Since her early 20s, Bellamy has had an infatuation with mountain environments. The rugged alpine environments of Te Wai Pounamu / The South Island were part of what drew her away from her career in commercial illustration in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland in the early 1970s. These high-country locales, especially in the Otago region have been significant in Bellamy’s career. Often sketching in the field, or even working en plein air with fast drying mediums, she expertly captures the elemental immediacy of these special and remote places. This work draws on the experience of hiking to Lake Marian in 2021 during what was a very quiet tourist season.