This piece reflects on that presence, shaped in part by my own surroundings in North Canterbury, where tūī are less often seen. The act of painting them became a way of holding onto that connection—while planting native trees and flowers in the hope of welcoming them back.

Part of the Haast Series, the work draws from a journey through some of the South Island’s more remote regions—from Amberley to Twizel, Wānaka, and into the stillness of Haast Pass. Snow-covered mountains, long quiet evenings, and the gradual shift toward winter created a space for reflection and a deeper awareness of the landscape.

In that stillness, the presence of birdlife felt both distant and imagined—a quiet anticipation of sound and movement within the environment. The tūī, though not always physically present, remained a constant in thought, representing the vitality and rhythm of Aotearoa’s native ecosystems.

The work sits between memory and place—an expression of both what is experienced and what is hoped for within the landscape.