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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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.
Hey there! I’m just starting a project that’s close to my heart as a child of the 60s and a Graphic Designer. It involves a big, flashy 1967 American Motors car, the Marlin. This two-door fastback car produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1965 to 1967 is not your everyday car. The automakers really wanted to make something special, something that stood out. That’s how the 1967 American Motors Marlin was born. It came equipped with a powerful 343 cubic inch V8 engine to boot, which was a statement in itself. It was initially launched as the Rambler Marlin in 1965, but in 1966 and 1967 it was rebranded as the AMC Marlin.
1967 was the last year of production for the Marlin and is considered by many to be the most desirable due to its culmination of Marlin styling and beautiful proportions.
Welcome to a journey where the past meets the future, where the classic lines of a 1928 Essex Super Six four-door car, whose chief selling point was “affordable luxury,” intermingle with the art of modern graphic design. I recently had the incredible opportunity to photograph this rare American vintage beauty in the car park of the historic Richmond Workingmen’s Club in Christchurch. Note that the gallery of images from the photoshoot is at the foot of the page.
Don’t say “ooh!”, say “aah!!” for this design is one of the best-looking wetas you’ll see. This print celebrates the recent rediscovery of the Bluff weta, New Zealand’s insect dinosaur that can be found in scree and on rocky bluffs of the Kaikoura ranges, Mt Somers in mid-Canterbury and on both sides of this t-shirt.
This design features a twice life-size pixel painted portrait of the Bluff weta on the front with the option of another print on the back. The Bluff weta was until recently thought to be lost to history, but it turns that it roams free in the scree and rocky bluffs of the Kaikouras and Mt Somers. The grey marle fabric of the shirt is the rocky texture of a mountain bluff for a comfortable fit. The design is also available on a range of colours, short and longsleeve tees for women and kids.
Because the colours of this design are earth toned and the weta is casting a shadow, the best colours for the shirt are on greys and earth-toned hues. The lighter toned backgrounds help create the 3D effect, the illusion the weta is in three dimensions standing on the surface of a t-shirt.
Shop 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.)
International customers will be charged the actual shipping cost based on the weight and the destination of their order. As a guide a Large Surface Active 185 gsm t-shirt weighs 130–150 grams.
Alternatively our t-shirts are available for purchase at our stall at New Brighton Seaside Market on Saturdays, and at Brighton Gallery and The Creatives Edit in New Brighton Mall.
Our wildlife art print of this rare and beautiful native lizard is so animated it looks likes it’s going to scamper right off the shirt! In this case a crew neck, mid-weight (185gsm) women’s t-shirt.
New Zealand is ground zero for geckos, with more native lizards found on these islands from north to south than in any other temperate place in the world, they thrive in forests, dunes, grasslands, rocky alpine areas, even under the odd stack of corrugated iron roofing. The Jewelled gecko is a species found only on the South Island of New Zealand, particularly the southeastern regions of Canterbury and Otago from Banks Peninsula southwards.
This design pairs best with white, kelly green, forest green, and black for maximum contrast.
Level up your black t-shirt with our vivid jewelled gecko print. The intricate details are printed directly onto the fabric, while the black in the print is knocked-out, this allows the colours of the print to pop more against black of the shirt.
The Jewelled Gecko design is available from our online stores, our local store that supplies our New Brighton Seaside Market stall, Saturdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and from our two retail outlets in New Brighton Mall; Brighton Gallery and The Creatives Edit.
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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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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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