A mixed media art work made with the discarded tops of antibiotic seals has won artist Karen Morrison her own pot of gold.
She got a ceramic jug made by Wanganui potter Ross Mitchell-Anyon filled with $750-worth of gold coins, and said she felt humble and privileged.
Ms Morrison has a Diploma in Art and Design from Waiariki Institute of Technology. This year is the first time she has had a work accepted for the Sarjeant Arts Review, and she never thought her work would be a top pick for voters.
"I'm still in la-la land actually. I'm overwhelmed. There are so many great artists in Wanganui," she said.
She mainly paints in acrylics, in a surrealist rather than realist style. "I like the internal world that derives from our subconscious and thought processes."