A sketch of the sea made while Everett was staying in Cornwall. He painted a large number of such sketches, observing the movement of waves approaching the shore, experimenting with colour and form to achieve his desired effects. The painting also demonstrates Everett's interest in painting the relationship between sea, sky and sun. Taken from a low viewpoint, he has captured a fleeting moment as waves break close to the shore at Sennen Beach. They throw up a cascade of light, coloured foamy water caught by the wind.

The tonal qualities of the sketch intentionally evoke calm and tranquillity. Using a carefully modulated palette, Everett has shown the shallows in the foreground through a series of short horizontal brush strokes of colour of varying thickness, broken only by his use of thicker paint on the left and far right to represent the froth. The sun is shown as a yellow circle through cloud, streaking the sky lemon using a carefully harmonized palette of cool blues, creams, lilacs, yellows and greens. Reflections from the sun are captured in the water on the right.

Cornwall was an important influence for Everett and he first visited it in 1896. He stayed at St Ives with friends who were establishing an artists' club to pursue marine and coastal painting. Following the end of World War I, Everett went to Helston in Cornwall on 28 January 1919. He then moved on to Porthleven before renting a studio at Sennen. He selected it because it had a good view of the sea and stayed there until 11 May. Later Everett produced an aquatint from this painting, which is also in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, London, see PAF6297. The painting is inscribed 'Sennen' verso.