- Home
-
Prints
-
Locations
- Works in Progress
-
Paintings
- Gift Voucher
-
Resources
- Contact
-
Camp Stream Hut is a historic hut found nestled in a shallow valley near Camp Stream at just over 1200m. Originally used as a musterers hut, the current structure is the second on this site, replacing an earlier hut built in 1898 that was destroyed by fire. The corrugated iron from the original hut was salvaged and repurposed in the construction of the present hut. Maintained by the Mackenzie Alpine Trust and retains a vast amount of character and always has great stocks of firewood.
Due to the hut having such a large amount of character and history I had wanted to paint this scene for many years. I visited the hut many times, and came to the conclusion the sun had to be just so and there had to be snow around as the scene was very brown. I ended up biking, hiking and running through meltwater and frozen sludge one afternoon to study this scene. As I left on dusk a lone hiker arrived at the hut commenting on the quiet evening and the spectacular star show. With solidly frozen feet I made my way out passing a few deer silhouetted against the ridge, a magical clear night, although very cold.
Roundhill and the Two Thumb Range stretch out behind the hut in this scene with the rolling tussock hills caressing the hut. I really like how the snow hugs one side of the range and along the ridge, also the snow patches around the hut. To complete the scene is the stack of firewood to keep the occupant/s warm that night.
Available as a limited edition art print
Despite having walked, biked, driven past & slept in the back of a yellow hilux when I was little, and many times camping since at Lake Tennyson over the years, I'd never gone for a stroll around the Lake. We'd planned to visit the area in a fine weather window that looked perfect to re-study the Princess Stream Tarns also in the area. Unfortunately the morning we were to leave, the local St James very helpful weatherman Mark Inglis (I do follow his posts very closely to keep an eye on conditions in the area) put some photos up showing quite a lot of snow coverage. I'd be hoping it would just rain...it did not, his wife Anne then sent photos of more extensive snow coverage from her heli drop...
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...
This particular fisherman's hut immediately caught my eye, tucked remarkably close to a large schist rock, its tiny proportions and wonderfully simple construction make it an intriguing feature within the vast landscape on this sunbathed morning. There is something particularly appealing about the contrast between the small...
