During the first of many lockdowns, I started trying to channel my energy into something useful. My creative brain refused to stagnate, and I felt the melancholy pull of travel reaching farther and farther away from my grasp. 

Art became a coping mechanism, and I created a series of minimal landscape prints inspired by my most recent and life-changing trip - New Zealand. New Zealand is not short of beauty, and travelling the incredible islands for seven months meant I wasn’t short of inspiration. 

This is my finalised collection of minimal New Zealand prints. Each one is carefully illustrated to depict the minimalism of the landscape, capture the ethereal sense of beauty in nature, and highlight the rugged and unique nature of each scene in New Zealand. Which one is your favourite?

Find my New Zealand Art Prints in my shop.

Milford Sound  - New Zealand Art Print

It’s not every day you call upon a view such as this, a scene to be enjoyed, a scene to be cherished, and one to always return to. I was overjoyed to illustrate this mesmerising view as part of the New Zealand series. The sharp shadows on the mountain are a perfect juxtaposition for the sweeping, minimal lines of the road below. It will forever be a favourite. 

The jaw-dropping views around Aoraki/Mount Cook cannot be explained with words. It’s a phantasmagorical place of sheer, indescribable beauty. The closest I can come to realism is Waldeinsamkeit -  a German word that refers to the feeling one has while being alone in the woods, usually a sublime or spiritual one. Though the woods are sparse here, the mountains are formidable, and to be among them an experience of the most divine. 

This is a mountain of achievement, a mountain of glory. The practice land of Sir Edmund Hillary before his maiden voyage to conquer the great Mount Everest. Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand and by far the prettiest.  

Aoraki/Mount Cook -  New Zealand Wall Art

It’s not every day you call upon a view such as this, a scene to be enjoyed, a scene to be cherished, and one to always return to. I was overjoyed to illustrate this mesmerising view as part of the New Zealand series. The sharp shadows on the mountain are a perfect juxtaposition for the sweeping minimal lines of the road below. It will forever be a favourite. 

The jaw-dropping views around Aoraki/Mount Cook cannot be explained with words. It’s a phantasmagorical place of sheer, indescribable beauty. the closest I can come to realism is Waldeinsamkeit -  a German word that refers to the feeling one has while being alone in the woods, usually a sublime or spiritual one. Though the woods are sparse here, the mountains are formidable, and to be among them an experience of the most divine. 

This is a mountain of achievement, a mountain of glory. The practice land of Sir Edmund Hillary before his maiden voyage to conquer the great Mount Everest. Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand and by far the prettiest.  

Queenstown - Illustrated Print

The remarkable mountains loom over the vast Lake Whakatipu on a sleepy Queenstown evening. I love the way the streets zigzag across the scene as I imagine life meandering below. People enjoy a Fergburger on the lakefront, watching as the TSS Earnslaw chugs her way into the dock. Throwing bread to the family of ducks that will always call this serene city a home. Queenstown has everything you need for a thrilling life and a thrilling image. This is a favourite for me. 

Roy’s Peak - New Zealand Art Print

It takes more than three hours, a laborious uphill hike, and a witty podcast to conquer the great winding trek that leads to this view. You’ll have seen it everywhere, clouds rolling in across a dense and beautiful lake, or a blazing sunset casting a glow across the whole land. Roy’s Peak is one of the most famous viewpoints in the whole of New Zealand, stretching for miles across the lake Wanaka and beyond. Part of me never wants to do this hike again, heaving my pack up that strenuous hill like there was no tomorrow. But, when I think back to the rewards of that night, standing alone on the peak in a white gown and the world at my feet, I felt infinite. 

Sketching this took me right back to that scene, the fierce wind in my hair, the clouds undulating before me. I love the lines of the lake and the smattering of snow on the mountains, a place that makes you feel as small as a mouse. 

