Mt Cook from Highway 80 oil painting by Grant McSherry

'Highway 80'

Oil painting on canvas by Grant McSherry. 1200 mm x 660 mm.

Hand signed and numbered limited edition art prints on paper available NZ $99

Giclee fine art prints available NZ $600. Further pricing details are on the bottom of this page

Mt Cook / Aoraki stands at the end of NZ's Highway 80. New Zealand’s highest mountain at 3754 metres, grows before you as you progress along this no exit highway to the Mt Cook village and the Hermitage. As you turn onto NZ's Highway 80, just north of Twizel, you are flanked by the wonderful Ben Ohau ranges on your left and the almost unrealistic looking turquoise blue of Lake Pukaki to your right. This is a fantastic 55 km drive.Mt Cook / Aoraki

My Highway 80 oil painting and limited edition art print is from our first journey to Mt Cook National Park (since we moved to the South Island). Michelle and I enjoyed an excellent trip on the day depicted, but as we were leaving I was disappointed at not having found the "great painting" I had anticipated. As it happened, I glanced in the wing mirror at just the right moment and thought wow! The potential I had missed during the drive on the way in was revealed. The mirror had cropped the sky, and the colours seemed richer. I brought the car to a quick halt and captured the photo that I worked with to create the original oil painting. Its an accurate depiction of Mt Cook and the Mt Cook Range in front, from very close in. My firm belief is that if you are painting a specific landmark there is no room for adding or subtracting the ridges and valleys that give it identity.

I have driven along Highway 80 several times since painting this work in 2001, and on each occasion I have been fortunate to experience similar clear weather allowing a view of Mt Cook. It gives me a wonderful “buzz” to drive through the painting which depicts the landscape from the road south of Glentanner and the foot of Lake Pukaki. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as we do.

Order 'Highway 80' directly from us or if you live in NZ, try your local art print gallery. Pricing details are at the bottom of this page.

Original painting: oil on canvas
Original painting size: 1200mm x 660mm. Artist's collection.

Art prints: Limited edition (offset on paper) 750, hand numbered & signed. Large size: (image area) 735mm x 395mm
Print price (printed offset on paper unframed) NZ $99 + packaging & freight. (Packaging & freight is free within NZ, overseas $22.) See below for exchange rates

Giclee reproductions Limited to a maximum of 120 renditions of this work.
Price: Giclee fine art prints on canvas (unframed) NZ $600 + packaging & freight. (Packaging & freight is free within NZ, overseas NZ $22.)

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