When Colour Takes the Lead: Dave Collins’ Kelp V
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Kerry-Anne Blanket - 09/09/2026
Some paintings quietly settle into a room. Others change it.
Kelp V by Australian artist Dave Collins certainly falls into the latter category. Rich reds, magentas and violets fill the composition, interrupted by dark organic forms and those wonderful flashes of turquoise that seem to move across the surface.
Currently available at KAB Gallery Terrigal, this original acrylic painting is a great example of Collins’ expressive approach to the Australian coastal landscape.
A landscape seen differently
Dave Collins is interested in landscape, but not necessarily in reproducing exactly what sits in front of him.
In Kelp V, familiar organic forms have been pushed through colour, line and abstraction. There is a sense of tangled vegetation and natural movement, but Collins leaves plenty of room for the viewer to form their own reading of the painting.
It is this balance that makes the work particularly interesting. From across a room, Kelp V presents as a strong contemporary landscape with an immediate hit of colour. Move closer and the painting changes. Smaller lines, shapes, layers and details become apparent across the surface.
It is a painting that really benefits from being seen in person.
Colour that can transform an interior
One of the things we particularly like about Kelp V at KAB Gallery is its palette. Red can sometimes feel difficult to introduce into an interior, particularly in a larger original painting. Here, the combination of crimson, pink, violet and orange is balanced beautifully by the cooler aqua and turquoise. The result is colourful without feeling overly decorative.
At 76 x 104cm, the horizontal format also makes Kelp V a very useful size. It has enough presence to become an important artwork within a room without requiring an enormous wall. Above a console, sideboard or sofa, it could completely change the feel of a space. The contemporary black frame is another important detail. It provides a clean boundary around all that colour and gives the artwork a beautifully finished appearance on the wall.
An original painting by Dave Collins
There is something particularly enjoyable about standing in front of a painting where the artist has allowed colour and mark making to remain visible. Rather than smoothing everything away, Collins lets you see the construction of the image. Areas overlap, lines weave through one another and contrasting colours appear in unexpected places.
That becomes increasingly apparent in the close up photographs, but even they cannot quite replicate the experience of looking across the painted surface in person.
For collectors of Australian contemporary art, Kelp V offers a landscape that feels distinctly individual. It has a connection to the natural environment, but Collins has interpreted it through his own visual language rather than giving us a conventional landscape scene.
See Kelp V at KAB Gallery
Kelp V is an original acrylic on board painting by Australian artist Dave Collins, measuring 76 x 104cm and priced at $2,200.
The artwork is available through KAB Gallery and can also be viewed online at KABGallery.com.
If you would like to see additional photographs, check dimensions for a particular wall or see how Kelp V could look in your own interior, contact the KAB Gallery team. We are always happy to help.
Kerry-Anne Blanket
Director & Curator - KAB Gallery
KAB Gallery’s Kerry-Anne Blanket holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and two Masters degrees (Hons) from the University of Sydney. With an extensive career in art education along with the management of museums and investment art galleries, Kerry-Anne can offer premier art consulting to her clients and source specially requested works.
She has a keen eye for detail, comprehensive art market knowledge and a love of all things beautiful. Kerry-Anne works directly with artists and collectors alike to curate interesting and eclectic exhibitions.
