That flash of electric blue lifting off an old wooden post is always inspiring down on the South Brighton estuary walk. I love how the digital watercolour painting wraps around the side so half of the post continues onto the back.
Available now on pure cotton tees in four coastal colours tuned to show off the kingfisher’s plumage!
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Let your little explorer waddle into fun with this all-over Adelie Penguins t-shirt! The front shows a group of cheeky penguins marching toward the Ross Sea. Meanwhile, the back reveals their hilarious retreat from a sneaky leopard seal lurking on the Antarctic sea ice. Crafted on a white, snow marle, or pale blue t-shirt, to mimic the icy Antarctic landscape, and so that the black, white, and blue design pops with a 3D effect. The perfect tee for kids who love wildlife tales. Celebrate New Zealand’s nature-inspired artwear and grab yours today.
Choose how to get your kids’ Adelie Penguins t-shirt:
When I was deep into the process of re-creating a 1957 American Motors dealership banner for my friend’s Rambler Rebel restoration, I found myself intrigued by the car’s oddball charm. Its rarity fascinated me. My friend had showed me the 1957 Rambler Rebel in his workshop, which he’s been pouring his heart into restoring, it was in its bare metal current state. Its unibody design was clearly visible and surprising, I didn’t know that any cars were made by American Automakers in the 1950s where the body structure itself provides the main strength.
Curious to understand how this innovation came about, I dove into research. I uncovered fascinating details about the car’s legacy. Monocoque construction contributed to its lightweight agility and record-breaking 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds in 1957 at the Daytona Beach Speed Week. The research also yielded low-resolution images of the car speeding along the test track, and still images of it at Daytona Beach Speed Week.
It occurred to me that the bold graphic design of the banner, with its vintage fonts and striking colours, would look great on a t-shirt. This would be especially true if I paired it with a digital illustration of the Rebel in motion on the track.
Picture this: it’s 1957, and the American automotive landscape is a parade of chrome and tail fins—cars flexing their excess like peacocks in Detroit showrooms. Then, rolling out of the chaos, comes the 1957 Rambler Rebel. Not a conformist, not a follower, but a four-door rebel with a metallic silver streak and a secret under the hood. My friend, a car nut with grease under his nails and a gleam in his eye, is restoring one of these rare beauties right now. And me? I’m the design guy who got roped into re-creating an American Motors dealership banner from that very year—a bold, period-perfect piece to match his labour of love.
But why go to all this trouble for a car most folks don’t know they’ve forgotten?
Let me tell you a story about the Rebel that explains it all.
There’s an undeniable allure to an authentic car dealer banner from the 1960s, a cherished relic that transports us back to an era when automotive culture was as much about bold design statements as it was about engineering prowess and value for money.
This 1960s Rambler banner, with its vibrantly patriotic red, white, and blue hues, served as proud beacons of post-war American ingenuity.
This banner in association with the car drew enthusiasts and casual onlookers alike to the owners’ stall at the 2024 McLeans Island swap meet.
Handcrafted with care, they embodied a tactile authenticity—lustrous, pearly white polyester satin and solid cut vinyl colour printing re-creating the era’s optimism and craftsmanship.
Recreating such a piece, as my spouse and I did with the 1965 Rambler banner, preserves not just a design but a story, infusing it with durability for modern display while honouring its historical mid-century modern roots.
It’s a celebration of nostalgia, a functional art piece that elevates any classic car showcase with its vivid presence and timeless appeal.
I’m thrilled to unveil my latest wildlife artwork. It is a t-shirt that captures the majestic flight of the Karearea. This is New Zealand’a species of native falcon.
The karearea, or the New Zealand falcon, (Falco novaeseelandiae, also known as the sparrow hawk) holds significant ecological and cultural importance in New Zealand. It is the only endemic bird of prey left. This fierce predator symbolises the resilience of native wildlife, offering a powerful representation of the country‘s bird life. Interestingly, it is most closely related to the Aplomado falcon of South America. The karearea might resemble the Australasian swamp harrier or Kahu and occupy a similar ecological niche. However, these two bird species are not closely related. This highlights the karearea’s unique evolutionary path and its critical role as an apex predator.
