ARTIST BIO

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am intrigued by sunlight, shadow and reflections, often painting from the “contra jour” (facing into the light) viewpoint, and strive to create an atmospheric mood in my work; essentially my painting is a hybrid of impressionism and realism. True reality on two-dimensional paper is impossible, but my attempts at nevertheless trying to achieve that reality - through reconciling the world at large with my own impression of light and form - is the essence of my art. This altered reality defines my style, and dwelling in that mysterious zone is one of the reasons I paint, rather than just taking photos of a scene.

In my watercolours I evoke a sense of whimsical, almost melancholy realism, an alternate or parallel world, suggesting a time before man’s interference with the landscape. As an accomplished daydreamer, I often paint places as they once were, just humming along in their heartbreakingly pristine state. Paradoxically, I still hope to give the viewer a sense of actually being in the scene at the time, and a sensation of tangible physical presence despite possibly never having been to the location.

Bio

I have been painting watercolours for several years, concentrating mainly on plein air landscapes and seascapes. I won the Naturalist Division of The Pacific Palms Art Festival in 2012.

My debut solo exhibition, “Illumination”, was held at The Lone Goat Gallery, Byron Bay, from Feb 3 to Feb 21, 2017. The show was highly successful, with 22 works being sold.              

I have had several works published in Tracks and White Horses magazines, both having additionally published articles on my watercolour art. I am happy to tackle commissions, specialising in seascapes and landscapes in watercolour.

(Dave Sparkes has been involved in various creative pursuits for many years. He has been senior writer/photographer for the iconic surfing magazine, Tracks, for over 20 years. He has had thousands of images and over 2oo feature articles published, and has interviewed many surfing luminaries such as Tom Curren, Sunny Garcia, Dave Rastovich and Mick Fanning.

His photographs have adorned the covers of magazines in many countries, including the US, Australia, France, New Zealand, England and Spain, and most notably he photographed the cover of the 2005 US Surfer Magazine Photo Annual. His book of words and photographs, “The Wave: Tales From the Impact Zone”, was published to rave reviews in Australia and New Zealand by Hachette Publishing in 2011.

(Dave grew up in Bondi Beach, and now lives in Byron Bay with his soul mate Tracey Turner. In between walking the dog and exploring the hinterland for natural swimming holes, he surfs, paints, takes photographs and writes.)

Mob: 0418 167 074

Web: www.sparkesphoto.com

Email: sparksie62@hotmail.com

Facebook: Watercolours by Dave Sparkes

Instagram: @sparkesphoto