CASTLES in the SAND – SCULPTING WORKS OF ART
If you are a beachgoer like I am, there are lots of things to see. People are frolicking in the water while others sink their toes in the sand. Some seek shade under umbrellas while others seek the Sun God. Often, you will see little ones creating sand castles with wondrous eyes.
It’s a pastime most of us have done when we were little, but at some point in time we stopped building sand castles. Now there are lots of reasons why we don’t build them anymore, but what if you wanted to try sand sculpting once again?
Did you know that in Siesta Key, they hold an amateur sand sculpting event the first weekend in May every year? That is, of course, if we are done with all the closings due to the Covid-19 virus. With that being said, why not try to sculpt something in the sand? We certainly have a lot of it at our beaches and many of us have a lot of time on our hands.
Recently, I met some of our Riverdell neighbors while at the beach. They were creating a large sand alligator. I watched them change out the eyes from shells to smooth black rocks, but one rock was much larger than the other. Who would have thought that I had a small black rock just sitting there right next to me in the sand that was the perfect size? Well, I did and it gave me the opportunity to go ask them some questions. They told me that they had seen their neighbors making an alligator in the sand and they wanted to try to create one too. First, they took a picture of their neighbor’s gator. Then they just started digging in the sand and eventually came up with a very cute creature with black eyes. It’s the picture above that they let me take.
Now not all of us go to the beach and not all of us want to build sand castles, but you can check out the many sand sculpting events that are close to us that present amazing works of art. You can purchase tickets to see these creations or try your hand as a participant. Many events have amateur contests. They also may have food, activities for kids, bands, and of course, beautiful sand sculptures to see.
Sand sculpting contests are very serious! They have contests all over the world. The American Sand Sculpting Championship in Fort Myers is held in November and at this time is still a go! The Siesta Key Crystal Classic is also in November and they even have “spectator lessons!” For more information and to find sand sculpting events all over the U.S., I found this helpful website. Go to: http://www.sandsculptingevents.com/about1.html#FL. Click on your state to see where events are held. I encourage you to tap into your imagination and try your luck at creating a sculpture in the sand or go to an event and see for yourself these amazing works of art.
Photo and story by Katy Stewart