August 2024 3-D Artist Sharon Tondreau

Sharon Tondreau graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Illustration. After illustrating children’s books and other works on paper and canvas, she began leaning towards three-dimensional painting, in the form of upcycled furniture. Some of her favorite pieces were painted chairs for kids, which allowed her to be the most creative. “I was once commissioned to paint a highchair for a pet capuchin monkey,” she exclaimed!

When she moved to Pine Island, her interest turned to aquatic and tropical themes. Sharon noticed a local trend of crafting coconuts that were painted to look like fish, with palm fronds for fins. She liked the idea, but wanted to go further and after some experimentation, she discovered a sculptural medium that allowed her to fashion a face and fins onto a coconut. After drying, sanding, painting and sealing, she had a colorful sculpture that could stand on its fins or hang, with the help of a screw eye on its back.

“I enjoy seeing the reaction of people when they see the expressions and detail of the Coconut Fish,” she concluded. “It’s truly a labor of love.”