News

January 2025: I was pleased to appear on the Mike On magazine radioshow and podcast by veteran broadcaster Mike Bodnar talking about painting and bird photography. Over the past couple of years I've given talks at a number of places on backyard birds, birding, bird photography, nature painting, etc. Please let me know if need a speaker on these topics.

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December 2024: SOLD This oil painting sold before the paint was dry, after a follower spotted it on my facebook page - he was familiar with the area, visiting it many times in his younger days. The image above is cropped for this web page, if you click on it you should be able to see the whole thing. You can email me on louise@louisethomas.co.nz if you fancy commissioning something.

November 2024: SOLD OUT The Wild birds of New Zealand 2025 Calendar is available to order and ship now, with payment by bank deposit (GST tax invoices available on request). The 2025 calendar features the stunning red-crowned parakeet / kākāriki (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) as well as 11 other native New Zealand birds.

Red-crowned parakeet / kākāriki (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae). Image: Louise Thomas.

October 2024: SOLD. My portrait of my daughter Caitlin, called Suffering is over-rated, which was selected for the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts "Looking at ourselves" portraits and life studies exhibition in Wellington from 31 May - 30 June 2024, has now sold.

Acrylic on stretched canvas, 20 X 12 inches. Please email with any enquiries about other works.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: The rabbit from Hokitika - I've called this one "Unimpressed with the hard yard". This is acrylic on A3 300gsm card and is professionally framed. It's available for NZ$870.00. You can email me on louise@louisethomas.co.nz if interested.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: My painting Autumn Again of some very soggy house sparrows is on display at Mariana's Kitchen at the War Memorial Library in Lower Hutt.

Acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (51cm X 40.5cm) - NZ$590.00. Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25.00, A3 NZ$45.00. Postage at cost.

October 2024: Flat white city life, which featured in the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Urban Forms exhibition from 22 March – 28 April 2024, and on the Lower Hutt Art Trial website, currently hangs in Mariana's Kitchen at the War Memorial Library in Lower Hutt. It is available for $590.00.

Acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (51cm X 40.5cm). Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: The guardian is for sale. This is acrylic on A3 300gsm card and is professionally framed. It's available for NZ$870.00. You can email me on louise@louisethomas.co.nz if interested.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

Background: A variable oystercatcher stands guard on an old log on Hokio Beach, while on the beach behind out-of-view his mate and chicks feed along the shore.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: The moon and the balloon is for sale - $490.00. Acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (40.6 x 51cms).

Background: In the early dawn in Carterton, Wairarapa, a balloon floats overhead.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: This stunning rose caught my eye at Queen's Park, Invercargill during my summer visit. I was amazed by its transition from creamy white to iridescent pink on the petal tips. After weeks of sorting the shadows, it's a relief to move it off the easel.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 51cm x 40.5cm
Cost: NZ$590.00

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: Precious boobies is for sale - NZ$1150.00. Acrylic on canvas, 71.5cm x 55cm. This painting was selected for the 2024 Muriel Hopper Awards exhibition - only around a third of the entered works were accepted. The painting of blue-footed boobies is in part to help raise awareness of the importance of breast screening - Volpara Health are one of the sponsors of the 2024 Lower Hutt Art Trail.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

September 2024: Big Red says 'Good Morning!' is for sale - $590.00. Big Red is acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (40.6 x 51cms).

Background: This guy is one of two red jungle fowl that lived for years by the Days Bay Duck Pond, frequently crossing the road (at the crossing) to fossick in the grass by the beach.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

August 2024: SOLD. I'm delighted to announce that after winning both Judge's Choice and The People's Choice Awards at the Hutt Art Society's Annual Exhibition, Hoot 'N' Annies is sold. Acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (40.6 x 51cms).

Background: The Hoot 'N' Annies is a brass band based in Lower Hutt, that I had the good fortune of seeing live in Greytown earlier in the year.

