2022 Year 5 Finalist

Gentle Creatures, Glorious Night
Audrey Bud
St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, Camde
Year 5

‘When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the East, until it stopped over the place where the child was’ ( Matthew 2: 9-12).  Inspired by my family’s travels when we rode these gentle creatures, I realised what a long  and difficult journey it must have been for the Magi travelling into the darkness; searching for their new born king. 

This artwork, painted in strong brilliant acrylics, tells of the moment the Magi and their camels paused, exhausted, beneath the luminous vertical light.  Their eyes widened at the sight of the star as they realised they had found the place of Jesus’ birth. And there they rested before preparing to continue on their way. The ever changing shades of the night sky have been painted in strong vertical lines to draw the audience's eyes down towards the animals that would transport the Magi. A gentle hint of gold leaf glimmering through the sky, telling us that this was to be a very special night.  It would be a journey the kings and these majestic ships of the desert would make  to find their saviour. 

View more of our Christmas Story Art Exhibition 2022 artworks by clicking on our young artists' names in the teal panel. Alternatively, click through our artworks below.

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