My friend Tim and his son Gabe were with us this weekend for fun at the beach, including sand sculpture as usual. Tim always has a plan, and for the second year in a row we were taking inspiration from the abstract sand sculptures of Calvin Seibert, though we are on a far lower level of craft than he is. It’s fun to try to duplicate at least a few of his ideas, though. Above is a sculpture block that appears to be surrounded by free-standing slabs, though it’s all one piece. Teletubby for scale.
Another side showing further blocks carved out. I did two of the slabs, the rest of this came from Tim, and Gabe helped make the packed wet sand cylinder we started with. This was our only sculpture on Friday.
Gabe’s girlfriend Bethina was also with us at the beach, as was Ellen, but I didn’t get any pictures of them there. Here’s one I like of Bethina with our Tigger. This would make a good Apple advertisement!
On Saturday I made this smaller sculpture on my own suggested by another Seibert work, or at least elements of it. Is it a sand Sundae, a snow-covered rock, or some kind of mushroom? I have no idea.
Another view as the Thing Unknown begins to be washed away by the rising tide.
Meanwhile, Gabe made a large pile of sand and created some towers on the top. As he lost interest, Tim began carving into the side of the pile to make a giant worried face, enhanced by eyeball spheres from Gabe. This sand man seems to know the tide is after him.
Later additions included seaweed hair and very odd earphones, but they did not help him escape drowning in a pool covered in sea foam. Soon he was gone.
Later Tim and Gabe built another large packed sand block, and from it Tim carved this sphere, I think the largest one we’ve ever done. It was impressive. That was the end of our sand sculpting for this year.
On Sunday we said goodbye to Bethina, who had to return to Philadelphia, and the rest of us met friends of Tim and Gabe for lunch and a beach walk at the north end of Brigantine. Here are Gabe, Danny, Tim and Steve. We had a good walk on this undeveloped beach, but Ellen and I had to turn back after about a half hour and head home. Always good to see old friends and have some fun at the beach!