Please email with any enquiries about other works.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

July 2024: Objects for a Leisure Hour, an updated version of William Harnett's 1879 painting of the same name. The painting by William Harnett is one of my favourites after I saw the original in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid many years ago. The simple objects, the smouldering pipe of a passing human presence, the carelessly folded newspaper, crumbs and half-eaten bun, touched my soul. Some art critic would probably say it's about fleeting time and man's impermanence, but actually I think what touched me was the familiarity of it all across time. I've tried to capture the same quality of a recently vacated moment.

This is available, acrylic on A2 300gsm watercolour card, in a professional frame - $690.00. Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

July 2024: Rifleman at Mt Ruapehu shows a busy wee rifleman hopping across a mossy boulder at Mt Ruapehu. These little green birds are common in the bush around the lower slopes of the mountain. Acrylic on A3 300gsm card, in a budget frame - $390.00. Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

June 2024: Flat white and sea glass is now hanging (for sale - $590.00) in Mariana's Kitchen in Lower Hutt next to the War Memorial Library and the Little Theatre. Have a coffee while you think about it.

'Flat white and sea glass' is acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (51cm X 40.5cm). Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

February 2024: Following selection for the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Water World Exhibition, which finished on 11 February, Dinner Rush at Henley Lake is for sale - $590.00. 'Dinner Rush' is acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (51cm X 40.5cm).

Background: Three black shags (Phalacrocorax carbo) undertake an epic battle on Henley Lake in Masterton for who gets to eat an eel for dinner.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

February 2024: The plump pigeon of peace (kererū) is available. Soft purple and lavender colours in a pointillist style. Get some soothing calm on your wall for just $590.00.

Acrylic on canvas, 16inch by 20inch (51cm X 40.5cm). Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

February 2024: SOLD. I'm absolutely stoked to have sold my painting "The late-night tui" at the opening of the Depictions Exhibition at the Odlin Gallery. The exhibition is on for just over two weeks from 10-25 February. The Odlin Gallery is 9-11 Myrtle Street, next to Huia Pool, in Lower Hutt. Open daily, 10am to 4pm. I'm on Gallery minding on Saturday mornings during the exhibition if anyone wants to pop in to say hi, and invest heavily in beautifying your wall.

This painting is sold, but for queries about commissions or any other paintings please send Louise an email on louise@louisethomas.co.nz

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

February 2024: 'Tui by the Hutt River' - A busy tui breaks from feeding on flax flower nectar to briefly survey its surroundings. Behind, the mature plantings and fields along the river corridor provide a ready source of food for a variety of bird life.

Acrylic painting on stretched canvas. 12 inch X 16 inch (30.48cm x 40.64cm). NZ$490.00. Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: 'Grey teals at Virginia Lake' is for sale - $590.00

Grey teals love to rest in the shady gloom of trees around lakes and wetlands, waiting for dusk when they begin feeding. Here a pair of teals rest on a fallen trunk over the water, shaded by a canopy of bare twigs filtering the light. Acrylic painting on A3 360gsm acrylic card, this work is beautifully framed by the Lewis Paape Gallery.

Please email with any enquiries.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

October 2024: 'The Little Garden Helper' is for sale - NZ$390.00

Blackbirds love to help, as any gardener knows - sometimes they can be a bit too helpful, digging up newly planted bulbs and things! Acrylic painting on canvas, 30.5cm X 51cm.

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

January 2024: SOLD OUT A limited number of art postcards are now available. $NZ2.50 each, with free shipping in New Zealand. Minimum order of four (NZ) or ten (Australia, Europe, UK, Japan, US or Canada) - shipping to rest of the world NZ$3.30 per 10 cards. Paypal invoice for international orders.

Available postcards are:

• 1. The little garden helper
• 2. The little grebe in the lily pond
• 3. Grey teals at Virginia Lake
• 4. Whio/ Blue duck whistling upstream
• 5. Tui on the Hutt River Te Awa Kairangi

Please email with any enquiries.

