The Block 2023 Artwork Story
Ok, so last year, one of my artworks was on "The Block".
It all started back in the beginning of April 2023 when my agent called and said she had "good news and bad news".
Always the optimist, I asked her for the good news first. "Your big piece "Open Fields Dusk" has been chosen for this year's "The Block". After I picked up mouth up off the floor, I hesitantly asked what the bad news was ......... "It has to be in Melbourne in 3 days time".
Ouch! yep, there was good news, no, actually GREAT NEWS, and yes, there was some really really bad news.
I immediately hung up on my agent and got down to the business of finding a courier who could deliver this monstrously large artwork to Melbourne.
I called my artists friends, my art agent, my other friends, I even called my Mum, but every lead led to the same answer "we can guarantee it'll get down there in 3 days".
I was not prepared to let this fantastic opportunity go to waste. I harassed my art dealer friend again and thankfully he found the name of a mate of his who "might" be going down to Melbourne. I called him, and YES, he could deliver the artwork by the Friday (3rd day).
Fast forward to the arrival of the artwork and my agent advised that the "contestants" would be visiting her Melbourne Gallery to inspect my artwork to see if it would be suitable for their room reveal. Obviously, I asked which contestant had purchased my artwork and she was unable to tell me at that stage. "Until I know for sure that they're using it, I cannot tell you". Ok, well, fingers crossed and then we waited.
My agent then called a "zoom meeting" for all those artists that she had supplied for this year's show. Turns out there were 4 other artists, including me, who's artworks had also been selected. This was really exciting now. At the zoom meeting, it seemed fairly evident that the other artists knew which contestants were using their pieces. I still didn't know.
At the end of the zoom meeting, I privately emailed my agent and requested to know which contestant was "mine" lol
At the time, "Steph & Gian" didn't really mean that much other than I had started to see the advertising for the upcoming show and knew what they looked like.
We had all signed NDA's and were not allowed to discuss anything about the show, our artworks, that they were even on the show, or anything that we might now about it. Easy.
So lips sealed for months. Waiting, waiting, waiting and then more waiting.
I was given an itinery of each week room reveals and then I knew I was going to have my artwork revealed in Week 6 Master Bedroom Reveal. Well, that's exciting.
I can honestly say, I didn't really grasp how good Steph & Gian's rooms were until the night I watched Steph head into my agents Gallery in Melbourne and look at my painting. They actually made a special section in the program to watch her walk into the Gallery and look over my painting.
I was so happy, It was such a moment for me (sitting at home on my lounge), I actually cried.
Hearing how excited Steph was when she first locked onto the artwork hanging on the wall and to hear her say how much she thought it would suit her room, are probably words I'll never actually forget. I even remember the inflections in her voice as she first spotted my artwork from one end of the gallery to the other.
"that's MY piece, that's my piece... oh WOOOOOOOW".
Yep, I'll never forget it.
Months go by and my lips are sealed.
I can't tell anybody but my partner.
Around May 2023 there's some whispers on the TV that a new The Block is getting started.
I start seeing social media posts releasing one couple at a time as this years contestants.
I'm started to get excited and then finally we get a date The Block will start.
I know I'm Week 6 Master Bedroom reveal but nothing will ever prepare me for the response to Steph & Gian's extraordinary master bedroom!
The night The Block starts, my bum finds the perfect spot on the lounge and my hand finds a nice smooth whiskey and I'm ready.
(This is the artwork selected by Steph & Gian for their winning Master Bedroom, The Block 2023)
WEEK 6 - MASTER BEDROOM REVEAL
During that week, we had seen Steph head off to viewing gallery where my big artwork was hanging on the wall.
She loved it.
I loved her for it.
On the Sunday night, Reveal Night, the moment Scotty Cam announced the reveal of Steph & Gian's Master Bedroom, I was totally buzzing.
I had seen snippets of my big artwork in ads during the week and the week prior, but nothing prepares you for seeing it in THAT BEDROOM.
The response from the judges was incredible.
Everybody was saying that the room was "perfection" and "could easily be in a $20million home".
I was chuffed.
I got to see a lot of my artwork during the reveal.
Although the artwork never got a specific mention, the comments made by all 3 judges that night, that everything was perfectly chosen by Steph & Gian, made it special.
The fact that this Room got the first 10s for any room was just icing on the cake.
Such an incredible experience all round.
I was also very excited to see the very first print sale for my artwork dropped within the first 5 minutes of the artwork appearing on the Reveal.
More magic happened around 3-4 weeks after the Room Reveal, when I tagged Steph & Gian into an Instagram post, that I got a message from Steph saying how much her and Gian loved the artwork and how happy they were with it in the room.
I was grinning from ear to ear.
We spoke briefly about a potential collaboration after the show.
WoW.
Steph & Gian then released their brand new custom designed & created homewares brand, JAPANDI ESTATE.
You can follow that story HERE
..........
Congratulations to the incredible couple
STEPH & GIAN
Winners of this year's (2023)The Block.
Auction Day
Reserve Price $3.35m
SOLD $5.0m
PRIZE WINNING. $1.65 MILLION
I'm so stoked for this wonderful couple.
I'm feeling very grateful and privileged to have my artwork hanging in their Room Winning master bedroom suite.
Steph has a MASSIVE future in architecture and design.
I'm just so happy for them ❤️
