Notable Sales — Recent High-Water Marks for Original Paintings

Two recent sales mark the strongest results yet for my original paintings: Blue Huias Under the Golden Moon, which sold through Turua Gallery for $8,500 NZD, and The Quiet Knowing, which sold for $7,900 NZD.

Both sit above my typical original painting range of $1,500–$3,000+ NZD, and I wanted to put them on record — both as a milestone for my practice and as a useful data point for anyone tracking where demand for my work is heading.

I'm Sam Leitch, a contemporary New Zealand artist based in Mangawhai and Auckland, working in narrative-driven surrealist printmaking and original painting. My work has shown at the Aotearoa Art Fair and The Other Art Fair in Australia, and is held in private collections across New Zealand and internationally.

The Results

Blue Huias Under the Golden Moon — $8,500 NZD, sold through Turua Gallery. Acrylic, oil and epoxy on board, 1450mm x 1450mm. The highest price achieved for an original painting from my studio to date.

The Quiet Knowing — $7,900 NZD. An original painting, also sold through Turua Gallery. The second of two originals to sell well above my typical listed range this period.

For context, my catalogue is usually priced as follows:

• Original paintings — typically $1,500–$3,000+ NZD, through Turua Gallery and direct sale
• 1-of-1 hand-pulled screenprints — around $1,200–$1,800 NZD
• Standard limited edition screenprints (editions of 25–50) — $585–$1,390 NZD
• Giclée prints — $280–$580 NZD, the most accessible entry point into the collection

$8,500 and $7,900 are outliers against that structure, not the norm — which is exactly why they're worth flagging. Results like these tend to happen when a piece resonates strongly within a specific narrative thread in my work; both paintings draw on the same storytelling-driven, dreamlike visual language that runs through pieces like Nothing for Granted.

What This Means If You're Collecting

If you're weighing up an original versus a limited edition print, these results are a useful signal: demand for one-off originals from my studio is trending upward, and pieces don't stay listed long once they're public. If an original isn't within reach right now, my limited edition catalogue — the 29-colour hand-pulled Nothing for Granted, or giclée pieces like Nachos, GO, and The Minds Eye — offers a lower-priced way into the same body of work, with its own resale and collector interest over time.

FAQ

How much does a Sam Leitch original painting sell for? Original paintings typically sell for $1,500–$3,000+ NZD. Two recent results — Blue Huias Under the Golden Moon ($8,500 NZD) and The Quiet Knowing ($7,900 NZD) — sold well above that range.

What's the highest price a Sam Leitch painting has sold for? Blue Huias Under the Golden Moon sold for $8,500 NZD through Turua Gallery — the highest result to date for an original.

How much do Sam Leitch's limited edition prints cost? Hand-pulled screenprints typically range $585–$1,800 NZD depending on edition size and format. Giclée prints start around $280 NZD. 

Are Sam Leitch's originals a good investment? Recent sale results suggest growing demand for original work, though as with any art purchase, value depends on the individual piece and market.