Simon Edwards | Castle Hill

Often synonymous with its distinctive and dramatic limestone rock formations, the wider Castle Hill landscape is a broad alpine basin situated between the Torlesse and Craigieburn ranges - known mountain playgrounds for local Ōtautahi Christchurch artist, Simon Edwards. In a new body of work set to wow its audiences, Simon continues deftly exploring his painting style as he probes the balance of en plein air and studio painting within his practice. Of his latest subject matter Simon says, "Castle Hill feels isolated - a meeting of plains and mountains. It's that mix of openness and weight, beauty and the sublime, that keeps drawing me back." There's an evident pull in these new works, employing atmospheric perspective to create recognisable landscapes that entice the viewer deeper up river valleys, across plains, over ridges and into the beckoning distance. Adding to this his iconic misty clouds, textured rock formations, and expressive colour palettes, Simon elevates the mood and atmosphere of each work beyond the physical and the tangible, into the realm of memory, emotion, and experience.

Photo credit: Simon Edwards, Black Rock Outcrop, 2026. Oil on aluminium panel. 975 x 705mm.