Deborah Costley, A New Gnome (ENTRIES CLOSED - July theme: Colour)

A day spent exploring Gnomesville, in the Ferguson Valley near Bunbury, Western Australia, inspired this photograph and the story behind it. My sister, Helen, imagined one of the thousands of colourful gnomes as Bigglebear Bumblebottom, newly arrived after spending thirty years watching over Grandma Henry's garden. Alone at first, he wondered if he would ever belong. Then the forest came alive with the chatter of thousands of gnomes, each claiming to know the true story of how Gnomesville began. Their lively arguments and colourful personalities soon made him realise he had found his place. Today, visitors leave gnomes from around the world, each with a story of its own. Perhaps Bigglebear is still there, quietly listening, smiling, and welcoming every new arrival to Gnomesville, one of Western Australia's most magical and imaginative destinations. Story by Helen. Photograph by Deborah.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.