East Branch Track
East Branch Track
30 × 40 cm
Ink on Fine Art Paper
Inspiration and Background to East Branch Track, Eglinton Valley, Fiordland
The East Branch Track in Fiordland is a landscape that doesn’t just pass by you; it demands attention. It is a place where every step offers a new challenge—steep gullies, boulders to balance across, and streams to ford. Each change in terrain feels like a new chapter in a story that nature has written for itself. This track, in its raw beauty and complexity, became the perfect subject for my ink drawing, capturing not just a scene, but the very essence of the environment that has shaped both my artistic practice and my relationship with the natural world.
For me, the East Branch Track is more than just a hiking trail; it’s a vivid ecosystem in motion, a world of contrasts between light and shadow, softness and hardness, chaos and order.
The track’s diverse landscapes mirror the kinds of textures I love to work with—deep, slippery gullies, dense, shadowed forests, and clear, rushing streams. It is a place where the interplay of light and dark creates a sense of mystery and depth, making it the ideal setting for my ink drawings. As I walked this track, I was constantly surrounded by the sounds of native birdlife, particularly the charismatic kaka. Their raucous calls and playful antics in the forest canopy reminded me of the importance of preserving such ecosystems—an idea that is central to my work.
I’ve always been deeply connected to the forests around me, especially Fiordland’s unique landscapes. My studies in conservation biology and my passion for nature fuel my desire to capture the natural world with as much accuracy and reverence as possible. In my art, I aim to slow down time and invite viewers to experience what is often overlooked—the small, quiet details of a moment spent in nature. My hope is that through my work, the viewer is drawn into a deeper connection with the world around them, seeing the unseen and experiencing the wilderness as I do.
In creating East Branch Track, I wanted to reflect not only the challenges of the terrain but the serenity and beauty that comes with spending time in a place as wild and unspoiled as Fiordland.