Volunteers carved a 100-foot mural of poppies onto a beach in a poignant tribute to the fallen ahead of Remembrance Day, November 11, which commemorates the formal end of the First World War on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
Retired doctor and beach artist Claire Eason led the team who used garden rakes to create the poppies beneath a dove of peace.
Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a red poppy to honor armed forces members who died in the line of duty—a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919.
The group spent four hours painstakingly drawing the huge flowers onto the sand at Beadnell Bay in Northumberland, England, before the tide washed them away.
In a heartwarming tribute under the poppies were placed 104 flags designed by pupils at two local primary schools.
Each of the ‘poppy flags’ represented a year since the end of ‘the Great War’.
“We were so lucky,” Claire said after the rainy Sunday public art event. “We had a little weather window at exactly the right time, and it all came together amazingly by sheer luck.”
Claire mapped out the poppy design on her computer, then then used stakes and string to form a grid on the beach to bring her design to life.
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“The design only lasts until the next high tide, but it is all about enjoying the experience and taking some pictures, which you have forever.”
“It’s also very poignant because the sense of things being impermanent reflect how fragile life is,” added the 58-year-old. “It’s the sense of appreciating what we have now and what new opportunities the new tide brings.
“The thing that has been special about this project it is involving youngsters and passing on the message of Remembrance—and it’s never more important than this year where Europe has potential war hanging over it with the conflict in Ukraine.
“It’s a very timely reminder that we should really value peace.”
The beach artist founded Soul2Sand, a service that will create a tributes for special occasions or loved ones on English beaches. Recently she carved a portrait of Queen Elizabeth in September that the tide washed away, following the beloved leader’s passing.
Watch the poignant video from Soul2Sand below…
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