Category Archives: sand sculpting

October 7, 2022

22nd Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton, NH)

Date Of Event: June 19, 2022

Location: Hampton Beach, 169 Ocean Blvd, Hampton, NH

Cost: Free

Parking: Metered parking is available at Hampton Beach. Since this is a popular event, parking is also available at various lots usually for $20 for the day during this event, although prices fluctuate based on the time of day and parking availability

For more parking information see below

https://www.hahttps://www.hamptonbeach.com/directions-parkingmptonbeach.com/directions-parking

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Websites:

https://hamptonbeach.org/events/sand-sculpture-event/

https://hamptonbeach.org/events/sand-sculpture-event/contestants/s:

Summary: Sand sculptors from all over the globe competed for the Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting grand prize

It may seem strange to talk to about sand sculptures and the beach during October. But, what better way to feel warm and cozy during these colder days than looking back to this annual summer event.

The theme for this year’s sand sculpture event, which began in 2000, was “The Greatest Show On Earth.” All of the competitors contributed to sculpting the main sculptures for this theme.

I made two visits to the beach to view the sand sculptures which may explain the difference in light and shade in the photos.

I am posting the photos in the order they were located on the beach and including info about each sculpture whenever background details were available..

“Transition” – Rusty Croft (Carmel, CA)

4th Place

As is evident by the gravestone like sculpture, this sculpture is a tribute to a loved one who has “transitioned.” This sculpture placed 4th in the competition. As I was photographing these works of art I found it

“Primal” – Chris Guinto (Captain Cook, HI)

Chris, originally from Florida but currently residing in Hawaii, is no stranger to the competition or to winning awards. He won the Sculptor’s Choice Award in 2021.

He described his dinosaur skeleton (or as he called it “spineasaurus”) coming to life. As you will see as a common feature of these sculptures, the attention to detail is incredible.

“I Am Life” – Melineige Beauregard (Hawaii)

1st Prize and People’s Choice

Melineige, who won the competition in 2017, repeated her standard of excellence with “I Am Life” bringing home first place.

She said the sculpture was based on the “flower of life” design that is present in all of nature and life. According to Melineige, this pattern connects us all through flowers and nature. The front side represents the “flower of life” while the back side represents the death and destruction that is also present in our lives.

“Knowledge Is Limited. Imagination Encircles The World” – John Gowdy (Italy/New Jersey)

This sculpture, based on a quote by Albert Einstein, uses symbols like books, an owl and pen and paper to show the different ways to express knowledge. Again, the attention to detail is amazing.

“Wyvern Whisperer” – Greg Grady (Derry, NH)

Governor’s Choice Award

Grady, another regular competitor and founder of the sand sculpture event, said the inspiration for the sand sculpture the Wyvern (pronounced (why-vurn) Whisperer was his son. His son asked him to make a dragon and they settled on a two legged dragon (wyverns are 2 legged dinosaurs) and he modeled the smaller figure on his son who likes to play “super hero.”

“Linked” – Bruce Phillips (San Diego, CA)

Bruce, from San Diego, CA, said his sculpture represents people and working together.

“Trolls” – Karen Fralich (Ontario, Canada)

2md Place

The meaning of this sculpture seems straight forward. Troll-like figures hug, offer treasures and act friendly to the crowned figure while they attempt to stab and mock him to his back

“Entropy” – Carl Jara (Lyndhurst, OH)

3rd Place

“Entropy”, in short a randomness or disorder in the system, certainly does show a disorder and randomness. Jara’s sculpture placed 3rd in the event.

“Let There Be Peace On Earth And Let It Begin With Me” – Justin Gordon (Groveland, MA)

“Hierarchy Of Needs” – Abe Waterman (Prince Edward Island, Canada)

Unfortunately, Abe’s sand sculpture collapsed due to weather conditions. So, a photograph of the sculpture was put in its place.

The sand sculptures are usually kept up for a week (in this case until June 26). The sculptures are also lit up for night viewing.

10 Comments | tags: Hampton Beach, New England, new hampshire, photograhy, photos, sand sculptures | posted in Hampton Beach, New England, new hampshire, photography, photos, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, Uncategorized

June 27, 2020

Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail 2020

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: June 26, 2020

Location: Yarmouth, MA

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking is available at or near each of the locations of the sand sculptures

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Summary: 17 sand sculptures are located throughout the Yarmouth, MA, area. The sculptures are located conveniently at places of business and other popular landmarks like Yarmouth Town Hall and the visitor center in Yarmouth.While it is possible to walk to some of the sand sculptures, the only way to see all of the sand sculptures in a timely fashion is to travel by vehicle. The sculptures will be around until Columbus weekend (Oct, 12)

Website: Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail 2020

Map: Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail 2020 Map

Sculptor: Tracy Fitzpatrick at Fitzysnowman Studios.

Yarmouth, MA, has some unusual tourists this summer.

The sculptor Tracy Fitzpatrick at Fitzysnowman Studios has created 17 sand sculptures located throughout Yarmouth once again for everyone to find and enjoy. The 20 year tradition is a socially distancing friendly activity that is fun for the entire family.

