More info on sand art

_Elsa_

‘Sand Sculpture - Sand sculptors can produce a huge range of reliefs or statues. Much depends on the content and consistency of the sand used. The more silt and clay that the sand contains, the easier it is to create shapes that don't collapse. This sand is essential for statues and high reliefs. All types of tools and materials are used in this type of sculpture, and shapes may even be reinforced with internal struts or supports. Annual sand sculpting competitions are held in Frankston, Australia; Bogor, West Java; Antalya, Turkey; and Lake Constance, Switzerland, and other venues. See also: Plastic Art.

Sand Painting - Painting with sand is an ancient art practiced by shamans and healers in various countries around the world. The pictures are supposed to attract spirits: the more accurate a picture, the greater its effectiveness as a sacred tool. Aborigines in Australia made sand painting a feature of aboriginal art, while Navajo Indians in New Mexico have practiced it as a form of tribal art for centuries. (It is reported that the famous "drip-painter" Jackson Pollock got his idea of "action painting" from watching Navajo sand painters drip grains of sand onto their pictures.) Colours used in Navajo sand painting come from naturally coloured sand, yellow ochre, red sandstone, charcoal (black), crushed gypsum (white), and a mixture of charcoal and gypsum (blue). Other colour pigments include flower pollen, corn meal, or powdered roots and bark. Compare colouring materials used in prehistoric cave painting. Tibetan sand painting - known as dul-tson-kyil-khor (mandala of colored powders) - involves pouring coloured sand from traditional metal funnels called chak-pur.

Sand Drawing - Drawing in sand is a major tradition of Oceanic art practiced, in particular, in Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), in the South Pacific. It is usually done in sand or volcanic ash. Artists use a single finger to create a single continuous, meandering line, producing a graceful composition of abstract art. Sand drawing has been used for centuries to record spiritual or religious rituals, mythological stories, and songs, as well as details of local history, kinship systems, farming techniques, arts and crafts, and dance movements. It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a 'Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity'.’ (Source)

Let’s continue – Sand Sculpting Competitions in the United States

Start at the beginning - Let’s build a sandcastle!