The Art of a Hut

 I am Felicity Deverell, a young Northland artist with a passion for traditional art and for adventure in the beautiful outdoors. Two years ago, with the help of my friend, Caleb Bergstrom, I had an idea for creating a collection of artworks portraying backcountry huts. There are over one thousand huts throughout the bush, mountain ranges, and national parks of New Zealand along a large network of tramping tracks. Before I meet Caleb I didn’t know much about these huts, except for the one near us at Lane Cove, Whangaroa Harbour. But over the last two years I have been amazed at how many there are and how unique these huts are to our country. Not many countries have such a well established system of huts which you can tramp to through amazing scenery and stay at for a small amount. The cost of huts vary, some are free to stay in and are very basic, having only a water supply and perhaps a smoky fire. Others are more expensive and newly built with double glassing and gas, in popular tourist areas these even require booking. There is something for everyone and every hut is a new experience. Many of these huts are full of New Zealand history, of settlers, shepherds, hunters, trappers and deer cullers, and tramping and climbing enthusiasts; the stories that go with them all would full many books.

    For the last two years I have been on several tramping/drawing trips lasting weeks at a time to the various ranges in the North Island. I have tramped to and drawn forty-five huts in the Kaimais, Te Ureweras, Kaweka, Ruahine, and Tararua Ranges, the Orongorongo Valley, and the Whanganui National Park. I have mostly done graphite, pastel, or charcoal drawings of the huts, but for a few huts I have taken in my oil paints and painted ‘en plein air’, as it is called in painters terms, meaning painting in the open air. At each hut in sun, rain, fog, or snow I would set up with an easel, or just a drawing board on my lap to draw the hut. I had to figure out a few things about how to carry art supplies and paper without getting it damaged in pretty rough conditions. I also took along my sketchbooks one of which I filled entirely with watercolour sketches of various dunnies, which is what the toilets, or long drops, are know as.

   We had all sorts of adventures along the way and meet interesting people. We met people walking the length of New Zealand, we met hunters, trappers, families tramping with babies, and young people like us out for an adventure. I ate possum for the first time (and then a few times after that) and we also had on the menu: venison, goat, pig, eel, and trout, to go with our rice and porridge.  I discovered the whole culture of tramping and how addictive it is to get back out there into the middle of nowhere. There is nothing like looking back over a huge expanse of sky and a panoramic view after climbing for hours on end, it’s a view that is earned and is all the more beautiful for the sweat on your back. Then there is that first sight of a hut after hours of tramping through a never ending bush. That hut, in the middle of nowhere, means rest, food, shelter, warmth, and a good sleep. A very beautiful sight, all tampers and hunters will agree, and one which I have tried to capture in my artwork. Glorifying these humble huts made of tin or slabs of roughly hewn timber, not simply for the sake of a good art, but to show them through the eyes of those who see them after long hours of tramping or hunting in rough terrain, when even the most rugged hut seems magnificent, has been my goal.

   In between trips out into the bush I have been at home in my studio working on some larger paintings using the materials gathered from the field. There will be about ten of these painting at my exhibition, but most of the work on display will be my original drawings completed on site at the huts. These have been beautifully framed by my very skilled father in native kauri wood. All the works will be for sale at The Art of a Hut exhibition which is being held at Reyburn House, Whangarei for three weeks from the 10th until the 29th of November. I have an opening evening to which the public is invited to attend on the evening of the 18th from 5 – 7pm. There, you will get a chance to meet me and everybody who has been involved and hear our stories over a drink and a few nibbles. I would love to see you there and I am excited to share my adventures and my art.

  I would like to thank Caleb Bergstrom without whom this would never have got beyond an idea, and who has taught me that I am capable of more than I think, and shown me how to love - we are getting married in January . When Caleb went away to University and I thought I’d be left on my own to do it I came to realize that I have some truly amazing friends. Guillaume Bourdin has been my right hand man and has helped me organize for many trips and kept me on track. Thank you to him and to Thomas Bourdin, Pauline Bourdin, Jojo Land, Lewis McCullum, Nathaniel Deverell, Jerusalem Gilbert, Marion Bourdin, Luc Bourdin, Dominic Land, and Esther Sommerson, all of whom have come with me on various tramping ‘hut hops’ and without whom I could never have completed The Art of a Hut project. I would also like to thank Swazi who helped us a little with the project and DOC who gifted me a hut pass.

   And it’s not all over yet because next year I will be working a book about the experiences of an artist in the bush, about the adventures we had and the lessons learnt. I don’t know when or how it will be published yet, but it will come. You can follow my progress and further adventures as an artist on this blog

Me, Caleb, and Thomas Mt. Ruapehu

Caleb and I in the Kaimai Range

Drawing Makino Hut, Kawekas

Jojo, Thomas, and Pauline, critiquing my work!

Middle Hill hut, Kawekas

Caleb's first deer, Te Ureweras

Trout and eel in the Kawekas, Rock's Ahead hut

Kiwi Mouth Hut, Kawekas

Old Manson Hut, Kawekas

Back Ridge Hut, Kawekas

At the end of a tramp

Whanganui Forest Park. 

