‘‘No, you can't photograph these, none of them have been seen before,'' he said.
The images are striking, mostly watercolours, meticulously painted to replicate scenic views from the Bannockburn Hills where he lives, the Carrick Range, the Kawarau Gorge, Fiordland, Arthur's Pass, Poolburn and so it goes on.
His brush strokes have transferred the images of hundreds of Central Otago landscapes to canvas since he arrived in the area to live nine years ago.
On the kitchen bench the beginnings of a painting are sketched out next to a children's book, which is open at one of the pages.
‘‘We're expecting a grandchild any day now and my daughter asked would I do this.''
Along with his wife Janet, the two have begun to compile a record of all the works he has painted, many of which have been sold but cannot be recalled.
‘‘It's amazing how quick you forget - you can't remember what you've sold where.
‘‘You've got to have some system of bookkeeping.''
He began selling paintings in the 1960s at Fishers in Christchurch, where the couple lived for about 30 years.
Mr Middleditch had a signwriting business until computers overshadowed his talents.
‘‘I just lost interest. I was used to brush and paint and laying out the lettering myself.''
When the couple moved to Bannockburn they worked in vineyards and fruit stalls until they retired.
Then their home became Aurum Gallery and homestay maximising on the expansive gardens around the house and views over the Pisa Range. Last year he sold 85 paintings.
‘‘It's an ideal occupation if you don't want to get rich.''
Unlike a plumber, you could not equate the hours of work with what a painting was worth, he said.
‘‘That's the first thing everybody says, ‘How long does it take to do that?'.
‘‘You can't value things on how long it takes.''
Mr Middleditch sometimes works in oils if the painting lends itself to the medium.
Oil paintings withstand errors and could be layered, whereas watercolours were a lot less forgiving, he said.
‘‘Some of them don't work out.
‘‘It can be sudden death.
‘‘If you get something too dark or too strong with watercolours you can't wipe it out and do better.''
The face of art is always changing and many contemporary paintings have very little likeness to what they represent. Middleditch paintings are recognisable not only for their style, but which landform you see portrayed.
‘‘I paint what I paint, other people paint what they paint. I'm a conventional painter. I guess that's what you would call my art.''
