Mark Entwisle

The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition winner talks to REBECCA BRADBURY about being a frustrated oil painter and working in his “man cave” garden studio

- REBECCA BRADBURY

The moment Mark Entwisle spotted the paper bag that he painted for the 2020 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition will not be forgotten in a hurry – not because the artwork went on to scoop the top prize, but because his eldest son won’t let him live it down.

Mark was accompanying his then teenage son on a prospective student tour of the Camberwell College of Arts when he was stopped in his tracks by a scene that reminded him of Vermeer’s A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal in London’s National Gallery. It had the subtle light filtering through a big, high window on the left, but instead of illuminating a female figure playing the harpsichord, it softly lit up a brown paper bag, branded with red graphic letters.

Reaching for his Leica film camera – and ignoring his son’s protestations – Mark took the shot. Unbeknown to him, however, it was the last shot of the film, kicking into action the camera’s (extremely loud) automatic rewind feature. The pair found themselves the centre of attention among the quiet group of strangers.

“Everyone turned around to see what the noise was,” the artist recalls. “My son was clutching his head. It was just excruciating. I’ve tried to reason with him that it was worth it, but I think he’s still doubtful about that.”