Abstract and Pop Australian Artist Nicki Baker-Comelli

Australian artist Nicki Baker-Comelli; If you have been hunting for original art pieces, then Baker Collection is the place to be.

About Australia’s Most Contemporary Artist Nicki Baker-Comelli

Australian artist Nicki Baker-Comelli paints under her family name Baker. Her father is a surrealist painter, and her sister Jessica Baker is one of Australia’s top-selling current contemporary artists.

Ever since Nicki could remember, there was always a painting on an easel. Her first recollection is a large-scale surrealist painting on an easel on the outer edge of the family lounge room. The artwork on this easel adorned the classic black and white tiles painted by surrealist painter Salvador Dali. Nude figures, melting clocks and a self-portrait of the artist himself, her father, Steve Baker.

Nicki’s mother was a creative spirit; too, she loved to write poetry and dabble in Zen-style bamboo painting. Her paintings were soft in colour and monotonous. Apart from her creative flair, Nicki’s mother was a businesswoman.

Together, both parents longed to build their own sustainable house. Nicki was about eight years of age at this time. Instead of a mainstream brick-and-mortar home. They embarked on a mission to build a mud brick home, making each brick by hand using local clay. They constructed brick moulds from timber and dug a hole in the ground. After crafting twenty thousand bricks, Steve and Maggie completed their family home.

With art and business constantly infiltrating Nicki’s life, it was only second nature for her to become the CEO of two companies and take up painting as a profession.

Today you will find Nicki painting in her studio inspired by her love for Australian culture, abstract, pop art and street art.

Nicki’s love for colour and fashion greatly influences her painting practices. Her passion for the colour black and less is more approach drives her to paint her very successful artwork. Her signature colours and style often include a very contemporary palette.

The Painting Process

Generally, Nicki starts with a flat matte black background painted in acrylic paint. Then she chooses her iconic image. Her paintings are typically painted on stretched cotton canvas or Belgium linen. Of late, she has been inspired by the work of Andy Warhol and working on a series of nostalgic and Australian favourites in food packaging.

Nicki’s painting methodology starts the same, even when she paints her gelato bowls. Each painting begins with a flat matte background. In the following process, acrylic spray paint is layered on top of the background. The spray element brings some popping abstract colour to her canvas frame.

Once the acrylic spray paint has been sprayed in organic flowing motions, layers start to form on the base of the painting.

There are soft white pastel marks on the surface of the canvas over the bold and vibrant spray-painted colours. White organic circle shapes and cross-hatching have been hand-drawn and can be seen to soften her dynamic pieces of art. These drawn marks often bring her painting together as a whole.

Nicki Baker-Comelli’s Colour Palette

Nicki then goes on to select her colour palette. She chooses colours directly from the iconic Australian packaging she is painting at the time. For her Gelato Bowl series, she places colours together in unison based on the colour scheme she is working on. Australian abstract artist Nicki Baker-Comelli stays true to her signature style and unconstrained painterly nature with her Gelato bowls. Creating texture is one of Nicki’s essential techniques. Nicki’s overlapping of painterly strokes and textures creates deep layers of blocked colour that saturate the whole surface of the canvas. One thing for sure is that each colour is bright and bold. Once Nicki conceptualises the colours, she applies paints with thick brush strokes that retain lines and showcase palette knife marks.

“I love working in a combination of bold colours, soft pastel hues and vibrant colours. Delightful mixes of spontaneous colours, mediums and textures are my signature style.” Australian artist Nicki Baker-Comelli

The longer you view Nicki’s paintings, the more intriguing they become. It is not unusual to see substantial areas of pastel pink paint sit alongside blocked colours of burgundy, fluorescent orange, gold, mint and olive green.

Where to hang your new artwork

Nicki’s artwork is the hero piece in any space. Walking into a room, it is a piece of artwork that is hard to ignore.

You can compliment this modern Australian artist’s colour palettes with soft, luxurious furnishings. Think thick woollen cushions or hides. Nicki’s artwork is yours to play with, tone down or amp up.

This contemporary Australian artist’s work reflects strong determination. Nicki’s original paintings will work in an entrance or living room or bring some colour to a kitchen.

Whatever your style, understated timber floors and crisp white painted walls; moody Dior grey featured walls and polished concrete floors. Whether you choose a soft woollen carpet in your preferred colour, Nicki’s paintings will hang anywhere and are guaranteed to start conversations.

Ready to hang as is or framed, the 40mm thick edge of her premium canvases lends itself well to a floating black, oak or white frame. You can detach her artwork from the pine frame and place it behind glass with a more elaborate or ornate frame if it suits the room.

Original art pieces are a pleasure to have in your everyday space. When you choose and place them correctly, you should enjoy and view them each time you walk into the room. Aesthetically original art pieces reveal a part of your personality; are you brave and determined like a piece of one of Nicki’s Gelati paintings or adventurous like her iconic Razz Raspberry Sunnyboy?

Australian Artist Nicki Baker-Comelli and her ne-of-a-kind pieces of art

Australian artist Nicki Baker-Comelli’s original art pieces are one-of-a-kind and utterly unique. There are no replicas, and only some printed limited editions available of specific works.

As one of Australia’s most contemporary artists, Nicki has sold countless pieces of original artwork to collectors throughout Australia. Her paintings proudly hang in homes and commercial spaces.

Australian Artist Nicki Baker-Comelli COMMISSIONS

For more information or to schedule a studio visit, contact art director Jessica Vince: 📞 0403 532 139 ✉️ [email protected]

CHECK OUT NICKI’S GIFT BOX COLLECTIONS HERE

• ‘The Pantry’ Original Australian food art for sale
• ‘Just Do It‘ Original pop art shoes for sale
• ‘Gelato Bowls’ directly through Watershed Gallery Hunter Valley