A splash of color down the middle of your dining table is a great way to change the feel and look of your room. These hand painted table runners will do just that and tell a great story at the same time.
They all start as a plain white piece of cloth. The designs are painted ‘free hand’ with no patterns or stencils. First, the areas that are to be white are covered with a glue-like substance and then the color is applied. Next a flour fine powder covers the paint, the piece is baked, and then the powder is wiped off. Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of training or natural talent to make them turn out so similar and so beautiful! Oh, and if you find any white powder left on your table runner, just take a wet cloth and wipe it off, you know where it came from!
There is a very talented team of 3 responsible for the hand painted linens at Julian’s. They work in a loft above the ceramics factory. Here’s the story from the workshop;
Lesley-Ann, has worked at Julian’s for 9 years. She was only 16 years old when she started. Lesley-Ann lives with her parents and has one son. Julian brought her into the ‘family’ and taught her how to paint. From the income that she makes at Julian’s, she helps support both her parents and her son. Lesley-Ann told me, ‘Julian is a good man and I like working here very much.’
Rozelle was one of the first employees at Julian’s and has now been part of the team for over 17 years. She has 3 children that she supports. Rozelle loves the work, to be creative and enjoys producing ‘nice stuff’ as she calls it. She is very proud of the hand painted products she makes.
Natasha did not know how to paint when she joined Julian’s 16 years ago, but was 
taught by her colleague, Rozelle. She likes her job and it means she can help support her husband and two children. She wants them to be able to continue with their schooling and go on to college. Natasha commented that ‘It is very helpful to us and our company if you buy our products.’
In addition to the table runners, these talented ladies also free hand paint the fun and colorful patterns of our aprons.
To view our collection of these amazing hand painted linens, click here.
Thank you, on behalf of Lesley-Ann, Rozelle, Natasha and Thumbprint Artifacts for your interest in their work. Your support helps them support their families.
Best,
Kris
