An artist has recreated the felled Sycamore Gap as a 'tree of light' - to create a symbol of hope for the New Year.

Claire Eason, 59, has spent three months perfecting a light replica of the much-adored tree, so it would outline its presence where it once stood tall - using "just one small drone"."

Claire, originally from South Sheales, is well-known for her beautiful sand art illustrations under Soul2Sand - creating designs on beaches across the North East for around five years.

But the artist admits her inspiration for this new project lay in her admiration for the Sycamore tree - which was awarded the English Tree of the Year by the Woodland Trust in 2016 - and all that it represented.

She explains how the tree held a special place in her heart, as well as countless of others, and her reaction when the tree was felled in September was total "shock and a huge sense of loss"."

Claire, who worked as a GP for 30 years in the Midlands and Nottinghamshire area, said: "I had been to the tree before - and had passed it many times as well."

"We just thought it would outlive anybody! I saw it as a landmark, the same way as I see the Angel Of the North or the Tyne Bridge."

"But what made it so unique and special was that it was a living landmark."

"It had been woven into the lives of so many people who had seen it, and even those who hadn't - they would have definitely come across it in incredible Aurora photographs, the Robin Hood movie - it still meant something to them."

"The tree distills everything about being a human - it was a place of celebration, memorial where people scattered ashes - parents introducing their kids to nature, history."

Though after the tree had been felled, what struck Claire initially was she was still able to envision the natural wonder in her mind's eye.

She explained: "The spirit of the tree was still present, and one way of representing that spirit would be through light - and that began the project which took some time!"

Claire, who had spent around three years dabbling with light painting and drones, said the process was "laborious" and involved "many mistakes and many hours"."

The artist got to work in October using a drone, a camera, her laptop and a tripod - but to practice the creation she needed somewhere more accessible,

so she completed three earlier tests over the sea at Beadnell.

Claire, who compared the process to drawing a heart or writing your name with a sparkler, said: "It was just one drown flown on a specific flight path, captured by long exposure."

"It only lasts as long as the light is moving - it is the most transient thing in the world."

"There is also no light pollution - no more than fell runner uses with their headtorch going over Hadrian's Wall."

"I had a clear idea of what I wanted - a simple outline."

"I started with pen and tracing paper, and from there, used google earth to create a flat image and then rotated that to 90 degrees to make it a vertical image."

"Once that was completed, then - with a lot of effort - it can be moved to the area you want it - the Sycamore Gap."

"That bit is a lot more tricky as it had to be exactly in the centre of the gap!"

All of this had to be completed manually by Claire's hands - and it took her three different nights to attempt the creation.

Though one of the other difficulties lay in the area's remote location, as Claire admits she was unable to change the position of the tree

in the field - so if the measurements were incorrect she had to go back to her laptop and try again another night.

Following two daylight attempts, it was the third which worked - on the night of Tuesday, December 5 - creating a stunning image of the tree's glowing outline, amidst a starry night backdrop in the dramatic dip in Hadrian's Wall, in Northumberland National Park.

Claire shared it with the public through her social media channels on New Year's Eve "to create a message of hope for the next year." "

Claire admits when the tree finally fit into the correct position it was "so satisfying", and she humbly celebrated with the surprise visit of some conservationists who turned up to the site unexpectedly on the night."

She said: "It was -6 degrees which frosted up the lights attached to the drone - that gave a softer, ethereal feel to the long exposure, which I liked. "

"The flight took 3 minutes and the lights were set to very low; long exposure enhances them, just as it does with star light."

Claire made a video of all of the steps taken to create the design in order to "give a feel of the process" - and prove it had not just been photoshopped."

Claire says the timing of the illustration also aligned with the beginning of the war in Gaza.

She explained: "It's about creating a symbol of hope after destruction."

"I thought a new year would be a good time to feel peace, renewal and reset."

Claire says the "overwhelming" warm responses to the project has been "nothing short of astonishing" - and has only confirmed the scale of the loss many have felt since the historic tree's felling."

She added: "It has been a big surprise to me as I didn't think the little light drawing would have such an impact"

"But for me, it represents the widespread feeling for the tree and that must be what is resonating with people. "

"Sometimes there will be a surprise symbol or icon that is a vehicle for people's expression - it's lovely and galvanises that broader sense of wanting to protect each other and the environment."

Claire hopes to capture the stunning Aurora behind the light trace in the future.