Somebody once asked me to post my sand sculpting stuff a few years ago. I have very little artistic ability but for some reason I’m drawn to this stuff.
Every year I compete in one of the amateur categories at a contest on South Padre Island called Sand Castle Days.
This year I almost bailed out because I messed up my left knee and digging and crawling in the sand was not a good idea. I always try to be competitive when I participate but this year I decided to chuck it and just do somebeachart
I’ll never get as good as the pros. Lack of talent and even worse, lack of beaches in Kansas City keep me from that. But I have fun and that’s the best part.
That might have happened. What was more likely is that the sand just fell. The photos linked to the words “beach” and “art” were actually taken the day following the competition. I was very surprised to see anything intact. At high tide there was actually some water wrapped around the sign. So natural drying and some small waves may have broken the bottom off.
I didn’t do anything to preserve detail and in the final pics you can see that some of the balls are crumbling . All of the “master” sculptors use 2 gallon bug sprayers loaded with 50% water and 50% Elmer’s glue. They spray it on the outside of their sculptures and it forms a skin. It adds no strength but it does keep the wind from eroding the detail and helps keep the moisture inside the piece. The glue is biodegradable and everything is usually gone within 7 days.
Every sculpture on that beach whether amateur or pro is nothing but beach sand and water.
Very cool stuff. At what point in your career did you move away from putting a moat around your sculptures? I can’t seem to stop doing that to my castles- but it inevitably eats away at them.
I really like your art approach- it shows that you don’t need to be intricate or tall to make something interesting!
A moat helps frame it if you want to help fill the plot. If the moat holds water then your castle is so close to the water line that it’s going to get eaten anyway.
I’ve only done one castle in competition and that’s just because I had a bunch of newbie relatives who were willing to help.
I have a fondness for arches, but have only used them once.
I’m glad you thought it was interesting. We got more pictures taken than the winning sculptures around us because we were so different than them.
We didn’t win and I knew we wouldn’t because a third of the judging points are based on the “Risk Factor” of the piece and that means height and/or overhang. There was very little risk in my piece other than the sign and it had no overhang. I considered throwing an arch in there but I felt the minimalism was just too good to clutter it up any more.
Awesome. Get ready for a fandump: We used to drive over there to check things out every year. It’s been a while since I hit the island. Did you stay in Port Isobel or across the bridge? Is Sandy Feets still a huge deal? Did you fly a kite? Anything to do at night besides the bungee launchers and titty bars?
I stayed in Laguna Vista at my mom’s place. She retired to the area 15 years ago and I’ve ben taking my kids to vist granny every year. I only stay on the island when I bring Mrs. BD with me.
Feet gave me my first lesson and Amazin Walter has given me many tips and lessons too. Both of them participated as master sculptors. If you brows my FLICKR area you will see a lot of their stuff.
At night I usually try to find drinks and music. Most Saturdays in the summer season a great local band called the Bongo Dogs play at Wanna Wanna on the beach. Sunday nights I head toHarley’s Road Houseand party with old people (like some are in their 80’s). The place jumps with Country,Blues, and Rock music.
