their properties were so similar to those historic “glue tempera” paints.
When trying to achieve the aged, distressed, matte look of Sixteenth Century wall paintings these paints are a practical substitute. Colourman paints can be chalky and friable when I want to break up my brushwork. But, when waxed, layers of Colourman paint create exquisite patinas as textured brushstrokes and broken colour meld serendipitously.
As well as 2D decoration I also paint furniture with all sorts of designs, both historic and contemporary. Colourman paint, naturally it is a dream to build up layers of paint and pattern on the contours and surfaces of furniture and of course the distressing and waxing brings it all together effortlessly.
On my more contemporary designs I work in a very organic and spontaneous way often changing my mind and reworking areas. I’ve found that by re-wetting the paint I can remove or rework it. Then, when I’ve finished the whole piece, I love the process of gently sanding it back (using fine finishing paper) to reveal layers of previous brushmarks, known as pentimenti. The best bit is bringing the now dusty surface back to life using “soft clear furniture wax”. This is when I feel the artwork truly comes to life, becoming separate from me yet telling the story of my journey in paint.
As for the colours!…. Within the Colourman range I’ve always found an equivalent for the natural earth pigments I seek. Their palette is like an old friend and I know the colours inside out…and yet…since Rachel and Louanne recently gave names to the colours, I’ve started seeing them afresh. Colours I barely noticed before, like 702 and 623 are new favourites since being named Sail Cloth and Beeswax.
Getting to know Rachel, Louanne and their team over the last couple of years has galvanised my respect and loyalty towards this homely, fun and authentic brand. 2022 saw our first collaborative workshop where I taught an enthusiastic group how to use the paints to best effect on painted treasure boxes. Colourman Paints also supply Curious House Courses over in Ticehurst, East Sussex where I give similar painted box workshops. It is always a treat to reveal the magic of Colourman Paint to a new audience.
Jane McCall
@janemccall
Jane creates the most amazing and unique lampshades that are designed in the style and earthy tones so loved by the famous Bloomsbury Set residents of Charleston House. All shades are made in the UK and feature Jane’s original designs.
“When I was approached by Curious House Courses to teach lampshade painting little did I know it would turn into “ Bloomsbury Revisited”, which now in its third year has become more successful that we ever imagined.
I design and paint all our designs using Colourman Paints as they perfectly compliment the Bloomsbury style of earthy, rich and warm tones. Being water based, means I can use inks and acrylic paints with them, adding water and conditioners if required to make different marks and effects on the fabric I’m working on.
The great thing is that when I’m designing something new on paper or making a mural on a wall or painting a piece of furniture, it works equally well.
Thank you Colourman! “
