Acrylic on 610 ×450 Linen | Satin Finish

Golden Break was painted on a cold winter morning beside Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown. The moment golden light pierced heavy grey clouds, illuminating the rugged peaks of the Southern Alps and reflecting across the white-capped waters below.

Painted in acrylic with layered palette knife textures, the surface holds the chill of the day; marks applied so thickly they took days to dry. A later addition of neon blue brings a contemporary pulse, glowing under UV light and creating an unexpected second atmosphere.

This painting isn't just a landscape. It's a memory of place, of shifting light, and of how quickly weather and mood can change. The work holds both the personal nostalgia of lakeside adventures in Southland, Fiordland, the Catlins, and Central Otago, with the dramatic beauty of Lake Wakatipu, balancing memory and atmosphere.

This is my way of pausing and remembering the landscapes that shaped me.