Described as one of New Zealand’s leading sea and landscape artists, Colin Wynn paints en-plein-air, in the open air or in the field, and is known for his dramatic sea and skyscapes. This painting of the Navy frigate HMNZS Wellington, in a storm with headlands in the background, was gifted to Wellington City Council to mark the occasion of the ship’s final visit to Wellington. The ship was scuttled in 2005 to create a dive wreck off the coast of Island Bay, with one of its anchors remaining in the collection of Wellington Museum.

Colin Wynn (born 1950, Wellington) began painting professionally in the early 1970s and in 1972 moved to Reefton on Te Wai Pounamu South Island’s West Coast to be near the dramatic coast and mountain country he enjoys painting. Wynn worked for the New Zealand Forest Service as a hunter and an illustration artist. In 1979 he left the Forest Service to paint full-time. Wynn was invited by the Royal New Zealand Navy to be their official artist in 1982 and the Navy Museum has a collection of over 30 of his works, of both historical and recent events.