Reality is a bit different here, has been named as a finalist in the landscape section and people can vote for it in the people's choice award.

The painting is set at Summer Hill Creek near Ophir, which Mr Tonks said is an area he enjoys exploring.

"I spent a lot of time walking along there in my youth," Mr Tonks said.

"[It's the] site of the first gold and once had a lot of people along the river but there's lots of little artifacts you find occasionally."

Mr Tonks said the acrylic on canvas painting includes a dark palette and is part of his The road not taken series.

"The egg motif has popped up in a few paintings," he said. "I like to play with the size and scale.

"There's some ghost-like apparitions in the background and spirits of the bush. You feel like you are alone but you are not really."

Mr Tonks grew up around Orange and has been painting for about 15 years. He studied Creative Arts at Wollongong Univerity, worked as an art technician before moving to Bathurst in 2019 where he is the assistant creator at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

However, the pandemic led him to move back to Orange where he continues to work from home and create paintings, ceramics and electronic art.

Finalist artworks can be viewed at the National Capital Art Prize website. Category winners will be announced in October followed by a public exhibition in Canberra.

Ophir-based artist Ted Lewis has also been named a finalist in the open section.

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