December 2023: Possibly the first time a kākā had been seen in central Lower Hutt for 100 years. My photo of this cheeky chap in a pōhutukawa tree (New Zealand Christmas tree), made the front page of The Post newspaper. It's been a very good year.

Please email with any enquiries about using this photo.

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November 2023: SOLD. Selected for New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Fantastic Beasts Exhibition, 1 December – 7 January 2024, Academy Galleries, Open 10am - 5pm daily, 1 Queens Wharf, Wellington. Available to purchase at the exhibition (collection on conclusion of exhibition).

Many birds are cryptic in their environment, you often don't see them at first, but suddenly your focus changes and there they are. Original acrylic painting on A3 360gsm acrylic card.

This painting is sold, but for queries about commissions or any other paintings please send Louise an email on louise@louisethomas.co.nz

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

Image: Louise Thomas.

October 2023: SOLD OUT. The Wild birds of New Zealand 2024 Calendar is available to order and ship now, with payment by bank deposit (GST tax invoices available on request). The 2024 calendar features the stunning wild blue ducks/whio from Mount Ruapehu as well as 11 other native New Zealand birds. Large A3 (297mmX420mm) portrait calendar on 150gsm gloss art paper, with the cover on 300gsm gloss art board. Printed on one side and spiral bound. Excellent Christmas gift for the bird-lover in your life.

Blue duck/whio at Whakapapanui Stream, Mount Ruapehu. Image: Louise Thomas.

August 2023: SOLD. A blue duck/whio whistles upstream to his mate at the Whakapapanui Stream at Mt Ruapehu. Original acrylic painting on A3 360gsm acrylic card.

This painting is sold, but for queries about commissions or any other paintings please send Louise an email on louise@louisethomas.co.nz

Signed prints are available, A4 NZ$25, A3 NZ$45. Postage at cost.

Image: Louise Thomas.

August 2023: A number of Louise's photos are now available as Adobe Stock photos. Check out her Adobe photo portfolio.

You can also purchase photos directly from Louise from a very reasonable fee. For queries please send Louise an email on louise@louisethomas.co.nz.

Image: Louise Thomas.

• Adobe Stock

A limited amount (only 20) of stunning kererū/wood pigeon prints drawn by Caitlin Thomas-Riley are now available. Slightly smaller than an A3 size, these cost $50.00 each inclusive of GST, plus postage at cost (or free pick-up from Woburn, Lower Hutt). All prints numbered and signed. ONLY FOUR LEFT

Send Louise an email on louise@louisethomas.co.nz with your address for shipping, etc. and we will send you an invoice for payment.

Image: Caitlin Thomas-Riley.

February 2021: A rare sighting on Valentine's Day made the local paper.

July 2020: Caitlin Thomas-Riley's'

A study examining the voices of kiwi in the Paparoa Range hopes to identify unique voices of individual birds and shed new light on their territorial roaming and other interactions. Image drawn by Caitlin Thomas-Riley.

June 2020: My photo of a tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) in the rain, taken December 2019 featured on the cover of the 2019 New Zealand Garden Bird Survey published 19 June 2020.

June 2020: This stunning bellbird (Anthornis melanura), aka Korimako, feeding in rare flowering red mistletoe (Peraxilla tetrapetala) has just been provided to the Ōhau Conservation Trust for use in an interpretation panel to be published in September 2020.

May 2020: This job was a favour for a school-teacher friend who is trying to get her junior school (five and six year olds) students moving. We came up with a coffee-card style idea where students get a star clipped or a small sticker on their card for every 500m completed. Completed cards can go in the draw for a prize. Apparently it was a hit.

May 2019: Southern black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus) with party balloon fragment - highlighting the dangers of plastics and party balloons in marine environments. Image published in Artists Down Under magazine - May 2019.