Monday 21 January 2013

Celebrating the Snow - and Houghall, Durham!

Houghall - Durham Artist Ingrid Sylvestre


Our lovely landscape here in the North East UK is currently clothed with snow - how it transforms everything!

I realized that I hardly ever paint snow - and not having the time at present to go out there with easel and brushes, I dug out these two paintings I did while living at Houghall College of Horticulture & Agriculture in Durham City.

They are both quite small and painted in watercolour, white gouache and black ink on tinted Ingres paper.

While lecturing in Art & Design at Houghall I rented a wonderful house in the extensive and magnificent grounds. The first painting is of the view from the patio, looking beyond my beloved plants in tubs to the garden. The hedge always fascinated me, such a fantastic shape!
Houghall - Durham Artists Ingrid Sylvestre

The second painting is the view from one of the upstairs rooms, looking across the house garden to further lands belonging to the college. In the distance are the mysterious woods.

Whether in winter, spring, summer or autumn, this landscape and environment is a place of great beauty and wonder.
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Durham Artist Ingrid Sylvestre Durham Art for sale North East Artist
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Ingrid Sylvestre - Durham Art

6 comments:

Mark and Gaz said...

Lovely pair of paintings Ingrid, of an idyllic winterscape :) Most of the UK is certainly blanketed with snow at the moment.

Rune Eide said...

Snow is difficult for photographers to work with, so I can imagine that it must be so for painters too. IMHO these pictures gave the landscapes a peaceful and almost dormant impression that was a pleasure to see.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Mark and Gaz! It was an idyllic place to live, surrounded by wildlife and landscape.

Phoenix C. said...

RuneE - I'm glad you think so! The garden at Houghall did have such a peaceful feel and this was enhanced by the dormant atmosphere in winter. Just the feeling I wanted to convey!

Barbara Martin said...

Very nice scenes of winter conveying peacefulness not always found at other times of the year.

Phoenix C. said...

Thank you Barbara! We have just had more snow, which almost covered the snowdrops.