What does the word ‘artisan’ mean to you? There are a few definitions out there, but this one pretty much encapsulates the gist of it: ‘A worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.’

Fair enough, but it’s a word that comes with additional connotations. When you hear the word ‘artisan’ perhaps terms and expressions like ‘authentic’, ‘pastoral’, ‘back to basics’ ‘lovingly crafted’, ‘quality’, ‘made to last’ also spring to mind. Perhaps for the more literary minded it may also evoke that wonderful line Thomas Hardy conjured up to describe the slightly wonky lips of Tess (of the D’Urbervilles): “It was the touch of the imperfect upon the would-be perfect that gave the sweetness, because it was that which gave the humanity.”

Is there a more apt explanation of why artisan is such a joyful and heartwarming word?

Or why the team at Haymes Paint selected it as the name of a collection that imbues all of the above concepts and more.

The Artisan Collection comes from a company that has long been bold with its colour choices, but now has taken that experimentation further and is offering people the opportunity to be equally intrepid in their texture choices too.

It’s a range of paints and finishes that are hand-crafted but accessible and user-friendly from a beginner to an Artisan expert. They are textured finishes – some to be used inside, and some inside and outside and designed to animate those spaces wherever they may be.

There are three core ranges – Surface, Metallics and Textures – each with their own products, colour palettes and application techniques. It’s an extensive range of finishes, colours and textures, meaning the options for specifiers and designers are manifold.

As people move away from the safe and, dare we say it, unadventurous choice of whites and off-whites to decorate their homes, the Artisan Collection features natural earthy hues as well as strong and bold colours. The addition of varied textures emphasises the ability to add warmth, to add individuality and to add authenticity.

Surface

Here we have the elemental colours and finishes of sand and stone – reflecting the very building blocks of our homes and urban environments. The pliable, fine textural quality of Surface unveils a unique tonal variation evident in all four application techniques – Bloom, Brushed, Gravity and Industrial and has names like Limed Cement, Rocksalt, Industrial Grey, Basalt Rock and Slate Stone.

Metallics

The delight of this category is the way the options marry the artificial engineered world of metal or the rich results of minerals mined from the deep earth with the softer and more intuitive feel of the natural world.

• Matte Polish – a low lustre, pearl metallic features colours ranging from Charred Earth via Stony Road to the soft hues of Pink Drift.
• Metal Trace in both Smooth and Coarse textures includes Burnt Copper, Blasted Bronze, Rustic Gold and Anthracite in its grouping.
• Real Iron, Real Copper and Patina are three singular products that, when combined together, oxidise and evolve into Rust and Verdigris – living finishes unique in their appeal and appearance.

Textures

The wide range of texture choices are further subdivided into sectors that speak of the natural world, of grass beneath bare feet, of fingers digging into soil or getting covered in dust as they work materials to build their own homes.

• Mortar, flat and malleable, including colours such as Straw, Rich Clay, Fossil Sand, Bamboo and Mud.
• Render coat, on the other hand, is filled with options that recall the hardy little stuccoed or whitewashed cottages you may find dotted across a Scottish isle, blessed with names like Misty Grey, Potters Clay, Natural Lime and Thunder Grey.
• Sand, a fine stone-like texture, is the umbrella name for more far-flung references like Boracay, Himalayan Mountain and Camel.
• Soft Chalk’s opaque, velvety finish features a wide range of colour options, from the rich warmth of Deep Bloom via Strong Teal and Fog to the aptly named Old Fashion.

The Artisan Collection is elemental; it is calloused fingers carefully choosing the rocks for a dry stone wall and it is the scudding clouds above a villager’s croft in a remote corner of the old country. It is hand-crafted, created with heart and tenacity. It is the ‘touch of the imperfect on the would-be perfect’ and that makes it truly beautiful.

haymespaint.com.au

Images: Artisan Collection © Gemmola Haymes