Don’t worry if we get some rain or stormy weather. Barring any vandalism, the sand sculptures will still be there throughout the summer. But, vandalism can be an issue. In fact, last year, when we went to visit them, three of the sculptures had been damaged. So, I didn’t even bother posting the photos. However, all of the sand sculptures were intact during my visit this weekend.

The reason why these sculptures don’t break down so easily is because they are built with finely ground quarried sand, which has sharp edges and stacks like sugar cubes. This sand tends to keep its integrity unlike beach sand because beach sand doesn’t stick together as well because it is often rounded by wave-action and includes bits of oddly shaped seashells. The sand sculptures that were built last year were built so sturdy they withstood 110 mile per hour winds during two tornados in the area.

Each sand sculpture is created one at a time, typically in a single day. Work usually begins in late May and continues throughout the month of June. The sculptures were expected to be completed by June 26, the very same day I went to view them. They are planned on being up until Columbus weekend (October 12).

The numbers of the locations of the sand sculptures are listed alphabetically on the map. However, it would not make sense to look for them in the order they are listed on the map. I am listing the locations based on the way I found them during my trip. Of course, you can travel to each sculpture in any order you choose. But, I decided to go to the Taylor Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port first because it is the location that is the farthest away from the other sand sculptures. Then, I tried to do a loop to visit the rest of the sand sculptures until I checked them all of my list.

I have included the addresses and landmarks where each sand sculpture can be found. However, I could not find the exact addresses of some of them. So, it’s tricky getting to some of them. But, finding them is part of the fun!

I am listing the locations in the order I found them, mostly. I am also including the number that corresponds to the sculpture number on the map in parenthesis. But, I must admit some of the sculptures don’t seem to follow in order on the map and I actually stumbled across some of them by mistake (although that may have more to do with a lack of map reading skills on my part). Unfortunately, due to how the sculptures are scattered throughout the area, you may have to backtrack to see them all in an orderly and efficient way. Lastly, don’t forget to enter the Yarmouth sand sculpture photo contest!

(14) Taylor Bray Farm

108 Bray Farm Rd N, Yarmouth, MA

(13) Strawberry Lane (Route 6A) Yarmouth Port, MA

(9) Kinlin Grover Real Estate

927 Route 6A, Yarmouth Port, MA

(8) Just Picked Gifts

13 Willow St, Yarmouth Port, MA

4) The Cove At Yarmouth

183 Main St, West Yarmouth, MA

(10) Route 28 Visitor Center

424 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA

(1) Aiden By Best Western at Cape Point

476 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA

IMG_5517-2

(11) Salty’s

540 Main Street, Rt. 28, West Yarmouth, MA

(3) Candy Co (my favorite store on the trail!)

975 Route 28, South Yarmouth, MA

(7) John G Sears & Co Inc (no, this isn’t a selfie)

1221 Old Main St, South Yarmouth, MA

Dogs like the sculptures too

(12) Seafood Sam’s

1006 Massachusetts (Route) 28 South Yarmouth, MA

(17) Yarmouth (MA) Town Hall

1146 Route 28, South Yarmouth, MA

6) Hearth ‘n Kettle (the fish are also wearing PPE but they’re not distancing!)

1196 Main Street, South Yarmouth, MA

(2) Bass River Golf Course

62 High Bank Rd, South Yarmouth, MA

(5) Dunkin’ Donuts

436 Station Ave, South Yarmouth, MA

Today Real Estate

487 Station Ave, South Yarmouth, MA

(16) Wendy’s

32 Old Town House Rd, South Yarmouth, MA

20 Comments | tags: cape cod, Massachusetts, New England, sand sculptures, Yarmouth | posted in cape cod, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, Uncategorized, Yarmouth

September 2, 2019

Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival (Revere Beach, Revere, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Event: July 26-28, 2019 (the event is usually held annually during the last weekend of July)

Location: Revere Beach, Revere Beach Blvd, Revere, MA (about 20 minutes northeast of Boston, MA, or 1 hour and 15 minutes southeast of Concord, NH)

Cost: Free

Parking: Since they close the streets for the event parking is limited. Parking is available at the Wonderland train stop. You may also find street parking on a side street.

Universally Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: sand sculptures

Website: Revere Beach Sand Sculpture Festival

The early bird gets the unobstructed sand sculpture photos. Or, at least so I thought.

The last Sunday of July, I decided to wake up early and photograph the sand sculptures from the annual Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach. There was one slight problem. Everyone else north of Boston had the same idea. The streets and sidewalks at the beach were already slightly clogged with revelers, sun seekers and photogs by the time I arrived “early” at 6 a.m. But, with some effort, I was still able to get a few shots without people, workers or other objects in the background of most of my shots.

The annual sand sculpting event included 15 sand sculptors from all over the world. Awards were given to the top five sculptures that were judged by a panel of experts. There were also a “People’s Choice” award the visitors were able to vote for and a “Sculptor’s Choice” award the sculptors all voted for.

