New Zealand bird art for expats and Kiwis overseas
When I first moved overseas to the USA, it was the birds I missed most. I know what it's like to be a stranger in a strange land and to want a touch of home to keep you grounded.
If you're looking for a meaningful New Zealand gift for a Kiwi living overseas—or a piece of home for your own wall abroad—I recommend bird art inspired by the native birds we know and love. This guide draws on the choices my homesick expat customers have made, as well as what I’ve learned from locals sending art to loved ones overseas.
A fine-art print of one of our favourite native birds can bring a lasting piece of home to the wall. Maybe it's the tūī at the feeder, ruru calling after dark, pīwakawaka flitting close, or kākā chattering away in the garden that you miss most. We know these characters. They stay with us wherever we live.
When you're searching online for a quality New Zealand gift for yourself or a loved one overseas, you'll also find plenty of kiwiana and kitschy souvenirs. It can take a bit of digging to find something tasteful amongst them. I'm glad you've found your way here.
If this is your first time visiting—kia ora—I'm Judi Lapsley Miller, a Wellington-based bird artist. I create photoartistic fine-art prints from wildlife photographs I take here in Aotearoa (along with some watercolour and mixed-media works).
A New View 2 (tūī)—one of my most popular tūī prints, with a range of size options.
Unframed prints are my first recommendation for overseas shipping
Fine-art prints are safe and straightforward to send unframed. Smaller prints travel flat; larger prints are carefully rolled and shipped in sturdy protective tubes. The recipient can then choose a frame locally to suit their home.
Five A5 native bird fine-art print set.
Most of my fine-art bird prints are available in a range of sizes, from easily postable A5 through to extra-large statement pieces. My A5 set of favourite New Zealand bird prints is a handy starting point for a lovely gift, and you can also browse the art by bird to find your favourites.
Each fine-art print is hand-signed and made with archival inks on museum-grade paper. Read more about fine-art prints.
TinyArt: a small framed gift
TinyArt is a small, framed piece of bird art that can be sent as a compact finished gift. They usually fit in an A4 mailer. Each one is unique, and the available pieces change between releases. This eco-art project rescues high-quality printing and framing offcuts from the scrap pile and turns them into tiny artworks that make for joyful presents. I try to keep a few in the shop through most of the year, with a bigger release each November for Christmas. Go behind the scenes to see how I make TinyArt.
Explore the current TinyArt collection.
Want to send a larger finished artwork?
For larger works, I recommend shipping unframed prints. For these larger sizes, I roll them for shipping in sturdy protective tubes. The recipient can get the print framed locally to their tastes.
If you'd prefer to send a finished piece that's ready to hang, rather than a glass-framed artwork, I recommend a custom impasto mixed-media print mounted on board.
To create these impasto mixed-media pieces, I mount a UV-sealed fine-art print onto a wooden cradleboard, then build up details by hand with impasto gel, paint, and other marks. The raised brushwork creates texture and catches the light. The finished board is robust for overseas shipping. You may find finished pieces in my online mixed-media collection, but I make most to order.
If you're interested, do get in touch and we can discuss the artwork, size, finish and postage. You can also read about my impasto process.
An example of a mounted impasto mixed-media artwork: The Sweetheart (kākā).
Choosing a bird for someone else
If you're choosing for someone else and are not sure of their favourite native bird, tūī and ruru are popular choices. You can't go wrong with either.
Explore my full tūī collection and ruru collection, or browse all the birds.
Whether you're choosing a gift for a homesick Kiwi or finding a piece of home for your own wall, I'm happy to help you find the right artwork. Get in touch, or start with my New Zealand bird art.
A note about international shipping from New Zealand
I ship internationally to most countries using NZ Post tracked economy. The shipping rate will show at checkout when you enter the delivery address. If you're ordering more than one item and the rate looks higher than expected, let me know, and I can check the best shipping option for you.
Orders to the United States are sent DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), so there are no import duties to pay when the parcel arrives. Orders to Australia do not typically attract any import duties or GST. For other destinations, local import duties, taxes, or customs handling charges may apply. These vary by country and are usually payable by the recipient; in most cases, I'm not able to prepay them, but I can research what they might be for you.
If you have a deadline, or any questions about shipping to your country, please enquire before ordering, and I'll confirm the shipping details. You can also read my shipping policy.
