St Arnaud Range Tarn Above Parachute Rocks

St Arnaud Range Tarn Above Parachute Rocks, Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand
Original acrylic painting on cedar framed board
By Michelle Bellamy
1000 x 800mm
SOLD
Completed 2025

Available as a limited edition print of 150

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 ridge line 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, from the sunbeams streaking through the ranges beyond to the distant tussocks surrounding the perfectly calm tarn. In the foreground there is a mix of bright green snowgrass, various mountain fauna and of course I had to include my tussocks in the foreground with every stand individually painted multiple times. It has been a labour of love portraying a spectacular place close to home that holds my heart.