A VIBRANT mural showcasing the stunning wildlife of Westcliff beach has transformed a dilapidated building near a train station.
The project, led by the Milton Community Partnership, was created in a busy thoroughfare at the bottom of Hamlet Court Road.
Work was carried out by London-based artist Shauna Blanchfield, who created the mural over ten days and revealed her masterpiece on Friday.
Designed in a series of consultation events with Westcliff residents, the project saw Shauna engaging with people to decide what wildlife would appear on the mural.
The end product features jellyfish, oystercatchers, brent goose and seals almost blending into the surrounding area like a vista.
Shauna noted that while the process of creating such a prominent mural can be stressful, the residents of Westcliff were supportive of her as an outsider.
She said: “People are very into the mural; it is incredible to see what a small group of people can do for a town and they are saying it is working to improve the area. I was supported by people in Westcliff, especially Salon Tinted, who provided me coffee and lunch.
“All those involved have put so much work into the Hamlet Court Road area and what they need is a link, like when people build roads in towns to approach a church, this is a recognisable icon of the area now.
“I lived in Westcliff for two weeks while working on this and really got a feel for the place and really felt when the tide was in, the horizon makes it appear above you, which is where I got the underwater theme for the mural.
“That led to two days of workshops at the Havens community hub where people came in to design their own version of the mural which I tried to translate into the final version.”
Shauna added that the mural is, despite concerns, built to last as it is covered in anti-graffiti coating thanks to a donation from Coo-Var – producers of the anti-vandal paint.
She added: “Our budget for this was generous but we were actually helped by Coo-Var, who sponsored us to buy £1,000 of anti-graffiti coating.
“I hope it lasts for some time, it has been really nice to be able to see it and know it is protected.”
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