'Afternoon Off'

Oil painting on canvas by Grant McSherry. 1200 mm x 680 mm.

Red Hill, Central Canterbury painting by Grant McSherry

Having finished making a presentation in Methven during the winter of 2001, I took the remainder of the day to go and explore the nearby Canterbury countryside, which at the time was new to me. I found a place that I have since revisited many times, and from which more paintings may well be inspired. Lake Coleridge area, Central Canterbury

The day was perfect. Although it was winter, it was brilliantly sunny and warm. Not a cloud in the sky. There seemed to be plenty of snow on Red Hill but the sign indicated that the Mt Olympus ski field further on down the road was closed…someone else’s afternoon off?

The sign reading 'Mt Olympus' relates to a ski field accessed further on from Harper Rd, which is the turn off to the left in this painting. The mountain depicted here is Red Hill (1641metres).

Even though the intersection of Harper and Lyndon roads is well off the beaten track many Christchurch locals seem to know this corner… Harper Road on the left takes you past tiny lakes, which can be frozen in winter, to a small and quaint settlement of holiday homes on the far shores of magnificent Lake Coleridge. It’s an awesome drive, but it’s on a difficult and narrow road of dirt and gravel. Lyndon Road, the “good weather only” road straight ahead winds gently uphill to Lake Lyndon and Porters Pass. This is an amazing drive, which should be taken with extreme care after a fresh fall of snow… if the road is open.

Original painting 'Afternoon Off': oil on canvas
Original painting size: 1200mm x 680mm. Private collection, Christchurch NZ.

Art prints: Limited edition (offset on paper) 750, hand numbered & signed. Print size (image area) 717mm x 410mm
Print price (printed offset on paper unframed) NZ $99 + packaging & freight. (Packaging & freight is free within NZ.) See below for exchange rates

Giclee reproductions Limited to a maximum of 120 renditions of this work. Giclee size (image area) 848mm x 457mm
Giclee fine art prints on canvas (unframed) NZ $499 + packaging & freight outside NZ. (Packaging & freight is free within NZ.) More about Giclee fine art prints