Here is my new painting "Fisherman's Gone Fishing at Lake Onslow, Central Otago, New Zealand", painted with acrylic on cedar framed board.
900 x 700mm and completed in 2025.
Lake Onslow is a vast reservoir nestled in the rolling tussock-covered hills of Otago, sitting 700 meters above sea level near Roxburgh in Central Otago. Known for its exposure to the elements, the lake's high altitude and open landscape make it particularly harsh and bleak during adverse weather conditions.
The fishing at Lake Onlsow is described as quite promising, although I've heard of many hours spent fishing with not much to show for the effort. I was fortunate to arrive on a calm afternoon, and although I did not have a chance to fish, did see evidence of the fish rising around the shoreline as the light fell.
As the sun fell it became more still, eventuating in one of those moments when the last golden rays bake you. I wanted to capture this warmth and stillness at this fisherman's hut, with the unique Central Otago rolling hills as a backdrop and the shadow play within the tussocks.
The isolated little huts around Lake Onslow are elevated, offering spectacular views across Lake Onlsow and the surrounding rolling hills, and each is accompanied by a very unique long drop.
View here: https://www.bellamygallery.co.nz/collections/new-paintings/products/fishermans-gone-fishing-at-lake-onslow
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...
Spot the difference! Layering the tussock in the Lake Onlsow painting, as you can see each strand is made up of many multi-coloured layers.
Notice how the layers of the tussocks have to entwine? It makes for slow work but the final effect is fabulous. This is the second painting from this magical evening at Lake Onslow.
Arriving late in the afternoon...
