Public events in 2012!

Ingrid Sylvestre is currently planning and taking bookings for events, (including storytelling, speaking engagements, caricatures, facepainting, creative workshops, exhibitions and other art happenings!), during 2012. Please keep looking in the Forthcoming Events section for news on events that are open to the public.

Giraffe Mayor, Market and Mural!

Photograph by Georgina Wilczek, Littlewolf PR

Ingrid has been working on some unusual and interesting projects, which began with a portrait of the Mayor of Durham as a giraffe! Commissioned by Durham Markets Company, the painting was presented to the Mayor on her last day of office. Durham Markets' Facebook page gives details of the event.

Further 'giraffication' of the Market can be seen behind the Mayor! The giraffes, who appear to be on their way into the Market to do their shopping, are part of mural that Ingrid is working on for Durham Markets.



The photo above shows the first stage of the mural, featuring giraffe characters Raph G. Neckmann and his wife Maureen Treeging, with their youngest toddler son Littl' Nicky.

Ingrid first exhibited her giraffe art work in Durham and created her highly popular greeting cards 'Durham Goes Giraffe', 'Rowing with Lots of Neck' and many others including Christmas cards.

These were initially launched at the Craft Fairs run by Durham Markets so it is a real 'coming home' for the giraffes to feature in the entrance!


Ingrid will be working on the mural in between all her other projects, and more of the favourite giraffe characters will gradually be added!


The above photo shows further detail added to Raph, Maureen and Littl' Nicky, who are looking up at a 'shelf' on the wall.




Ah! This is what they are looking for! A 'Giraffitude' cake, tall mugs suitable for long-necked giraffes to drink out of, and a giraffe teapot and milk jug.




Durham Market - what a nexcellent place for the Neckmann family to have a lovely afternoon tea while on their day trip from Giraffe World!

Keep a look out for more and more giraffe characters and items to be added to the mural ... Necky Becky is neckst!

Neckshund Nexploits at the Garden!

Read about the adventures of Hals the Neckshund during one of Ingrid's storytelling sessions at the Botanic Garden!

Wednesday 1st of June 2011 was another nextra special day at the University of Durham Botanic Garden. Once again, Necky Becky travelled all the way from Giraffe World to take part in a story-telling session with Ingrid. This time she brought her beloved neckshund dog Hals with her, and her toddler brother Littl' Nicky too!

They were all very nexcited to arrive at the secret portal behind the Intergalactic Cacti.




During the storytelling Hals got very hungry and decided to pop back home to get some of his favourite biscuits.

He went to the Intergalactic Cacti, but though he tried and tried, he couldn't get the secret portal to Giraffe World to appear!


"Oh dear!" he said to himself. "I'm so very hungry. I wonder if there are any nice biscuits in the Botanic Garden?"

Someone had left the door to the glasshouses a teeny bit open, so he squeezed through into the fresh air.



There were lots of beautiful flowers in the Garden, and Hals sniffed them. "How lovely!" he said. "But not like biscuits ..."




Further along the path he found a big display board. There was plenty of information about trees on it, but no directions to biscuits.




He trotted past the gunnera and stopped for a moment. They looked so huge and the stems were
very prickly-looking, so he decided not to look for biscuits there!

By now he was feeling tired and very hungry indeed. He wondered if Necky Becky had noticed that he was missing. Maybe she would come and look for him. That would be so comforting.




Suddenly Hals came face to face with a very strange looking creature. In the shadows under the trees he couldn't tell if it was a fallen log or a huge monster!
*

He turned and ran, looking over his shoulder to see if it was following him. Faster and faster, his little legs moving so quickly you could hardly see them, until he arrived at a big blue door - the Visitors Centre!




As he stood outside panting, so very tired and thirsty from his mad dash through the garden, one of the ladies in the cafe saw him. She brought him a big bowl of water to drink.



By this time the story-telling had finished, and how pleased Hals was to see Necky Becky and Littl' Nicky running towards him! Guess what Necky Becky had in her pocket? Some of his favourite biscuits!

They all sat by the Intergalactic Cacti and waited for their dad, Raph, to collect them.



Back through the secret portal they go in their family bus, until neckst time!

The next story-telling event at the University of Durham Botanic Garden will be on Saturday 11th June, with stories at 11am and 12 noon. Between the stories there will be colouring activities and puzzles featuring Necky Becky and her family.

