I was enjoying a lovely summer sitting in a nice little coffee shop in Foxton near Martinborough with my partner and his parents when my phone rung. Not at all expecting this my excitement was huge when I the lady on the other end told me that one of my paintings exhibited at the NZAFA Gallery summer show has been sold.

And it was about to travel internationally! Its destination: USA. Its purpose: A gift for someone who knows the ocean better than most – a marine biologist.

Now, it’s always thrilling to sell a painting but this was something special for me.

Marine Biologist Alice Alldredge and her new painting