
There is something deeply moving about places touched by time, where history lingers in the air, and nature weaves its own ever-changing narrative. Jill Jeffrey’s painting Last Time encapsulates this beautifully, portraying the deserted fishermen’s sheds at Cemlyn, an RSPB nature reserve on the rugged coast of Anglesey.
The Place: Cemlyn’s Untamed Beauty
Cemlyn Bay is a place of contrasts. This remote and windswept stretch of the Welsh coastline is known for its striking natural beauty, with its curved shingle ridge, brackish lagoon, and surrounding wildflower-strewn meadows. A haven for wildlife, the area is particularly renowned for its seabird colonies, including terns that return each summer. The old stone fishermen’s sheds, now largely abandoned, stand as silent witnesses to a past life, where people once worked in harmony with the tides.
It is this very contrast—between past and present, human presence and nature’s quiet reclamation — that Last Time so evocatively captures.
The Painting: Light, Mood, and Memory
Jeffrey’s masterful use of mixed media — watercolour, inks, and pastel — allows her to layer textures and tones, giving Last Time a unique depth and atmosphere. The sheds are bathed in an ethereal light, their weathered stone glowing softly against the vast seascape beyond. The foreground, where a boat rests moored to wooden posts, introduces a quiet narrative: a vessel waiting, perhaps for one last journey.
But it’s the sky that steals the scene. A dramatic interplay of light and shadow, where storm clouds roll in, threatening to consume the golden hues of the fading sun. This sense of impending change mirrors the transient nature of the place itself — will this be the last time these sheds stand as they are? The last time someone ties their boat to these posts?
Jill Jeffrey’s Vision
Jill’s artistic approach is deeply rooted in her connection to landscape and memory. As an artist drawn to the wild and unrestrained beauty of coastal scenes, she captures not just the physical elements but also their emotional resonance. Last Time is more than a painting; it is a meditation on time, change, and solitude.
Through the delicate balance of soft lavender, sage greens, and earthy sienna tones, Jill invites us to step into this quiet moment, to hear the distant cry of seabirds, to feel the shifting winds, and to reflect on the beauty of places left behind.
For collectors and lovers of evocative landscape art, Last Time is a poignant addition, offering a piece of Wales’ untamed spirit and a testament to Jill Jeffrey’s ability to turn memory into masterpiece.
Own a Piece of Coastal History
Now available for purchase, Last Time is framed in a wide limed wood frame with a wood slip and glass, measuring an impressive 82cm x 65cm. It is priced at £1,100.
View the painting and learn more here: Last Time – Jill Jeffrey
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