In the early 1970s Grahame Sydney spent time in Europe, but was plagued by a feeling of "terrible homesickness". He returned to New Zealand in 1974 and immersed himself in the sparse, majestic mountain ranges and plains of Central Otago, producing a body of work that is highly desired. In this profile Sydney — an "unavoidable regionalist painter" — talks about his artistic process and being inspired by writers like Janet Frame, Frank Sargeson and Owen Marshall. Cinematographer Barrington West underscores Sydney's narration with images of Maniototo's deserted roads, weather-beaten sheds and vast skies.