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Dave Sparkes
The Sepia Island
Watercolour
I’ve always been attracted to islands, and the smaller they are, the more beautiful they seem to be; large islands somehow lack the exquisite delicacy of small ones. This one, almost an islet, seemed to evoke a bonsai feeling, or a diorama. I painted this in sepia to create a feeling of nostalgia, like a surreal old black and white photo from the archives of some intrepid explorer. I wanted to create a kind of separate reality, sans time, and monochrome creates an unmistakeable detachment from the here and now, since we usually experience life in colour.
Size: 90 × 120 cm
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About Dave Sparkes
ART PRIZES
John Glover Art Prize – Finalist, 2024, 2026.
Wollongong Art Prize – Finalist, 2025.
Sorrento Art Prize – Finalist, 2025.
Waverly Art Prize – Finalist, 2024.
Wollumbin Art Prize – Finalist, 2024.
Heysen Landscape Award – Finalist, 2022, 2024.
Casino Watercolour Prize – Winner, 2024.
Elaine Bermingham Watercolour Prize – Finalist, 2023.
Ocean Shores Art Expo – Winner, Watercolour & Gouache category, 2022.
Ocean Shores Art Expo – Winner, People’s Choice Award, 2023.
BAM Art Prize – Finalist - 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
