Tuesday 21 December 2010

More Midwinter Middlesbrough - Sylvan Season's Greetings!


Here is more celebration of the beautiful landscape around Middlesbrough. Some of you mentioned that you would like me to show more images of this area - and as it is one of my favourite painting places, I'm very happy indeed to do so!

Every year I like to produce new Season's Greetings cards to send to friends, and this year I painted the above design. It features the landscape just south of Middlesbrough, looking toward the Cleveland Hills. This is one of my favourite views, with the fields and copses stretching into the distance, and the phenomenal skies one so often sees over this lovely place.

I painted the scene yesterday, on A4 size blue-grey Ingres paper. Firstly I used black waterproof drawing ink, and then I added the white highlights with gouache paint. This is a combination I often use for painting sylvan and garden imagery, as I find it ideal for communicating atmosphere.





I used the above rendering of the image, with an orange layer over the moon, as a temporary Header on this blog yesterday, to celebrate the unique combination of Winter Solstice, Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse!

Season's Greetings to you all! I wish you a lovely holiday and a wonderful year ahead, full of beauty and love and light.

Ingrid Sylvestre

12 comments:

Rune Eide said...

You have an exquisite technique for you drawings and printing. That extra colour to the moon had a great effect.

Now, if I could only have what I put into the printers match what comes out of the...

Merry Christmas!

Anna said...

Most interesting to read how your card was created. I like your festive header. Seasons greetings to you too and may you enjoy your painting and love of nature in the forthcoming year xxx

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you RuneE! Photoshop is so useful, because it meant I could superimpose the orangy colour over the moon without altering the physical original painting.

Merry Christmas! And I look forward to a New Year of seeing more of your brilliant photographs.

Phoenix C. said...

Seasons Greetings, Anna, here's to a great 2011! Thank you for your friendship through the year and I wish you a lovely holiday season. xxx

Malyss said...

I would like so much to be able to translate my emotions and feelings in such a beautyful way!
I wish you a very happy Christmas and send you all my best wishing for the coming year!

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Malyss! And you do translate and communicate your feelings through your photography too. Happy Christmas and New Year greetings for a wonderful 2011.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I love learning about how you create your art. We saw the eclipse here the other night, but your painting where you used the orange layer is more beautiful than what we saw (although it was pretty cool to see it).
Season's Greetings to you too!

Phoenix C. said...

Catherine, thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying my painting process. I do like to share the beauty I see all around. Have a lovely holiday!

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

You've had some 'proper' snow over in the UK.

Merry Christmas!

Phoenix C. said...

Too much 'proper' snow, Rob!! But it's an excuse to eat more ...

Merry Christmas!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Happy Christmas, late solstice, and early new year!! :)

Phoenix C. said...

Lots to celebrate, Monica! Hopefully early spring too ...

Wishing you all the best throughout the holiday season and beyond!