The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Rural artist Jenny Moed-Korpela inspired by the beauty of birds in Awakeri

By Debbie Griffiths
Coast & Country News·
6 Dec, 2024 03:59 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Jenny Moed-Korpela works on new pieces of art in her home studio.

Jenny Moed-Korpela works on new pieces of art in her home studio.

For Jenny Moed-Korpela, birds are more than just a subject for her paintings - they are a lifelong passion.

Growing up in Finland, Jenny’s love of birds grew from time spent with her grandmother, who was also an artist.

“She had a bird feeder in her garden, so every time I was there we would spend the first 10 minutes talking about which birds had been visiting that day,” she recalled.

“When I started painting it was just a subject that I knew a lot about and that made it easier.”

That laid the foundation for Jenny’s distinctive style.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

From picking up a paintbrush at the age of 15, she went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Fine Art.

“I love both abstract and realistic elements in my art, so I’m trying to combine them,” she explained.

“If everything is too detailed, you might as well take a photo.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I like to see that it’s actually paint.”

Jenny’s art is influenced by her rural surroundings in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Her lifestyle block in Awakeri, near Whakatāne, is home to cows, pigs, ducks, chickens and a dog which keep her busy when she’s not working part-time.

Her spare time is spent immersed in her craft.

Jenny doing a live art display at the recent Original Art Expo in Tauranga. Photo / Debbie Griffiths
Jenny doing a live art display at the recent Original Art Expo in Tauranga. Photo / Debbie Griffiths

She paints with oils, favouring reds, blues and browns, and prefers to mix her own colours.

“I don’t use a lot of greens or purples,” she said, “So I just create my own blends.”

Jenny’s journey is as much about capturing a moment in nature as it is about technique.

“Birds are such fleeting creatures; you only see them for a moment, and then they’re gone,” she said.

“I hope my work gives people a glimpse into those moments.”

Jenny with her beloved pigs on her property in Awakeri.
Jenny with her beloved pigs on her property in Awakeri.

Having grown up surrounded by nature in both Finland and now in New Zealand, Jenny feels fortunate to have such diverse inspiration.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She photographs birds herself, believing it’s crucial to have seen them in real life to truly capture them on canvas.

Her dream? To become a full-time artist and travel to the most remote places of New Zealand, photographing and painting birds like the albatross and penguins on our rugged coastlines.

For now, Jenny finds inspiration closer to home.

“There’s a wetland area behind the houses here, and you’ll see black swans, kingfishers, pūkeko, and stilts — especially at low tide,” she said.

“I’m always inspired by what I see.”

Jenny’s deep connection to birds passed down from her grandmother, continues to inspire her work, and she hopes that through her paintings, others will feel a similar bond with nature.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

OpinionGlenn Dwight

Meryl Sheep and Judy Drench: Does A Dog's Show need a movie?

The Country

Vege tips: Yacon adds a juicy twist to your garden and plate

The Country

Barbie Cassidy hopes for a new champion for her woollen dog beds


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Meryl Sheep and Judy Drench: Does A Dog's Show need a movie?
Glenn Dwight
OpinionGlenn Dwight

Meryl Sheep and Judy Drench: Does A Dog's Show need a movie?

OPINION: A Dog's Show was essential childhood viewing - second only to the Goodnight Kiwi.

09 Aug 05:01 PM
Vege tips: Yacon adds a juicy twist to your garden and plate
The Country

Vege tips: Yacon adds a juicy twist to your garden and plate

09 Aug 05:00 PM
Barbie Cassidy hopes for a new champion for her woollen dog beds
The Country

Barbie Cassidy hopes for a new champion for her woollen dog beds

09 Aug 05:00 PM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP