Just Passing Through: The Story Behind My New Fantail (Pīwakawaka) Painting

Location: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

The New Zealand fantail, or pīwakawaka, is one of the country's most loved native birds. Tiny, curious and endlessly energetic, they have a habit of appearing when you least expect them and often seem determined to follow you through the bush or around the garden. This painting grew from those everyday encounters.

If you've ever had a fantail flutter around your head, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say they have absolutely no sense of personal space.

I love it.

Why I Love Fantails

Almost every afternoon, I'll wander out into the garden, usually with Buddy not too far behind me, and before long there's a little blur of feathers darting through the trees. They swoop around my head, land on a nearby branch for a second, then they're off again before I've even had a chance to really look at them.

Buddy just stands there watching, his head tilting from side to side as if he's trying to work out what on earth these tiny birds are doing. I don't think he's ever going to catch one, but he certainly hasn't given up trying to understand them.

They're one of the reasons I fell in love with New Zealand.

The New Zealand fantail (pīwakawaka) is one of the country's most recognisable native birds. Whether you spot one in a forest, a local reserve or your own garden, they have a way of turning an ordinary walk into something memorable.

Growing up in Belfast, I'd never experienced birds quite like this. The robins at home are beautiful, as I rediscovered on a recent visit, but they tend to keep their distance. Pīwakawaka are different. They're curious. They seem genuinely interested in what you're doing, as if they've popped over to see what all the fuss is about.

Trying to Photograph a Pīwakawaka

Of course, trying to photograph them is another story altogether.

My camera is full of blurry pīwakawaka.

I'd love to tell you I capture perfect reference photos every time one visits the garden, but the reality is usually a collection of empty branches and little brown smudges disappearing out of the frame. They're so quick that by the time I've focused, they're already somewhere else.

The Story Behind Just Passing Through

Every now and then a fantail pauses just long enough.

The light is just right, the bird holds for a heartbeat, and you get a glimpse of the moment before it disappears again.

That's the feeling I wanted to capture in Just Passing Through.

Not a perfectly posed bird, but that fleeting little encounter that makes you stop whatever you're doing and smile. If you'd like to know more about the process, I've written about why I work in soft pastel and why it suits this kind of painting so well.

I added soft blossoms and warm afternoon light because that's how I remember these moments. Peaceful. Gentle. The sort of afternoon where you lose track of time because you're watching a pīwakawaka dancing through the garden.

That's what I hope people feel when they see this painting.

A reminder to slow down for a minute, look up from the endless list of things that need doing, and notice the little moments that are just passing through.

Because sometimes they're the ones that stay with us the longest.

I felt something similar the morning I spent photographing kotare at Allandale Reserve — that same feeling of being in exactly the right place, paying attention.

The pīwakawaka carries a particular kind of meaning in New Zealand too. I wrote about the quiet meaning behind three of New Zealand's most-loved native birds in an earlier post, and the fantail is very much part of that story.

A few things people often ask me

Why do fantails follow people?

It's one of the questions I'm asked most often. While it can feel as though a fantail has taken a particular interest in you, they're usually following the insects disturbed as you walk. Whatever the reason, it always feels like you've made a tiny new friend for a few minutes.

Are fantails native to New Zealand?

Yes. The New Zealand fantail (pīwakawaka) is one of our best-known native birds and can be found throughout the country in gardens, forests and parks.

Why do I paint fantails so often?

Because they make people smile.

There's something joyful about them. They're busy, curious and completely unbothered by our presence. Every encounter feels slightly different, but they all leave me with the same feeling: that nature has quietly interrupted my day in the nicest possible way.

Shop the Painting

The original pastel painting and fine art prints are both available in the shop now.