Boats at Night, Geordie Bay by Jo Darbyshire

In Boats at Night, Geordie Bay, Jo Darbyshire's application of colour creates a translucent quality to the artwork, using gum and resin to refer to the natural environment.

The piece was inspired by a night spent sleeping on her father’s small boat at Geordie Bay, Rottnest. The beauty of the lights on each boat, in the darkness of the bay, struck her and she painted the scene for her solo exhibition, 'Night' held at Gallery East, North Fremantle in 2001, entering the piece in the City of Stirling Art Award in the same year.

She describes the painting as capturing not so much the place at night, but rather the feeling of being on the water at night - 'being in night'. At the time her work was inspired by the writing of Perth writer, Rob Finlayson.

The painting was awarded Overall Acquisitive Prize in the 2001 Art Award.