Birds: A New Zealand Obsession
It's winter here in Tasman, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, and while the days are shorter, they're beautifully mild and sunny. I've been embracing the slower pace that comes with the season, closing my shop for the quieter months. Stepping away from my retail space has allowed me to spend more time where I love to be—in the studio.
These days have been filled with drawing, sipping warm brews, and brewing new ideas. Honestly, it's been such a joy.
Hatching New Ideas
For the past month I've been immersed in a brand-new collection celebrating New Zealand's native birds and flora. These illustrations will become a range of tea towels, greeting cards, prints, and a few exciting new products that I can't wait to share later this year.
I've absolutely loved drawing every day. There's something incredibly satisfying about slowing down enough to notice the tiniest details—the delicate feathers, distinctive beaks, and unique personalities of each bird. This collection has given me the opportunity to create some of my most intricate illustrations yet, and with every sketch I've found myself falling a little more in love with these remarkable creatures.
Following the Flock
I've spent years illustrating beautiful animals from around the world—leopards, elephants, lions, antelope, and all the iconic wildlife you'd expect to find on an African safari. But when people walk into my shop, they’re rarely interested in those.
Instead, it's always the native birds.
"Do you have a tūī tea towel?" "Is there a pīwakawaka apron?" "I would love to take home a gift set of native bird greeting cards!"
It made me wonder: why are New Zealanders so obsessed with birds?
We're nicknamed "Kiwis," after all!
But it's not just New Zealanders asking—visitors from overseas are just as captivated.
Turns out, the answer lies in Aotearoa's extraordinary natural history.
Born of Isolation
Millions of years ago, New Zealand separated from the ancient supercontinent Gondwana and evolved in remarkable isolation. Unlike almost everywhere else in the world, we had no native land mammals (apart from bats), leaving birds to occupy almost every ecological niche.
Without mammalian predators, many species gradually lost the need to fly, giving us extraordinary birds like the kiwi, takahē and the giant moa (now sadly extinct). It's an evolutionary story unlike almost anywhere else on Earth, and one of the reasons our wildlife feels so wonderfully quirky.
Birds with Big Personalities
Then there are the birds themselves.
The magnificent kererū—our giant wood pigeon—is famous for occasionally becoming rather tipsy on fermented berries before tumbling out of trees. The mischievous alpine kea is one of the world's most intelligent parrots, while the critically endangered kākāpō is the only flightless parrot on Earth—a gentle giant with an unforgettable personality.
Many of these species are also considered taonga (treasures) in Māori culture, carrying deep cultural significance and reminding us of the responsibility we all share to protect them.
Perhaps that's why they feel so special to draw. They're not just beautiful—they're uniquely ours, shaped by millions of years of isolation and deeply woven into the identity of Aotearoa.
Joining the Feathered Fan Club
I've especially loved illustrating the playful pīwakawaka (fantail), always darting about with endless energy, and the striking tūī, whose otherworldly song is unlike anything else. Thanks to its unique voice box, the tūī can produce an astonishing mix of melodies, clicks, whistles and even mimic other sounds.
Somewhere along the way, I realised my fascination with New Zealand birds had quietly turned into a full-blown obsession—and I think everyone should join the fan club.
Letting Creativity Take Flight
Capturing their personalities, both in pencil and digitally on my Wacom tablet, has been one of the most rewarding creative challenges I've taken on. This collection has also encouraged me to explore new techniques and push my illustration style further than ever before.
It has also inspired me to explore watercolour, a medium that feels perfectly suited to birds—the soft, layered washes capture the lightness of feathers and bring a gentle, organic quality that complements their delicate beauty.
Coming Soon...
The collection is still very much a work in progress, but I'm so excited to share it with you soon. Over the coming months these birds—and many more—will appear on homewares and some entirely new paper products that have been quietly taking shape behind the scenes.
I can't wait to introduce you to them all, each with my own whimsical twist.
Until then, thank you for following along on this journey. I'll be sharing plenty of behind-the-scenes sketches, works in progress reels and studio updates on Instagram over the coming weeks. If you'd like a sneak peek before the collection launches, come on over and take a look!