We are delighted to continue to represent Phillip Waddington who was appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to conservation and art in 2026.

Growing up in Petone, enjoying a typical New Zealand lifestyle of spending time in the local native forest and at the beach, Phillip developed an early appreciation of nature, in particular birds which he kept from an early age. He was further influenced by an association with the Animal Ecology Division of the Department of Science and Research, and participation in extensive field trips with these experts reinforced his drive to promote and protect our endangered bird species. He is deeply concerned over the plight of many native bird species that are under threat of extinction.

Proceeds from the sales of Phillip’s artworks in the 1990s went towards the protection of 57 acres of pre-European forest located in Stokes Valley, Wellington. His aim was to save it from development housing and he was then faced with the huge task of caring for this land (kaitiaki) and controlling the predators of the native wildlife within. Most important to Phillip was to avoid using deadly toxins on the land so that the ecosystem was not disrupted, so he used his design and problem solving skills to develop humane predator traps. From trialing these very basic prototypes, hundreds of thousands have been made and are used to protect Kiwi and other endangered wildlife.

In 2019 Mitchell Studios gallery was privileged to host Phillip’s first solo exhibition in many years. Influences was a celebration of the people, places and wildlife that have had an effect on Phillip’s work - from wonderful Māori portraits through to depictions of threatened native New Zealand bird life and even residents of Wellington Zoo.

The below paintings are some of Phillip’s wildlife works currently available for sale or sold through Mitchell Studios gallery.