17P-2, "Etude, Op. 341e (Surfaces Remusselled)" October 2

Summer crowds were pretty much gone, sun was high, tide was low. Wanting to do some photography of beach still life arranged by retreating waves, I shouldered the camera kit, picked up the tripod and headed for Venice.

I'd been pretty well concentrated on sand and events in Second Life. Sculpture ideas were still around but playing second, or third, fiddle to the sand itself. Sand actually had the last word, however. When I got to the beach I saw a huge expanse of creamy fine sand. Thoughts of photography promptly took the back seat and I went looking for some mussel shells to use in carving.

Click the images to enlarge

And You're Surprised?

I'd become so fascinated by pebbles, sand and seaweed patterns that sand sculpture faded into the background. The summer crowds are gone and the beach is a more attractive place to be. Thinking about those lovely seagrass curls, I walked to Venice Beach with my camera and tripod in hand. When I got there the expanse of fine sand drove all other thoughts out of my head; I found some mussel shells and started building a pile. After four years I still remembered how.
   
Build number: 17P-2 (monolith with low earthworks)
Title: "Etude, op. 341e (Surfaces Reconsidered)"
Date: October 2
Location: Venice Breakwater, south side littoral
Start: 1130, construction time approx. 3 hours
Size: about 22 inches tall, 20 inches wide, 14 inches deep
Digital Images: EOS 5D Mk IV, 100mm macro, tripod
New Tools: none
New Equipment: none

The basics are simple but there are details that help make a better pile, such as keeping the top flat and level, and using an arm to retain the sand while patting it to settle. It's a very intense physical process and I wondered if I'd hold up. Formed sculpture is as much work but with lower intensity. By the time I had the pile tall enough I was glad it was tall enough.

"A bad worker blames his tools." Mussel shells are fragile. I used my as carefully as I could. Years ago I didn't get compaction this good in free-piled sculpture. Now the shells don't last long, especially when I hit a shell hidden in the sand.

Fingers don't do much on sand that's packed well. So, everything has to be of a scale that a shell can get into. No fine details, but big smooth surfaces are fine. One basic opening, and some outer details.

I've been working on a sand sculpture show in Second Life. For this I've gone back and found more sculpture images, and I've had to look at them closely to determine which to use in the show. I've read the reports too. One thing comes out regularly: how negative I was about the multiple sculptures.

Now, with some years' remove, I can see more clearly. Yes, the sculptures are simpler and tend to be heavy. Trying to carve three state-of-the-art sculptures in one day, especially after packing three piles, is a lot to ask. The best multiples I made all had help and/or more time in a contest setting. Solo efforts showed some interesting ideas that had not enough time and energy to develop.

I also didn't photograph them effectively. Instead of shooting the ensemble as a whole, I closed in on each element. The very few ensemble shots I took show a lot of promise, especially when working with terrain features that meant I could do less work.

So, I was thinking about all of that while carving today. I had lots of waste sand lying around. I shaped that into earthworks around the sculpture's base. Not really enough, but still gave the immediate surroundings more texture.

I've been too disciplined in my approach to polishing the various factors of sand sculpture. Learning is essential. It's also supposed to be enjoyable to make all that work worthwhile. Too few rewards in recent years. This one is a nice change, and the tide window will remain open through the rest of the week.

Santa Monica
2017 October 5