Then, there were 8 additional sand sculptures which did not win a prize but are no less impressive.

So, instead of a big, dramatic countdown, let’s start from the top of the list!

First place went to Canadian artist Melineige Beauregard for her sculpture, “The Nest.” Melineige also works with snow and ice to make sculptures during the colder seasons.

The first runner up in the contest was “Shell(ter)” by Jonathan (JOBI) Bouchard from Canada.

Third place went to Ilya Filimontsev from Russia for his sculpture “Guardian Angels.”

Fourth place went to Abe Waterman of Canada for his sculpture “I Just Can’t Bring Myself To Care, Doctor: An Ode To Apathy.”

Dan Belcher from Missouri came in fifth place with his sculpture “Trance.” Dan has been creating sand sculptures around the world since 1990.

The Sculptor’s Choice Award which was voted on by all of the sand sculptors was awarded to David Mac from Belgium for his work “La Renaissance De Notre Dame.”

The People’s Choice Award was awarded to Sudarsan Pattnaik from India for his sculpture “Save Our Ocean Stop Plastic Pollution.

Although only five of the sculptures won a prize, they were worthy of our praise. One of my favorites from the festival was “Eye Of The Tiger” by Sue McGrew of Washington state. She has been sculpting sand for over a decade.

“Attempting Union” by Morgan Rudluff from Santa Cruz, California was another popular sculpture at the event.

Fergus Mulvany of Dublin, Ireland, created another fan favorite called “Deep Sleep Diving.”

“Dream About Flight” by Aleksei Rybak from Russia is another sculpture that failed to qualify for one of the top spots in the competition.

“Mama Look !! I Found My Teddy!” by Deb Barrett Cutulle was popular sculpture despite not placing in the top of the competition.

“Horsepower” by Maxim Gazendam was another sculpture that failed to place in the top five.

“The Birth Of A New Universe” by Pavel Mylnikov from Russia was another sculpture that failed to make the cut.

Last, but certainly not least, is “Lady Moon” by Benoit Dutherage From France.

The theme of this year’s sand sculpture festival was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. And many of the sculptures from the To commemorate this monumental achievement, the main sand sculpture included sculptures of the astronauts involved in the voyage. Each of the sculptors contributed to these sculptures.

You have to be careful photographing the sunset, especially when you’re photographing it with other objects. For instance, I chose to use a lower aperture (5.6 for most of the photos) which left the sculptures often a bit dark. I also noticed that when I did edit the photos, I had to be careful to not use too much brightness or contrast or other buttons to control the darkness of the sculptures, especially the faces of the sculptures, because it can blow out the colors of the sunset. So, I chose to keep the sculptures a little dark and close up on the key features like faces to capture them without worrying about the background.

You can also try photographing from different angles where the shadows won’t be as bad. I was trying to avoid taking photos with people or other objects in the background. So it was hard to get photos of the sculptures from certain angles without getting people in the background and it also limited the angles I could shoot from. There were a lot of people there despite the early time of the shoot!

Since it’s unlikely the sand sculptures are going to move (and if the do leave immediately!), you can use AV (or Aperture Priority) mode so you can concentrate solely on the aperture settings. I have been using manual mode exclusively with my photos. But it took me a long time to get there. So, I do suggest using aperture priority mode if you’re not comfortable using full manual mode unless you’re photographing things that have action or some other element that requires a fast or variable shutter speed.

18 Comments | tags: beach, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Revere, Revere Beach, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, sunrise | posted in beach, photographs, photography, photos, sand sculpting, sand sculptures, Uncategorized

August 13, 2018

International Sand Sculpting Festival (Revere, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates of Event: July 20-22, 2018 (annually, the third weekend off July)

Location: Revere Beach, 350 Revere Beach Blvd, Revere, MA

Cost: Free

Parking: a section of Revere Blvd is shut down for the event. I found free street parking on Ocean Ave which runs parallel to Revere Beach Blvd. parking restrictions are relaxed during the weekend on this street. There are also parking lots near Wonderland Train station. More info below:

Wonderland Greyhound Track
1300 North Shore Road, Revere MA 02151
$5 and a short walk to the festival
Suffolk Downs
525 William F McClellan Highway, Boston MA 02128
Free Parking Saturday and Sunday
There will be a shuttle in the parking lot to
Park in the lot and take the T from Suffolk Downs to Wonderland or Revere Beach
Stops.
Handicap Parking: Limited handicap parking is available on Revere Beach Boulevard
on a first come, first serve basis from Eliot Circle to Shirley Ave.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Website: Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival

Highlights: sand sculptures, family friendly, dog friendly, activities for children, food trucks

Ravens, frogs and sea gods are considered unusual things to see on a beach. But they were only a few of the figures sculpted at the International Sand Sculpting Festival last month in Revere.

The theme of the sand sculpting festival was literacy. This sand sculpture has a variety of fictional literary characters as well as some well known advertising logos in it.

