Days Bay lies on the eastern shoreline of Wellington Harbour. Patrick Hayman lived in Wellington from 1940 to 1947 and his bed-sit, which was also his studio, overlooked the harbour. In Girl at Days Bay, Evening Hayman captured a sense of alienation with the figure of the girl painted in isolation.

Hayman developed an individual primitive style. He said of his time at the Dunedin Art School that it: “...was so marvellous because it was so disorganised. They left me totally alone.” This left him free to explore and develop his own style. He was, however, drawn to the work of a number of artists, including Edvard Munch (1863 -1944), Georges Rouault (1871 -1958), and Marc Chagall (1887-1985).

Hayman was born in London. He came to New Zealand in 1936 and, while working for his father’s importing firm P. Hayman and Company in Dunedin, took classes at the Dunedin School of Art part-time. After living in Wellington, Hayman left for England where he remained for the rest of his life.