Mount Taranaki - Wall Art Print

Mount Taranaki is a sight to behold. 2,518 m of pure, perfect symmetry. In winter, this dormant stratovolcano is topped with a perfect little dusting of snow, which makes this coveted reflection shot from the Pouakai Tarn all that more majestic. It’s a slog of a hike up a few 1000 steps to reach the tarn, and most of it is below the bush line. But if you have the patience, or some witty pal to amble up the track and crack jokes to keep you entertained; the resulting view is so worth it. 

When I created this piece, I was reminded of the sheer adrenaline it took to reach this spot. The sun was sinking, and my pack was full. My breath quickened with every reaching step as I tried to reach the precipice before the golden moment. I made it with minutes to spare; the clouds parted, the sun transformed everything into a celestial shade of pink, and I was in pure awe at the scene. Breathless, sunburnt, and with every part of me sore, I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Tongariro Alpine Crossing  - Minimal Design

New Zealand, a place of nature, of solace. They call it the land of the long white cloud. A place where volcanoes and glaciers can exist simultaneously. It’s no surprise this mythical land inspired J.R.R Tolkein into creating some of the greatest literature we’ve ever known. His vivid descriptions and enigmatic prose creating a fantastical land to thrill the imagination. Only here, in this magical place, there’s no need for imagination. All manner of beauty is right there before our eyes. Discoverable, conquerable, and unforgettable. 

Traversing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing brought me face to face with awe-inspiring nature, geological structure, and a connection to the Earth I’ve felt in no other place but here. I regularly return in daydreams to the edge of the emerald lakes, their iridescent waters glistening in the midday sun. Hiking here tests your stamina, your determination, and your sense of wonder. The Tongariro will always hold a piece of my heart. 

Tasman Glacier - Art Print

Time stops for Tasman glacier, or at least it should. Time here hasn’t been kind, and the great glacial wall of ice is slowly receding into the mountain. But as I watched the icebergs float on the surface of the glassy frozen lake, I felt a catch in my throat at the beauty of it all. I could sit here forever, staring into the depths of an abyss I could never enter, become part of a place I didn’t belong. Tasman lake is vast and beautiful. It’s a reminder of how quickly and irreversibly we can change our world, our nature; the very thing that keeps us alive. 

Out of my entire New Zealand illustrated series, this one is my favourite. Not because it’s the most iconic, the best, or even the most scenic, but because of the feeling that it evokes in me every single time. To sit there among the rocks and listen to the slow trickle of the Tasman River, is to be home. 

Wanaka Tree -  New Zealand Print

There’s no doubt that the Wanaka Tree is the most photographed tree in the whole of New Zealand. The curious tree defied all odds by growing right in the middle of the lake. For years, it has been delighting travellers to Wanaka and is an iconic viewpoint from the familiar lakefront with the mountains majestically rising behind. The best time to view the scene is undoubtedly at sunrise. When the delicate sunlight glances over the mountains behind and begins to illuminate them a faint pink glow, before blazing the trees to golden life. Don’t expect to be there alone, however. People travel from far and wide to see the famed tree, but thankfully most people try to avoid getting in each other’s way and there’s plenty of room to pick a space along the lake edge. 

Turning this iconic scene into a minimal illustration was pure joy for me. I imagined myself back there on the quiet lakefront, patiently waiting for a blazing sunrise, with the ducks readying to grace my view. The clouds drew in, and the light surged in a fierce golden glow as it brought the snow-capped mountains to life before receding into daylight. So much movement, and so much grace, but the tree is always a constant, always a state of stillness, an allegory of life rooted to the Earth in the face of adversity. The Wanaka tree represents all of us, and this beautiful anomaly makes for one of my favourite views in the world. 

Tekapo - New Zealand Wall Art

There is one main reason that people come to Tekapo, and it’s to see the most spectacular night sky you’ve ever seen. People crowd around the Church of the Good Shephard at midnight to wait for the magic to start. Your eyes adjust to the pitch darkness of the International Dark Sky Reserve, and a spectacular show springs to life above you. If you look closely, you can see the galactic kiwi gazing down upon you as you hold that shutter button tight. 

Find even more travel art prints and beautiful minimal Illustrated landscapes in my Etsy Store.