Apii Te Uki Ou’s Isabella Nicholas, pictured, with her masterpiece depicting a grove of tropical coconuts against a majestic island mountain, ready to be exhibited at the school’s Art Exhibition & Auction tonight.

Nicholas, who also exhibited a painting in her school’s 2020 ‘Kia Orana auction’, said she spent three to four months painting the piece she will exhibit in tonight’s event at the Islander Hotel.

Her painting last year received the highest bid and sold for $2500. It was Nicholas’ grandmother Cassie Eggelton who purchased the painting.

With her most recent masterpiece, Nicholas said she was inspired by nature. “I was really inspired because I love painting plants, and when I saw the inspiration photo, I loved the colours and I knew I had to paint it,” she said.

She added that seeing it be auctioned off tonight made her more excited than nervous, but that there was still a lot of pressure.

Nicholas received 10 per cent of the profit gained from her painting last year and said she has still not touched it. “I think I have improved since then but I don’t know how much this one would go for,” she said.

The rest of the funds gained from the sales of the Apii Te Uki Ou students’ artworks will go towards ensuring the school has adequate resources and programmes for those students who have additional needs and require a little more support to reach their potential.