A North East sand artist has created a stunning tribute ahead of Remembrance Day on Friday.
Sunderland -based Claire Eason, 58, created a huge depiction of a peace dove flying over a poppy field on Beadnell Beach with the help of the local community. The artwork, which measured around 100 x 60 feet, took around four hours to complete.
Retiree Claire started on the morning of October 29 by creating a grid out of sticks and builder's string, the part she describes as "very primitive." She was then joined on the beach by children from Embleton Vincent Edwards Church of England Primary School, 1st Embleton Guides, and Seahouses Youth Project; as well as members of the local Beadnell community to complete the design, which was being transferred from Claire's own sketch to the sand.
Read more: Sand artist creates giant first class stamp featuring portrait of The Queen on Bamburgh beach
Claire said: "The idea was to create really graphic poppies, really strong shapes, that would be possible for a community of all ages to get involved with. So if there were any errors they were easily correctable and something that the community could visualise easily as well - I showed them the drawing and they all cracked on with it.
"The age range on the beach was from primary school children right up to about late seventies and eighties. I wanted it to be as inclusive as possible and try to include the younger generations, as they're the ones who will need to be carrying this message of Remembrance forward."
And the idea of being inclusive also played into the selection of the beach at Beadnell. Not only is it a stunning stretch of the Northumberland coast, but more importantly it's accessible to most, if not all.
She said: "There are a lot of practical reasons for choosing Beadnell - it's got a good car park, excellent access for people who might not be able to walk over the dunes easily, and there are toilets there. There's a lot of room for other beach users too, so you're not hogging all the space."
The artwork drew a lot of attention from others on the beach, with Claire describing the reaction as "lovely and positive". She said: "As the people who created it and general beachgoers went past, they could see it was a field of flowers and when the dove was drawn in , that brought the peace message alive as well.
"People were fascinated and curious by so many people raking and the flags fluttering so it caused a lot of conversation and questions and curiosity which was a lovely reaction, and we tried to get the message that those who made the ultimate sacrifice haven't been forgotten. And this year, war is touching Europe in so many ways and I think it's even more poignant that we remember the horrors of war and try to get the message across to do something about this in our own tiny little way."
Jane Dixon, who runs Ranger Jane's Beach School, said it was a privilege to be involved in the artwork. She had previously worked on the National Trust's Pages of the Sea project in 2018, celebrating the centenary of World War One, where she helped to create the life-sized portrait of Private William Jonas who was killed in World War One on St Aidan's Beach in Seahouses (there were also portraits on beaches in Roker and Redcar as part of that project).
She worked with 104 children who made a flag each to mark the 104th anniversary of Armistice. She said: "This is what I've wanted to do since I left the National Trust because I know it's a really good way to connect with the community."
If you're curious about seeing" the artwork, hold your horses before you jump in the car and head for Beadnell. Claire's sand art only lasts until the tide washes it away, and as this project was done on October 29, so by now it is long gone.
She finished: In a way I find that really poignant because it's a little reminder of the fragility of life and we can appreciate what's in front of us and then enjoy what the next tide brings."
Claire, who worked in the NHS for 30 years, founded Soul 2 Sand following her retirement where she explores the well-being benefits of sand art and you can see more of her work on Instagram at @soul2sand. Claire creates the huge artworks along the Northumberland coastline and captures them with aerial drone footage and in June this year created a postage stamp on Bamburgh Beach to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The Remembrance Day event was sponsored by Rob Racenis in memory of his wife, Jill; and Katie Bushby in memory of her husband Jimmy Steele. The Last Post is played by Tom Wild.
What do you think of the Remembrance Day sand art at Beadnell Bay? Let us know!
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