Author(s): John Gillies

NZ Art

Skippers Canyon is an artist’s paradise and one of New Zealand’s most stunning locations. This historic and scenic gorge, carved out by the Shotover River in Queenstown’s back country, has been a favourite destination and inspiration for artist John Gillies for some forty years. His love of Skippers and the challenges it presents is illustrated in this beautiful collection of paintings and sketches interspersed with personal and historical notes that mark John’s frequent journeys to this remarkable part of Aotearoa New Zealand. “Whatever I had experienced in my journey so far, a moment of sheer glory was revealed from Campbells Saddle. There before me, Mt Campbell took visual command with its servants, the Branches Flat and Shotover River, obediently nestled below. This majestic scene I will never forget and instantly, I knew that for me, it would become my tūrangawaewae, my spiritual home.”