It always seems you can’t ever photograph all of the highlights of an event or place as hard as you tr. Although I didn’t seem to find it in the sculpture, there was a memorial to Sgt. Michael Chesna, a slain Weymouth (MA) police officer who was killed this summer by a perpetrator who stole his weapon and fired upon him. Chesna was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He joined shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. He was 42 years old when he was shot and killed. A gofundme page has been set up for his family.

The sand used for the competition was delivered from a quarry in Hudson, NH. Each artist was given 15 tons of sand to work with. They were given 26 hours to sculpt their work.

There were 16 sand sculptures (counting at the festival with competitors from all over the world.

Fifth place and the People’s Choice Award went to Rachel Stubbs of the United Kingdom for “A Nouveau Love.”

Breeze In, Breathe Out…” by Fergus Mulvaney of Ireland snagged fourth place.

Third place went to Ilya Filimontsev of Russia, for “The Fall Of Icarus.”

“Gravity Drops” by Jonathan Bouchard of Canada took second place.

And the award for first place went to….

Pavel Mylnikov, of Russia, for “Vanishing Muse”

The remaining entries are as follow:

“Baby Love” by Paul Hoggard of England

“It’s About Time” by Steve Topazio of Tiverton, Rhode Island.

“Goddess Rising” by Remy Hoggard, wife or “sand partner” of Paul Hoggard. Remy said her sculpture was influenced by healing powers and inner beauty. She also said the influence for this model was Kylie Jenner.

“The Raven And The Frog” by David Mac. Keeping with the literary theme of the sand sculpture theme, Mac positioned Edgar Allen Poe (the raven on the left) and Ralph Waldo Emerson (the frog on the right). In an article I found on itemlive, Mac said he chose these two writers to sculpt because they are so diametrically different. It’s also noteworthy to mention they were both born in Boston, MA. It may be hard to see, without enlarging the photo, but Emerson, on the right, has a feather or quill in his mouth.

“The Beat” by Jaku (Kabu) Zimacek of the Czech Republic. One thing I love about most of these sand sculptures are the little things you may miss at your first view. You may see two people, or at least their heads, at the top of the sculpture.

“Making Beautiful Music” by Deborah Barrett/Cutulle of Saugus, Massachusetts.

“An American Dream” by Helena Bangert of the Netherlands.

“Finding Shiva” by Sue McGrew of Montreal.

“Teenage” by Melineige Beauregard of Canada.

Unfortunately, I had to leave before this sculpture was built.

“Divide And Conquer” by Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

The sand sculptures, which have been demolished long ago, stay up for about a week and they are lit up during the evening for viewing.

The sand sculpture festival is just that: a festival. It is not just a sand sculpture competition. There are food trucks, a merry-go-round and other activities such as a treasure hunt, cornhole game, hula hoop and sand sculpting classes for children (and big kids) to participate in or play with.

There were also a number of musical acts at the festival.

A group of artists from Cirque Du Soleil also performed at the festival. These two performers did some amazing tricks with a soccer ball.

They also posed for some photos in front of the sand sculpture advertising their show. I like how it looks like she is blowing a kiss to all of you reading this post.

And, of course, the beach is as beautiful as the sand sculptures. For those of you not in the know, Revere Beach, and Revere as a city, gets an undeserved bad rep in some parts of MA. It’s a beautiful city with highly regarded restaurants, especially Italian restaurants, that I would love to visit if I had the time, and appetite. It all stems from an unfair, and frankly simmering ethnically biased, stereotype of the people of the area. But, enough of my soap box.

Just look at the beach to see for yourself. I really liked how the woman’s pretty aquamarine dress in the bottom photo looked against the water.

The web site for the event states that upwards of one million visitors stop by at some point to view the sculptures and I think they all showed up during my visit. To get a sense of just how popular of an event the sand sculpture festival is look at this photo I took of the crowd at the event. That is the only real issue I have with the event. The road is too narrow and the area is really not big enough for the huge crowd and the crowds have only gotten bigger and bigger over the years. I do worry, for instance, how hard it may be for medical personnel to get to someone if there was a medical emergency of some kind.

Dogs apparently like sand sculptures as well. These guys and girls had a great time checking out the sculptures.

Karma is an 11 week old Armenian Gampr mixed breed dog.

Topper is a 6 year old Jack Russell rescue mix.

Zorro (on the left) an 8 year old hairless Chinese Crested dog. Jackie (on the right) is a 14 year old Powder Puff dog.

Duese is a 2 month old Pit Bull.

His family was so happy to see that he would be on the internet!

Obie is a 3 year old Tree Walker Coon hound, Lab and Basset mix.

This shy cutie is Cocoa, a 2 year old rescue Chihuahua.

Lyla is a 2 year old mixed breed dog.

Cookie is a 1 year old Louisiana Coon Hound and Cattle Dog mixed breed dog.

Dogs weren’t the only animals who made it out to the sand sculpting festival.

Hindu is an adult bearded dragon.

Loki is an adult Chinese Water Dragon.

I patted Hindu and I still have all of my fingers. Actually Loki and he were very docile and cute!

