Artist Profile: Sherren Comensoli
- 2 Dec 2017
We catch up with Melbourne-based artist - and Block Shop Style Consultant - Sherren Comensoli, whose gorgeous abstracts works featured throughout Sticks and Wombat’s home.
How long have you been producing art?
I’ve got a nine year-old and a five year-old, and after I had my kids, I found myself needing a creative outlet. I’d been doing visual merchandising and retail design, which was still creative, but I wanted to start painting again. My husband wasn’t keen on us spending $5000 on a piece of art, so I thought I’d have a go. Basically, I ended up filling up my house with my art - and then I ran out of walls! People wanted to start buying it, and it went from there…
So friends saw it hanging on your wall, and wanted a piece for themselves...
Yeah, basically. And then it was friends of friends. And then I found I needed a website. And now I’m quite busy, doing commissions and things. I’ve had a few great breaks, like getting into [Melbourne retail store] Crate Expectations, who are now one of my main stockists. And The Block Shop is going crazy right now…
Is that because your artwork featured in Sticks and Wombat’s hallway?
Yes. I’ve got five pieces, actually, in Sticks and Wombat’s house. I was the ‘One-Stop-Shop’ for Wombat, bless him. I didn’t really help him with styling, but I did have a few discussions with him about how to put things together, and all that kind of thing. All above board of course, they showed it on The Block!
Did you get a lot of orders from that?
I did, especially that particular artwork. That was very popular. As was the one in their ‘re-do’ bedroom, which was their ‘soft’ room. That’s been popular too…
They got great comments from the judges about that…
They did. He “got in touch with his feminine side” - courtesy of my work!
Where do you produce your art?
I have a studio space, which is a converted tool shed in my backyard, my Dad helped me build - he’s a builder. We had a weekend where we did it up, put plywood on all the walls, lined them, and painted it charcoal and white - it’s just gorgeous now. It’s a place I can bring clients, and I can have a mini gallery and prop up some things.
What kinds of things inspire you?
Oh god - everything. Everything I see! I’m especially inspired by colour palettes. I might see a certain colour palette, say, walking into a retail shop, and be like, ‘That is going to be a painting.’ And shapes as well - all artists say this, but nature definitely inspires me. That’s often a bit of a starting point. I had a country upbringing, in Wangaratta (in North East Victoria), so I paint rocks and trees, but in an abstract way. I also paint abstract mountainscapes, and seascapes…
How long does it take you to create each painting?
Some weeks I have a couple on the go, but predominantly, I just like to sit with one. So anything up to two to three weeks - it depends.
You have two small children - how do you find the time to get to your studio?
Well, my youngest is at four year-old kinder this year, so she has three days there, which is great. And they will both be at school next year, so I’ll basically paint five days a week from next year, and also do my styling for The Block Shop.
Tell us about that..
There are so many Block followers that want that look in their home, but don’t know how to pull it together. This is what I can help people with, by providing some clarity. I get a feel for what you want to achieve, then go away and create mood boards, which are quite detailed. Clients send me a photo of their room, with a few dimensions, and I fit that room in a ‘mood board’ for them, with products from The Block Shop. Then I follow up with a phone call, and we have a half an hour chat, and I give them the debrief…
Sounds like a great idea!
It is. I’m looking forward to doing more of that in the coming months as well...
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