Blue Range Hut, Tararuas

Arete Forks Hut., Tararuas

Rainbow in the Tararuas

Dominic,.  Marion, Pauline, Guillaume, me, and Jojo

Caleb and I in Ellis Hut, Ruahines

Me and Caleb at Sunrise Hut, Ruahines

Nikau Hut in the Orongorongo Valley, with Jerusalem

Guillaume, me and Jerusalem

Ballard Hut, Kaweka Ranges

Makino Hut, Kaweka Ranges

Poutaki Hut, Wakarara Range

Field hut in the Tararuas

Portrait of the artist

Hut Hopping in the Kawekas

   Here are a whole lot of photos from our Kaweka hut hopping trip. It was a really good trip. Three more friends joined us making things a lot more fun and distracting. I managed to get nine drawings of huts in two weeks. And compared to last time, I think I have improved! Yay, that means next time they will be even better, hopefully!

   You can read a bit more about it in my February Newsletter.

Me and Thomas and Pauline and Jojo hitched down to Hawkes Bay to join Caleb and Lewis who live down there.

Setting out in the 'Slow to Forty' towards the hills. Lewis and Jojo looking like they're wondering what they are in for.

At the carpark, Caleb with the map out and Pauline in my hat.

Getting ready for the first walk. Pauline, Caleb, Thomas, Lewis, and Jojo

At the first hut, Middle Hill hut, Thomas is on lunch.

I began work on my first hut drawing that afternoon.

Caleb and Pauline enjoying coffee on the deck. As you can see, all our stuff gets scattered everywhere as soon as we arrive. 

In the morning, looks like Caleb is making porridge in his sleep!

Boots thrown off and drying after yesterdays wet walk in the rain.

At the end of the mornings drawing, my first pastel drawing of a hut.

The critics at work. Really, they weren't that good at it. Too many nice comments!

The view up on the tops above the treeline was amazing!

 A few gun posing shots.

It was very windy up there. We had fun leaning against it and pretending to be blown away, until it got too cold and we walked on.

My drawing board kept flying in all directions! Whacked me on the back of the head a few times, and got Thomas good once.

Ballard Hut. The first four bunk hut, was a bit tight and the hut got very hot with the stove going.

Walking on to the next hut the next day.

Jojo, Lewis, and Pauline.

Coming down to the trees again.

The forest was beautiful, but we didn't manage to get a good photo of it.

Pauline often went off hunting with Jojo who was determined to shoot a deer. All he managed was a shot at one one night and missed.

Dog kennel at Makino Hut. 

Drawing Makino hut, the result of this is one of my favorite pieces.

Next stop was Te Puia hot springs where we camped the night. It was so nice to enjoy a hot bath and a good scrub. There was a really nice river there also. In the evening lots of eels came out and Caleb speared one. Here it is smoking in the BBQ chimney.

Whenever there was a river Caleb did as much fishing as he could get in.

Finished our first loop walk of four nights. Out at the carpark again sorting out food for the next eight day walk.

People trying to catch up on sleep in the car.

There was a long steep climb up to this hut, Kiwi Saddle. On the way we saw a beautiful sunset, I wish I had taken photos. We arrived here after dark and the hut was full of people. We managed to find room and most of them left early in the morning. It was raining on and off while I drew, and then it set in so I didn't quite manage to finish the drawing.

Walked down the hill to Kiwi Mouth hut.

We made a food cache here as we passed back this way. It saved carrying a lot of weight up the next hill.

It was only a four bunk hut. So we put one mattress on the floor, Caleb made himself a mattress of manuka and Pauline and I top and tailed. 

Thomas and Caleb looking bored while they wait for me to finish the drawing so that we can go.

Before we left a heli arrived dropping off a couple of hunters. If we had wanted a ride up to the next hut it would have been $150 each for the five minutes.

This is the longest swing bridge I've been on so far. It was lots of fun!

Got up to the tops again and the cloud hid everything.

Old Manson hut. We spent an extra night here so I could spend more time drawing.

There was a lot of wood chopping demonstrations at this hut. One of their past times as I was drawing.

Lewis.

Inside the hut was a dirt floor and sacking bunks.

It was very dark inside the hut, like a cave. Caleb wished we had a spade there to dig out the floor a bit. There was one beam he banged his head on just about every time he passed under it.

In the morning the sun's rays shone directly into the hut making awesome beams of light.

Pauline and Jojo left first and did a bit of hunting before walking on to the next hut. They left their packs by the track and as we passed we added a rock into Jojo's pack. He walked half a Km before he discovered it!

The view from Rocks Ahead hut. It was a beautiful walk over the open tops and then steeply down to the river.

I tried to wash my hair, it didn't work well! Too dirty for the small amount of shampoo I had. It's very hard to look after long hair in the bush.

The river was icy cold!

I drew the hut from the river bed and was savagely attacked by sand flys!

The view from the cable car.

Jojo shot a hare and Caleb made a stew out of it. It was the first time I had had hare and it tasted good.

We all very much enjoyed Rocks Ahead hut. I caught my first trout there and Caleb caught lots! 

Caleb's catch for the day made us a good feed.

Up to the tops again. A steep climb up from Rocks Ahead.

Looking down towards Back Ridge hut. The long walk makes this view look simply amazing! The photo dose not do it justice.

Playing chess with bits of paper. Someone forgot to bring the pieces so we just had the board. You must be careful not to sneeze or cough while playing this. One game was destroyed that way!

Caleb's fish cooking.

The last hut was Cameron Hut. Unfortunately it was raining here so all I got of this was a quick sketch and a dunny sketch.

The hike over and everyone is happy but tired.

You can see even more photos on my facebook page! This time there were plenty of photographers so we got a lot more photos than on the first trip. Our old camera dose alright after all.