'What do the trees look like in your area?'

I have been entranced with Sabino Canyon's images of cacti mingled with deciduous trees in their spring foliage. Diane C. asks us the question 'What do the trees look like in your area?' Here is my response.

The magpie in the above image was an instance of serendipity (also a recent topic of Diane's!) I had not noticed it perch in the sunlit twigs as I took the photograph.

Emerging from the shade of the conifers, you meet the softly coloured trunks of birches.

A tenacious leaf from yesteryear shines among the twigs of a young birch in bud.

Laugh in delight at the wriggly branches of Corylus contorta cascading before red dogwood stems!

Pleached limes make a bold ink-like statement across the March sky.

As the sun lowers its light, the papery bark of Prunus serrula gleams like a mystic aura among pale twigs.

A Spring surge of shimmering green and vermilion!

Nature's Sculptures

It was late afternoon when I stepped into the glasshouse and saw the new cacti. Low shafts of sunlight gleamed through the semi-translucent forms of the nearest plants.

I had never seen anything like these before!

A whole collection has been donated to the Botanic Garden, and is waiting on trestles to be labelled and arranged.

My limited knowledge of cacti is on this occasion fortuitous. Sometimes it is better to think in shape and form rather than species ...

... To revel in texture, light and shade ...

To marvel at the rhythm of exquisite pattern ...

I look back as I leave the glasshouse, not wishing to miss a last sun-edged glimpse of these extraordinary beings.

The Light of Spring

Yesterday afternoon at the Botanic Garden I prepared for the evening Launch of my Cactus House Mural. It had been an idyllic spring day, and the lingering afternoon sun glowed through the edges of leaf and flower.

What had earlier seemed a plastic tub of lovely 'Early Harvest' tulips took on the form of transcendent fire ...

North East artist Ingrid Sylvestre Durham artists UK

 
I put aside my work and followed the light down to the Woodland Garden. As the path curved by the rhododendrons the pink Acer came into view. Each of its twigs was haloed, holding me spellbound.

Young birches drew me in among their papery trunks, their branches crossed gracefully by the quiet water channel.

Beyond the dell, mellow sunlight gleamed green-gold on mighty trees.

I stepped back onto the path and headed for a very special evening.

Sharing Enthusiasm

Yesterday evening I watched an inspirational programme on BBC2 entitled 'The Plant Addicts'. Carol Klein took us on a tour visiting many of her fellow plant addicts and their gardens.
The passion and enthusiasm of these wonderful people was catching! I was particularly moved by something Roy Lancaster said about what plants have meant to him. His words inspired me to create the piece below regarding my own 'raison d'etre' ...
I believe it is important to keep a focus on your 'dream', especially in these dirge-dreary days of recession. What makes your heart sing?


For me, my creativity is my 'essence of being' and the sylvan and gardens my 'muse'.
It was good to share in the enthusiasm and passion of Carol and her friends on the programme. I noted some of the words and phrases that were spoken (almost sang!) in relation to plants:
"Enchanted with them ..."
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"Poetry ..."
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"Way of life ..."
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"Falling in love ..."
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"A romance with plants ..."
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"Devotion ..."
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"I don't know what it is, it's magical really ..."

Plants have a fascination. They exude an almost palpable energy - just being among them transfers some of this to one's own self too.

From that magical feeling at dawn to the peaceful mellow tones of dusk, plants bring well-being and fulfillment.

I'd like to say a huge 'thank you' to Carol Klein and her friends for reminding me of this, and for their contagious passion, enthusiasm and life-enhancing positivity!

Completed!

The Cactus House Mural is completed! I thought I'd start the post with the finished mural, and then go back in time to when I started today's session, (Sunday).

When I arrived at the glasshouse the sun was shining in, so I had to wear sunglasses!

Stepping back to survey the scene, I noticed what appeared to be a line of dots in the distance ...

A camel train! Where had they come from?

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My paintbrush - at the request of Mike Hughes, Head Gardener! They will be a useful addition when schools visit the garden, to talk about the desert habitat and how camels store water.

Having painted in the camels, I turned my attention to the Echinopsis pachanoi, adding more detail and definition to the flowers, and multitudes of spines.

The Cereus jamacaru also got its share of spines.

I wasn't quite satisfied with the Echinocactus grusonii. Their forms were OK, but they wanted a little more subtlety in the treatment.

That's better! (The colour is entirely different because between these two photos being taken it had gone dark and I had switched the lights on, affecting the colour on the photos). I had softened the contours and added a goldish 'halo' to indicate the fine spines.

The Opuntia robusta needed a little more shadowing ...

I added more deeper colour in places to achieve the desired effect.

I also worked into the rocks a little more to give the sense of depth.

Before deciding definitely that the mural was finished, I went along section by section, starting with the Aloe dichotoma. I had worked a little more detail into the leaves earlier, and was satisfied. The Agave americana were also ready.

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Next I checked over the Cereus jamacaru.

All was satisfactory there, and also with the Aloe buhrii.

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The Echinocactus grusonii were finished.

The Opuntia robusta was now complete, with its many spines indicated in the paint.

Lastly the Echinopsis pachanoi, and the foreground rocks - all finished to my satisfaction!

Creating the Cactus House Mural has been a tremendously enjoyable experience. I have found the artwork challenging and fulfilling, and the studio setting fantastic. Working next to a large raised pond in which Victoria amazonica has been flowering almost nightly has been unforgettable. The sound of crickets chirping has added to the magic of the moment.

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The mural will be installed in the Cactus House imminently.

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To see further examples of Ingrid Sylvestre's work please visit her main site Ingrid Sylvestre Art. 

For commissions and bookings please email: 

IngridSylvestreArt[at]gmail[dot[com

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Cactus House Mural University of Durham Botanice Garden by North East Artist Ingrid Sylvestre UK County Durham Newcastle upon Tyne Sunderland Tyne & Wear Middlesbrough Teesside Darlington Northumberland North Yorkshire Yorkshire UK Mural Artist Fine Artist Illustrator Writer Storyteller Live Event Entertainment North East Entertainment UK Caricaturist Silhouette Artist Wedding Caricatures North East Wedding Entertainment Corporate Events Entertainment Business Launches Trade Shows Party Entertainment Luxury Events Glamicature TM Caricatures and Silhouettes UK Artist Ingrid Sylvestre
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Floral Details

On arriving at the Botanic Garden today, (Saturday), I saw my first daffodils of the year! Maybe it is time to change to my Spring header tomorrow for March ...

Returning to my flowering cacti ... I had left the flowers on the Echinopsis in a preliminary stage yesterday, so worked on them gradually to build up the form and detail.

I added some pale colours for the trumpet-like centre and shaped the petals.

After those had dried, I added darker colours of subdued pink and greens for the stem shadows and the petals.

The Agave americana and Aloe buhrii also needed more detail. On the above photo the background mountains behind these plants are sketchy. After building up the details on the plants, I worked into the mountains.

A stage of detail was added to the Aloe buhrii.

I added further definition to the flowers and the leaves. The ground was also darkened around the plant, to give more emphasis.

Above, the Agave americana was just sketched in. The background mountain is also very 'loose'.

Here the plants have been considerably worked into, and contours more defined in the mountain.

Lastly for the day, I added shading and form to the Opuntia robusta.

You can see on the above photo that I have firmed up the mountains behind the Echinopsis, and also the two distant cacti.

All that remains to do now is to put in a few finishing touches of detail!
Cactus House Mural, University of Durham Botanic Garden.