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On a recent adventure to explore a little bit more of the Arthurs Pass area with the kids we did a couple of short walks to get a feel for the area. Early in the morning we started with Carroll Hut, and with the morning cloud lifting this was a lovely cool walk with great views towards Arthurs Pass and some very...

After climbing to over 1700 meters past the Parachute Rocks, which gained their name from a parachute-shaped gravel scree slope to the north you will see a collection of mountain tarns below you from the ridgeline towards the east. This particular tarn is the furtherest to the south in the basin below feeding into Merry Stream, pictured here catching the early morning light with the Raglan Range beyond. Both the broadest and tiniest details are captured here...

The kids had an epic girly (7 girls) sleepover planned up Mt Robert at Bushline Hut. The weather was lovely and they were having a great time, bouncing around the hut like baby elephants, playing manhunt in the tussocks and I was in bed by the time spotlight started.
The next morning I rose before dawn and departed from the hut watching the light change as I walked in the cool morning air along the ridge to Lake Angelus. From there I headed around the bottom of the Hinapouri Tarn, past...

I am currently adding in the final details to Middle Gorge Hut. It's been tricky doing the tussocks in the summer heat, but there's quite a few and quite a small ones at that...

Still working on the larger tussocks in the foreground. It's quite hard achieving the natural movement and overall softness, yet freezing each strand in place. Lots of layers and...

A closer look at this weeks detail work on the tussocks around the tarn in the St Arnaud Tarn painting. It sure was hot in the studio, so...

The first decent weather window in a while came upon us last weekend, so we bee-lined it for the Nelson Lakes, an easy, close spot for us to go for a dose of mountain scenery. Although I have walked & jogged the Mt Robert many many times over the years I thought it would be nice time to take the kids 8 & 10 along to Lake Angelus and down the Cascade...

If you've stood on the top of Mt Owen (at 1875m the highest peak in Kahurangi National Park) you'll recognize these tarns as the last water source before you are surrounded by a unique limestone karst landscape. This is if you climbed up from the Courthouse Flat...

The Mole Tops Tarn painting is steadily progressing, I am currently alternating layering in the thick luminescent highlights and the detail strands of tussocks. Can't really rush this process...

A closer look at some of the details in the St Arnaud Ridge painting that are starting to take shape. I'm starting to gain the luminosity in the tussocks alternating thick, sticky paint and intricate tussock strands. It's a bit demoralizing as you...

Still steadily working away on the St Arnaud Tarn painting. I've finished the tarn, put a lot of work into the background mountain (Raglan) range. The light beams have been a challenge while retaining some detail - more...

I have put the final layers on the tarn and am now adding in the sun bleached tussocks that overlap the tarn and carry on in front of the hill shadow. These tussocks are more of the individual strands, very detailed and time consuming to do as the...