Mt Owen painting

September 27, 2026

This painting of Mt Owen has taken a bit of figuring out. It wasn't feeling quite right, and after much deliberation I decided that "glow" wasn't how I wanted it. That particular night so golden and warm, I think we even had an Aurora later on. So I ended up re-doing the sky and tarn, adding in more soft warm tones and now I'm layering up the warm sun highlights on the tussocks. It's now starting to glow.
The inspiration for this painting came from a overnight trip to the summit after a run of beautiful, still bluebird days. Starting from Courthouse Flat, the track climbs steadily through varied native bush before opening out to increasingly dramatic mountain views and unusual limestone formations. As the elevation increases, the vegetation changes constantly, eventually giving way to the open tussock plateau around Granity Pass Hut. From there, the tarns are scattered amongst the tussocks, creating little pockets of water amongst the unusual terrain. After an afternoon of gentle breezes, the air became completely still as the sun began to drop. The tarns at the base of Mt Owen were transformed by the evening light, the surrounding tussock glowing in rich orangey-gold tones and the still tarns reflecting the surrounding mountains.
View the painting in progress here.

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