51 cm (w) x 27 cm (h), pastels on brown paper.

Two huge flares of pink light extended up from behind a purple wall of cloud, sitting low over the horizon. This scene only lasted about 5 minutes, so I needed to work very quickly.

This pastel was produced on-site, from the stone wall along the Esplanade at the end of Rockingham Street, West Beach. I remember that I used to regularly go to the stone wall along the Esplanade to do drawings and colour studies at sunset. I had the freedom to do this most days, which was a real privilege. I found that sunset is a fabulous time of the day, with spectacular colours that change quickly. It was also a time of the day with a feeling of serenity, and a feeling of being more involved in the landscape all around.

I remember that the seagulls would usually fly quietly north along the beach at sunset, probably to return to their safe haven for the night coming up. I found it intriguing that I would see the same behaviour during just about every sunset, and the movement was always north.