As much fun as the sand sculpting festival is, Revere Beach is a great place to go anytime. Maybe I’ll see you there on my way to one of their fine restaurants!

Below is a video clip of some of the entertainment at the festival. Some of the people from Cirque Du Soleil performed on one of the main stages during the event.

16 Comments | tags: Cirque Du Soleil, dogs, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Revere, Revere Beach, sand sculpting, sand sculptures | posted in dogs, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Revere Beach, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

June 22, 2018

18th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton, NH)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Event: June 14-16 (usually annually, the second or third weekend in June)

Location: Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH

Cost: Free

Hours: the sculptures are accessible for viewing all day until June 27, except between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. when the beach is closed

Parking: Parking info can be found here

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Tips: The sculptures will be able to be viewed at night when they illuminate the area

2016 Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Competition

Website: Hampton Sand Sculpture Event

Sculptors don’t just sculpt wood, ice and clay. In fact, some of the world’s best sculptors like to play in the sand. And that’s exactly what they were doing last weekend at Hampton Beach, NH.

The theme of this year’s sand sculpture of the sponsors of the event was “The Aliens Have Come To Hampton Beach.” All of the featured sculptors contributed to this sculptor.

The massive sand sculpture included a memorial to Canadian sculptor and regular Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic competitor Michel Lepire.

Michel passed away earlier this year. But, his son, Marc Lepire, did participate and made a special tribute for his dad in his own sculpture.

The competition included 10 sand sculptures, not included the sponsors’ sculptures, with sculptors from all over the globe.

Visitors to the beach were allowed to view the sculptures up close on the beach at 1 o’clock and given a ticket to put in a bucket next to their choice. While it is great to be able to get so close to the sculptures and I did take photographs while I could get close to them, the sculptors have until 4 to complete their works. And, of course, they use every minute at their disposal usually. So, I didn’t end up posting most of the photos I took at 1. But, I did cast a vote (for “Influence” by Carl Jara). Then, I waited a few more hours so I could photograph the sculptures in their completed states. Time goes by pretty quickly at the beach, though. So I didn’t mind waiting. After all, I’m a pretty patient person, except when I am driving.

When the votes for the sculptures by the official judges were finally tallied the winners were recognized and given their awards ($3,000 for first place) and a fireworks display capped off the festivities. Below are the top ranked sculptures and the also rans.

First place went to “Temptation” by Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island.

Melineige Beauregard of Montreal nabbed second place with her sculpture “Rising.”

Dan Belcher of Missouri swam into third place with “Water Dance.” This was certainly one of the larger sculptures. It must have taken many hours to make all of these shapes and designs.

“Influence” by Carl Jara of Ohio came in fourth place. he also won the “Sculptor’s Choice” award which must be very rewarding since it is voted on by his peers.

David Andrews of Wisconsin came in fifth place with “Ancestral Swirl.”

The “People’s Choice” award which the visitors got to vote for went to Marc Lepire of Quebec for “Wind Lovers.”

The remaining sculptures are listed below. I was actually surprised that some of them, like “Winging It” by Delayne Corbett of Vancouver did not place in the voting. Since ikt had so much intricate detail I thouggh tit was sure to be in the top 5. But there was so much competition at the event. So, even some of the best sculptures didn’t make top rankings.

“Defeating The Darkness” by Justin Gordon of Groveland, MA, was another sculpture I thought may have been overlooked. There’s a lot of wonderful detail in this one.

This futuristic looking sculpture called “Three Phase Steam Phork” was sculpted by California sculpture Kirk Radimaker.

There’s something about the sculpture “Joy” by Karen Fralich.

I’m not sure if it’s the name of the sculpture, the seemingly carefree child or the butterflies sporadically placed throughout the sculpture. But, something about this sculpture makes me smile.

If you missed the sand sculptures last weekend, don’t worry. They will be on display until Wednesday, June 27. They also illuminate the area for night viewing if you can’t make it there during the day time.

The wires you may see sticking out of the tops of some of the sculptures, shown sticking out of the head of the sculpture in the photo below, are meant to deter birds from landing on.

No matter. Some birds still found a way to land on them.

The sand sculpting event had more than just sculptures, though. There were other family friendly activities as well such as face painting.

There were also so many cute dogs at the event.

Watson is a 5 year old Dalmatian Coonhound. he was adopted from the Pope Memorial SPCA.

Jackson, a 5 year old Great Dane, was another gentle giant. He was a little hard to get to look at me because his dad was parking the car and he kept looking to his left and right in the hopes of seeing his human.

Greta is a 7 year old German Drahthaar.

Bailey, who will be 6 months Sunday the 25th (yes she is a Christmas baby), is a Teacup Yorkie. She was dressed to the nines for her day at the beach.

Some dogs are a little shy of my camera. This was the case with Luna, a 1 year old pit and lab mix. At least at first. But, she warmed up to the camera pretty quickly.

Bailey is a 6 month Standard Poodle. With her fluffy fur, she reminded me of a big teddy bear.