Check out the karearea design in action in our new YouTube Shorts video:
The inspiration for the design came from superlative wildlife photographer Rod Morris. Chrissie and I visited Rod’s image library in Dunedin back in the 90s when we were there exhibiting with The Great New Zealand Craft Shows. We were looking for slides that he had cherry-picked. These slides had the potential to be developed into hand-separated wildlife art for screen printing.
Our eye-catching kiwi design features a bold, two-colour roundel illustration on the front showcasing the most famous New Zealand native bird on a crew neck, mid-weight (185gsm) kids’ t-shirt. A playful mini kiwi icon graces the back for a touch of whimsy. This design pairs best with white, pastels, lights, and brights for maximum contrast. Can be customised with the large art printed on the back and the mini kiwi badge on the front left chest at no extra charge.
Shop for this flightless bird design across our Surface Active stores:
Or you can shop at either:
Channel your inner Jacques Cousteau with this t-shirt featuring four playful common dolphins leaping out of the ocean as they pass along the Kaikoura coast. A perfect conversation starter for any nature enthusiast.
Having had the magical experience of a free-range childhood in Titahi Bay, encountering pods of common dolphins in Kaikoura during our summer holidays at Goose Bay and when snorkelling for Paua with friends near Barneys Rock, enjoying the spectacle of seeing them traveling in large groups parallel to SH1 near Oaro, playfully leaping out of the water, and, as a child being enchanted by their surfing and breaching alongside boats in the waters of the Hauraki Gulf I was seeking a way to express my sense of how dolphins symbolise how wonderful and beautiful New Zealand is.
Order here to have your dolphins leaping shirt locally printed in Christchurch and DTF heat-pressed right here by the designer, Shaun Waugh, in New Brighton, or shop online at our NZ based and international DTG printing partners. (Use code: “PERFEC” for 5% off your international store purchase.) You can visit Shaun at the Surface Active stall Saturdays 10:00–2:00 at New Brighton Seaside Market, or shop at one of our two retail outlets in New Brighton Mall, Brighton Gallery and The Creatives Edit.
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Show off your love for these tuxedoed Antarctic cuties with this fun t-shirt. Featuring a colony of Adelie penguins in a comical waddle on the front, and their speedy escape from a leopard seal that suddenly hauled up on the edge of the sea ice on in front of them on the back, this shirt is sure to turn heads.
Because the colours of snow and ice is white and the penguins are in Antarctica waddling across that surface, the only colour for the shirt is white, with the two colour black and blue print creating a 3D effect. Clever shading with cool sky blue and perspective tricks the viewer into thinking that the Adelie penguin group is really waddling towards you on the front and dashing away on the back. The Adelie penguin design is also available on white longsleeve tees.
By ordering here to have it locally printed in Christchurch and DTF heat-pressed right here by the designer, Shaun Waugh, in New Brighton, or shop online at our NZ based and international DTG printing partners. (Use code: “PERFEC” for 5% off your international store purchase.)
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For the Kiwi who dares to dream big, this Kiwi Space Shuttle tee is a must-have. This black Surface Active tee showcases the beloved Kiwi icon of a classic MkII Zephyr transformed into a NASA spaceship, manned by three Kiwis soaring through space, bound for a drive on the moon.
The clever design incorporates the rocket science of the black fabric of the shirt as deep space for a comfortable fit. The design is also available on garments for women and kids.
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You can order your very own New Zealand nature t-shirts from our brand new exhibition at Brighton Gallery, open until January 8th. All works, t-shirts & original prints, are designed & printed in New Brighton. To order contact: www.surfaceactive.digitees.co.nz/contact
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