Click HERE for the Botanic Garden site.

Storytelling at University of Durham Botanic Garden

On Saturday 14th May 2011, (Earth time), a small pink giraffe with a suitcase suddenly appeared in the glasshouses at the University of Durham Botanic Garden. Her name is Necky Becky, and she had travelled all the way from a planet called Giraffe World in Camelopardalis Constellation.


The adventures of Necky Becky and her family, the Neckmanns, were the subject of special May Madness story-telling sessions by Ingrid Sylvestre. Necky Becky stood patiently, (well sometimes a little grumpily!), while the stories were told. She did enjoy being admired by all the children and their families though!



After each story there was the opportunity to colour in some pictures of the giraffe characters, and families could take some extra colouring pictures home too.



Necky Becky very helpfully went outside to make sure everyone knew where the entrance to the glasshouse was.

However, she had also heard about the lovely cafe at the Botanic Gardens, and decided to go and visit it by herself.



The temptation of the huge and delicious-looking cakes proved too strong, and she sneaked behind the counter ... Just as she was about to grab a large slice of carrot cake, she was spotted! She ran ...



... all the way down into the Himalayan Dell, where she tried to hide among the Himalayan birches!

One of the main Secret Intergalactic Portals to Giraffe World is arched with birch trees, and we thought maybe Necky Becky was feeling a little homesick. We decided it was time for her to go home.


Ingrid walked with Necky Becky to the entrance to the new woodland area, and there under the birch archway, she was safely transported across the galaxies to her own planet.

Her little neckshund dog, Hals, was nexcitedly waiting for her on the other side. In the distance their family home Necky Knoll House stood welcoming, and Necky Becky thought she could smell mushroom noodle bake cooking! She ran happily all the way home.



Ingrid will be doing more story-telling at the Durham Botanic Garden through the summer. Information about dates and times can be found by clicking on the link here: Storytelling with Ingrid Sylvestre, Botanic Garden 2011

Listen to Necky Becky sing 'Be Who You Wanna Be!'

Grey Towers talks

This summer 2010 Ingrid launched a new series of talks about the historic Grey Towers mansion and its beautiful grounds. Grey Towers, which became Poole Hospital and is now privately owned, is an important part of Cleveland's heritage. Ingrid's talks cover it's history to the present day and her presentations are illustrated with many photographs and paintings.



Set in the area close to the Cleveland Hills just south of Middlesbrough, Grey Towers has stunning views. From soft colours at dusk ...


... to dramatic windswept panoramas.


Grey Towers mansion is a familiar landmark across the fields. Built in 1875, it was formerly the home of Sir Arthur J. Dorman 'chief architect of Middlesbrough's fortunes'.


It's extensive grounds were carefully planned using the natural curves of the land to lead the eye to view points.



Many of the features still remain, including the circular yew hedge that once enclosed Sir Arthur's rose garden, set deep in the wood.


The tranquil Lake is beautiful and a haven for wildlife.




A new collection of greeting cards featuring Ingrid's paintings of the area was also brought out to complement the talks.

Necky Becky with Real Radio's Gary & Lisa!

On Bank Holiday Monday at The Gates Shopping Centre Durham, Necky Becky had the chance to meet Real Radio's presenters, Gary & Lisa. She entered their special Vending Machine game, and won a Freddo Frog bar of chocolate!

She looks a bit grumpy on this photo - when we asked her why, she said it was because she'd really wanted to win an England football bag!

There will be more art and stories featuring Necky Becky and her family at The Gates on Thursday and Friday this week, between 11am and 2.30pm.

Giraffes at The Gates Shopping Centre, Durham May-June 2010!

May-June 2010

Following a popular series of Kid's Activities over the Easter Holidays, Ingrid Sylvestre will be running some more 'Giraffes at the Gates' sessions over the Half-Term Holiday. These will take place in the vicinity of the Giraffe Shop Window display, pictured below.

Activities will run from 11am to 2.30 pm on Saturday 29th May, Bank Holiday Monday 31st May, Thursday 2nd June and Friday 3rd June. There will be a special story-telling session at 1pm on each of those days, with a Giraffe World story, about the giraffe characters on display in the window! All these activities are free of charge.