Buddy, a 14 year old Cairn Terrier, was certainly not in Kansas anymore. That’s right, Buddy is the exact same breed as Toto from The Wizard Of Oz movie. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Just look out for the “flying monkeys.”

Brady, who was named after a certain local sports star, is an 11 month old Cavachon. Are you saying to yourself, Cava what? I did too. His folks told me he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise mix.

And, last but not least, Tyzon, a Boxer, will be 5 years old in September. It had been a long day taking photographs and I was ready to get ready to head home. Then, when I saw Tayzon I decided to take out my camera for one more dog photo. He was very accommodating and the kids loved petting him. And he loved the pets he recieved.

6 Comments | tags: dogs, Hampton Beach, New Englaand, new hampshire, photographs, Photography, photos, sand sculpting, sand sculptures | posted in Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH, New England, photographs, photography, photos, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

August 8, 2017

Revere Beach International Sand Sculptures (Revere, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: July 29, 2017 (competition took place July 21-23)

Location: 850 Revere Beach Parkway, Revere, MA

Hours: open daily 24 hours a day

Cost: Free

Parking: Street parking is available. There are also parking lots nearby that charge a flat rate for all day parking. Parking rates vary depending on the time of the year.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: sand sculptures

Website: Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival

Playing in the sand isn’t just for children. Each year, some of the most accomplished sand sculptors across the globe converge on Revere Beach to compete for the title of Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Champion. This year, 15 sand sculptors threw their sandals in the ring to compete for this coveted title.

Since we had a lot of rain recently, some of the sculptures had some damage to them. In fact, one sand sculptor was pretty much entirely damaged. I usually try to attend the actual sand sculpting event but I had a previous engagement that weekend. The sculptures were only one week old. But, they did have visible damage in the photos.

It didn’t feel the same without the crowds, the hustle and bustle of the street vendors and street performers. Each winning sand sculpture was marked with their place and a quick bio of each sculptor. So, without further delay, the winners are….

First place went to Pavel Mylnikov from Moscow, Russia for his sculpture “Soul Evolution.”

Jonathan “Jobi” Bouchard from Montreal, Canada came in second with his sculpture “Two Energies”.

The third place winner and winner of the “Sculptor’s Choice Award, was “In Justice We Trust”, by Andrius Petkus, from Lithuana. Unfortunately, it destroyed by the weather or some other forces. Below is a photo of the sand sculpture from Revere Beach’s Facebook page as well as Cheatsheetoflife’s website..

Image may contain: ocean, beach, sky, outdoor, nature and water

The fourth place sand sculpture was “Dunkaroos!” by Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Fifth place went to Leonardo Ugolini of Forli, Italy for “The Monstrous Gorge.”

There were many more sand sculptures worthy of recognition. The following sand sculptures did not win any awards. But, they are still worthy of being mentioned.

“Remembering Self” by Morgan Rudluff from Santa Cruz, California.

Dan Belcher from St. Louis, Missouri, sculpted “Rock. Paper Scissors.”

One of my favorites, “Even Though We’re Oceans Apart, You’re Always Near In My Heart” was sculpted by Sue McGrew of Tacoma, Washington.

“Whisper In The Dark” was sculpted by Dmitry Klimenko of St. Petersburg, Russia. The sculpture was dedicated to H.P. Lovecraft, a New England native (Providence RI) who died 80 years ago this past March.

Deborah Barrett-Cutulle, of Saugus, MA, sculpted “Wishful Thinking.”

This sculpture,”Who Are You” by Susanne Ruseler of Ultretch, Netherlands, had a sculpture of a boy next to the dragon before it was destroyed by the weather.

Below is a photo of the sculpture from Cheatsheetsoflife’s website.

“Look Up” was sculpted by Marianne Van Den Broek from Key West, Florida.

Steve Topazio, from the United States, sculpted “The Sand With The Dragon Tattoo.”

I could not find a name nor the name of the sculptor for this sand sculpture.

Paul Hogard from Bulguria won the “People’s Choice” Award for “Save The Elephants.”

Dogs are welcome at Revere Beach. I met Tony, a 4 and a half year old pit bull mix, there. He’s such a natural poser!

There is no set date for when the sculptures will be taken down. The website for the event states they will stay up until the weather erodes them. Some of them were already beginning to erode when I went to visit last weekend. But, some of them may still be up now!

Today’s Featured website is Cheatsheetsoflife.

Cheatsheetoflife took some wonderful photos of the sand sculptures during the sand sculpting festival.

18 Comments | tags: beach, dog, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Revere Beach, sand sculptures | posted in dog, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Revere Beach, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

June 23, 2017

17th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic (Hampton Beach, NH)

By New England Nomad

Dates of Event: June 15 – June 17, 2017 (sculptures on display until June 28)

Location: 180 Ocean Blvd, Hampton Beach, NH

Cost: Free

Parking:

Effective May 1st – $2 per hour public parking. Pay at Pay Station and Must display receipt visibly on dashboard.

Handicap Parking – Handicap parking is available in any legal metered parking spot providing you have a Handicap Plate or a Hanging Handicap Tag hanging, or visible, in your front window.

