Painted by Auckland artist Andrew Tischler, the art was auctioned and reached a price of $50,000 — this raised $25,000 for the charity and a donation was made.
WAI Wanaka chief executive Cat Dillon said the organisation was ‘‘thrilled’’ to be working with Tischler.
‘‘He is an incredibly talented artist, and we are very grateful for his support.
‘‘Andrew’s generous donation to WAI helps support our vision of healthy ecosystems and community wellbeing for future generations.’’
Ms Dillon said the organisation was ‘‘blown away’’ with the painting and hoped to partner up more with the artist.
‘‘After looking into the cause and realising what was at stake I immediately jumped on board,’’ Tischler said.
‘‘We tested the waters, so to speak, and offered a piece for sale through an auction.’’
Mr Tischler got the inspiration when he was up the glacier a few months ago, he said.
‘‘Several months prior I was up the Rob Roy track gathering references, when we had unseasonal snow, it was spectacular. I didn’t anticipate getting the painting so quickly, but when WAI approached me with the idea of the auction, I decided to go for it.’’
The painting was 1.2mx1.5m and Tischler said it was one of his finest paintings to date.
‘‘I picked up some loose shale and mica from the shores of the lake and ground this into a powder to incorporate into the pigment. This caused some of the rocks in the foreground to sparkle.’’
‘‘I wanted to do more with my art, rather than just paint pretty pictures, I wanted to make an impact and do something meaningful. I’m inspired by the cause, protecting our pristine environment — that’s why it’s so fulfilling to collaborate with WAI Wanaka.’’
‘‘I call this painting ‘The Source’. It’s all about the water cycle, where it starts high up in the mountains. As the water precipitates out of the atmosphere and forms rain, snow and builds up as glaciers, this ultimately works its way down the slopes to the valley floor. This painting captures that moment, from the heights of its beginnings.’’
The artist was born in Texas and formerly had a gallery in Lawrence, and then decided to move to Wanaka six months ago.
