New Zealand Native Birds
Painted on Recycled Timber
Painted on Recycled Timber
New Zealand is an isolated group of islands tucked down the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this distance we have our own unique plants and animals, the latter being birds, birds and more birds! NZ has doesn't have any land mammals (excluding a small bat and seals) but we have so many beautiful, unique birds, many found nowhere else in the world.
This series of paintings are painted on old pieces of wood from houses, rescued and recycled from a home demolition yard which sells old windows and doors and the like. I like the fact that each piece has a kind of unknown history to it, as it was once part of someone's home. I also like the rustic textures and that it adds to each painting.
enjoy!
Fantail
My favourite NZ bird - very friendly! They are attracted to people walking through the bush and flit around collecting insects, making a funny squeaking sound. I love the way this little guy's markings make it look like he has a mustache.
Tui
A beautiful bird with iridescent feathers which shine in the sun. They are pretty common and have a beautiful song. They are easily identified by the small tuffet of white feathers tucked under their chin.
Tauhou • Silver-eyes
It is assumed that a storm caught a migrating flock and diverted them here from Australia. Because the silver–eye colonised New Zealand naturally, it is classified as a native species and is therefore protected. They are also known as wax-eyes.
The Maori name means “stranger” or "new arrival" which is what I based this painting around.