There are also several parking lots (ranging from $5 to $20 a day) throughout the Hampton Beach area.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: Sand sculptures by master sand sculptures

Rain and chilly temperatures did not prevent master sand sculptors from playing in the sand last weekend at Hampton Beach.

The 17th annual sand sculpting competition attracted master sand sculptors from all over the globe. In case you missed the sculpting event, you can still view the sculptures until June 28 and they light the area at night so you can view them day or night.

Although all of the sculptures were worthy, only one could be crowned the champion.

First place went to Melineige Beauregard from Montreal Canada. Beauregard’s sculpture is called “Dance of the Undefined.” Melineige said her sculpture represents how we are constantly changing and yet some aspects of us stay the same.

Second place went to Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island for his sculpture, “Get Out Of The Box.” He also won the “Sculptor’s Choice Award” as well as my vote! It had rained heavily the night before the sculptures were scheduled to be completed and, even though the sand is capable of withstanding some degree of inclement weather, his sculpture almost collapsed. You can see a “crack” or line in his sculpture which was caused by the heavy rains.

Karen Fralich, of Toronto, Canada, took third place with “Tiny Warrior.”

David Andrews of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, nabbed fourth place with “Hands Of Fate.”

Fifth place was awarded to Carl D. Jara of for “I Can’t Get This Out Of My Mind.”

The People’s Choice Award was won by Michel LePire of Quebec for “Seduction.” This was Michel’s last sand sculpting competition as he is retiring. he certainly went out with a bang!

Although they did not place, the rest of the sculptures were very creative and stunning. It must have been very hard for the judges to decide on the winners.

Justin Gordon, of Groveland, MA, created his sculpture, “Gazing Life Beyond”, as a tribute to his mother in the afterlife. Even though some of the other sand sculptures may have been more pleasing visually, I think Justin’s sentiment best.

Marc Lepire, of Quebec, dedicated his sculpture, “Grand Slam”, to his children and all fans of baseball. Can you tell by the number and team of the player who the person in the sculpture is?

Joris Kivits of the Netherlands sculpted Horizontalism.

New Hampshire resident Greg Hardy created he sculpture, “What A Lovely Way To Say You Love Me.”

There were also the sand sculptures of the sponsors of the event and a special sculpture dedicated to the New England sports fans!

As usual, there were lots of dogs at Hampton Beach to view this dog friendly event.

Vito (on the left) is a 10 year old Akita. Vivian (on the right) is a 9 month old Akita. Their fur was so soft!

Apollo, a 3 year old German Shepherd, is a gentle giant.

Zuzu, an 11 year old Beagle who was named after “Zuzu” from “it’s A Wonderful Life”, had her own wagon ride!

Bella, a 1 and a half year old Chihuahua, was all dressed up for her visit to the beach.

Roxy, an 8 year old English Pointer, is a sweetie.

Micky, a 7 month Apso Shih Tzu (also known as a Shih Apso), posed so well for me.

Tinkerbell, a 9 year old Yorkie, cooled off by a puddle.

Until next year, Hampton Beach! Okay, maybe sooner than that.

12 Comments | tags: beach, dogs, Hampton Beach, New England, new hampshire, photographs, Photography, photos, sand sculpting | posted in beach, dogs, Hampton Beach, new hampshire, photographs, photography, photos, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

July 25, 2016

2016 Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival (Revere, MA)

By New England Nomad

Dates Of Event: July 22-24

Location: Revere Beach, Revere Beach Boulevard, Revere, MA

Hours:

The hours of the sand sculpting festival were:

July 22 and Sat. July 23 from 10AM to 10PM and Sun. July 24 from 10AM to 8PM

Revere Beach is open 365 days a year

Cost: No Admission Fee

Parking: One website states there is free parking on Revere Beach Boulevard where the beach is located. But, I noticed signs said read there is a 4 hour parking limit on the boulevard during weekdays. Parking is free on the boulevard during weekends and holidays. If you can’t find parking on the boulevard there is a $5 parking fee at the Wonderland Greyhound (1300 North Shore Road, Revere MA). You can also park at Suffolk Downs (525 William F McClellan Highway, Boston MA) about 20 minutes away. A free shuttle can take you to the beach on the weekends There are literally hundreds of parking spots on the boulevard.

Time To Allot For Visit: About 30 minutes to an hour to view all of the sand sculptures

Dog Friendly: Yes, on the sidewalk but not on the beach

Highlights: Sand sculptures, pretty beach, long, well kept beach

Each year, sand sculpting masters come to Revere Beach from all over the world to test their skills at the International Sand Sculpting Festival. The family (and dog) friendly event is usually held the 4th weekend of July. In addition to the intricate works of art and pristine beach, there are also many activities and vendors for the entire family to enjoy. The theme of this year’s main sand sculpture pictured above was “Hands On The Wheel” (a not so slight jab at texting while driving I would gather) and the gracious sponsors.

Being the early riser than I am (have become), the shading and sun was tough to work with. It’s actually easier in some ways to shoot when the sun is higher or when there is cloud cover, I have learned.

