The Last Light at Herne Bay Watercolours

The Last Light at Herne Bay
A nostalgic glimpse of Herne Bay, Kent, around the 1890s–1900s, when the shoreline was still very much part of a working maritime community as well as a popular seaside resort.
A traditional sailing vessel rests along the beach as the tide recedes, its tall masts and intricate rigging silhouetted against a softly coloured evening sky. Along the shoreline, horses and their handlers can be seen at work, reflecting an important part of everyday coastal life at the time. Working horses were used to help haul boats and carts from the beach, as well as transport fishing equipment, goods and other supplies between the shoreline and the town.
The weathered boat, wet sands and distant row of Victorian buildings create a wonderful sense of time and place, while the figures gathered along the beach bring the scene to life. The gentle blues, pinks and earthy tones of the watercolour capture the atmosphere of a changing tide and the quiet end to another day on the coast.
Painted in an expressive watercolour style, The Last Light at Herne Bay is intended to evoke a moment from a bygone era — a time when working boats, horses and people shared the beach, before the character of the Victorian seaside town changed with the arrival of the modern age.