Painter in Residence Jonathon Marc Mendes painted this roll-top bureau with Chalk Paint® incorporating a range of colours and techniques under a botanical theme.

Painter in Residence Jonathon Marc Mendes painted this roll-top desk in a gorgeous combination of Chalk Paint® brights, showcasing a range of techniques, under a botanical theme.

The frame and recurring colour of the desk is a hot pink mix made from Chalk Paint® in Henrietta with a touch of Emperor’s Silk.

Some of the leaves featured on this bureau Jonathon has free-hand painted. On the middle drawer, Jonathon used a fossil leaf technique, which is essentially like using real leaves as a stamp! To try this technique yourself, press leaves in to paint, vein side down, and leave there until the paint is nearly dry. Then, to highlight the beautiful slightly 3D print that this creates, use a little Dark Chalk Paint® Wax.

On the outside of the roll-top desk, lettering was hand painted using Old White and Graphite over the top of a surface painted in a mix of Antibes Green, Graphite and Old White. The finish was then speckled using a small artist’s brush to flick a little paint over the surface.

The internal desk top was painted with a mix of Chalk Paint® in Old Violet and French Linen. The paint was applied thickly and then cracked by applying direct heat from a hairdryer. The cracks where then filled with Dark Chalk Paint® Wax.

All details have been paid attention to, down to the small metal watering can which is painted in a mixture of Chalk Paint® in English Yellow and Château Grey, and the chair painted with the same mix, both finished with Clear Wax.

To finish the piece and to bring it all together, Jonathon used Sanding Pads to lightly distress areas over the whole desk. He then applied a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax to seal in the paint and protect his wonderful work.