Central Coast Wall Art
The gallery is here. That is the short reason this collection is sixty prints deep while other stretches of Australian coastline get five or six. These are beaches Ken has walked before dawn for years, photographed in every kind of weather the Central Coast produces.
What happens when you photograph the same beach for years
Most landscape photography is done on the road, in a narrow window, hoping the conditions arrive. Local work is the opposite. You can leave it, come back next week, and keep coming back until the morning is the one you wanted.
That is why Terrigal appears in this collection more than a dozen times and never twice the same way. The Skillion, Terrigal, NSW gives you the headland as a mass. Standing Ovation, Terrigal, NSW and Symphony of Life, Terrigal, NSW were made when the swell was up. Window Light, Terrigal and Evening Calm, Terrigal come from the quiet end of the same beach.
The beaches
Avoca runs a close second, with Avoca Sunrise, NSW, Rhythm of Life, Avoca, NSW, The Power and the Glory, Avoca, NSW and Reflections at Avoca, NSW covering the beach, the lagoon and the rock shelf. Further north, Pebbly Beach, Norah Head, NSW and Sunrise at Soldiers Beach, NSW pick up the coastline past Tuggerah. Sea Pool, Macmasters Beach, NSW and Sea Pool Terrigal Beach, NSW are the two ocean pool images.
The water behind the beaches
Brisbane Water and Tuggerah Lakes are the quieter half of the Coast and they photograph completely differently. Nostalgia Brisbane Water, Sheathers Wharf, Koolewong, NSW, Davistown Jetty, NSW and Tuggerah Lakes, Long Jetty, NSW are flat water, timber and reflection rather than surf. Hire Boats, The Entrance, NSW belongs to the same group.
Inland, within twenty minutes
Somersby Falls, The Veil, Somersby and Red Gum Forest, Central Coast, NSW come from the rainforest and bush behind the escarpment. Round Up, Glenworth Valley, NSW is the outlier in the set, a working horse image from the valley.
Buying local
If the print is a gift for someone who lives here, the specific beach matters more than the composition. Most people want the one they walk on.
The gallery is at Erina Heights, roughly in the middle of this coastline, open seven days, with viewing rooms, a theatre and Kew Dining next door. If you are choosing a Central Coast print for someone local, seeing it at size before you buy is worth the drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Terrigal print shows The Skillion?
Several do, from different angles. The Skillion, Terrigal, NSW is the direct treatment of the headland. Skillion Sunrise, Terrigal, Australia and Rising Force Skillion, NSW work the same landform under different conditions, and Skillion Serenity is the vertical version.
I want the beach my family actually swims at. How do I find it?
Browse by place name rather than by image. Avoca, Terrigal, Wamberal, Macmasters, Pearl Beach, Norah Head, Soldiers Beach, The Entrance and Long Jetty all appear by name in this collection, and the beach is usually in the print title.
Can I see Central Coast prints in person before I buy?
Yes. The Ken Duncan Gallery is at 414 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights, in the middle of the stretch of coastline this collection covers, and is open 9am to 4pm seven days except some public holidays. Kew Dining adjoins the gallery if you are making a morning of it.
Are the lake and waterway images calmer than the beach ones?
Generally yes. The Brisbane Water and Tuggerah Lakes images are flat water and low contrast, which suits a bedroom or a hallway. The surf images from Terrigal and Avoca carry more movement and hold a larger, more open wall.