The big winner in the solo competition at this year’s festival was Melinage Beauregard of Montreal, Canada, for her “Go With The Flow” sand sculpture. This is the second year in a row Melinage has won this competition. She won both the overall competition voted on by the audience and she also won the sculptors choice award which was voted on by the fellow sculptors.

One thing I have noticed about these impressive sculptures is the subtle things that still must take an inordinate amount of time to create but make a huge improvement, like grading on the side of a sculpture.

Second prize in the solo competition went to Italian sculptor Leonardo Ugolini for his work “Together.” Ugolini paid close attention to detail in his sculptuure. In the front, just above the astronaut’s head he etched “We Are Alone”. On the back of the sculpture, he etched “We Are Alone” backwards.

The third place winner in the solo competition was Guy-Olivier Deveau of Montreal, Canada, for his sculpture “Carcass.”

In the duo sand sculpting competition, the team of Dan Belcher of St. Louis, Missouri and Marianne van den Broek of Key West, Florida for their sculpture, “Body Art.”

One of the interesting things about this sculpture is there is supposed to be a hidden image if you look at it from a certain angle (straight ahead), As the arrow and instructions in front of the sculpture directs you, you should see a frog in the sculpture.

Do you see it? Me neither.

Second place in the duo competition went, appropriately enough, to Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island, Canada and Morgan Rudluff of Santa Cruz, California for their piece “Le Numero Deux” (the number two). This sculpture looks innocent and harmless enough until you take a closer look.

Well, you get the jist of it.

Third place in the duo competition was awarded to Deborah Barrett/Cutulle of Saugus, MA, and her partner Steve Topazio of Tiverton, Rhode Island. They also took home the People’s Choice Award. As a side note, you may notice that some of the sculptures seem grainier than other sculptures, this is because it rained Saturday night and when I took the photos on Sunday there was a different texture to the sand. I included a closeup of the sand in this group of photos for a better perspective of how the sand looked.

The other contestants'(there were 20 contestants total including the duo and solo artists) sculptures are posted below.

“I Love You So Much” by Marielle Heesels from the Netherlands.

“Always Connected” by Pavel Mylnikov from Moscow, Russia.

“Peaceful Dreams” by Nikolay Torkov of Moscow, Russia (maybe not so peaceful dreams?)

“The Last Flight” by Benjamin Probanza from Acapulco, Mexico.

“Redemption” by Jonathan Bouchard (aka “Jobi”) hailing from Montreal, Canada.

“How They View Us” – an interpretation of the Statue of Liberty holding a weapon. This was the only sculpture with any inkling of a political theme.

“Fractal” by David Durcharme of British Columbia and Enguerrand David from Brussels, Belgium.

“Little Owl”by Paul and Remy Hoggard of Bulgaria.

They also held a children’s sculpting lesson activity for ages 5 to 12. I am sure there were some future sand sculpters in that class.

Dogs like the sculptures also. Revere Beach is a great place to walk your dog. The long walkway along the beach will wear out even the most active dog.

Here are a few of the cute pooches I saw during my visit.

Neelix is a 4 year old pure breed Keeshond. Neelix is named after the Star Trek Voyager character and he is so cool he even has his own Facebook page which you can like and follow here. I did.

Darby is a 14 year old Boston Terrier Lab.

Lucy is a 10 year old Labradoodle.

James, a 6 year old French Bulldog, preferred to ride with his mom on her bicycle.

Below is a short video of one of the sand sculptors working on his sculpture.

Please stop by my Facebook Page and like my page to view content not included in my blog. Thank you.

New England Nomad

Below is a video of the sand sculptors explaining their sculptures and what they mean to them.

16 Comments | tags: beach, dogs, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, Revere, sand, sand sculpting | posted in beach, photograph, sand sculpting, Uncategorized

June 20, 2016

Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Competition (Hampton Beach, NH)

By New England Nomad

Dates of Event: June 16-18

Location: 180 Ocean Blvd, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (an hour north of Boston)

Parking: There are about 100 to 200 parking spots in front of the beach – you pay at a parking metered machine. Or, you can find parking at parking lots on Ashworth St. The prices for parking vary depending on the season or month or when there is a special event such as the sand sculpting competition. In April, metered parking costs $1 and hour and it costs $2 an hour from May until Nov. Free parking begins Nov. 4. Parking on Ashworth St. can vary depending on the time and day during “beach season”. During my visit, parking was $10 in the morning but was increased to $15 in the afternoon for all day parking (until 2 a.m.) and $20 all day parking during the weekends in the summer.

Cost: The beach does not have an admission fee.

Dog Friendly: Yes, but not on the beach (at least not during beach season)

This time of year past 16 years, people flock to Hampton Beach to show off their sand sculpting skills. It may seem like child’s play. But, these are no run of the mill sand castles. They really are works of art.

It takes a long time to construct these complex sculptures. The photos below show the progression of the works of art. It’s hard to believe some of the photos of the works of art are the same as the final work of art. Some of these photos do not show the sculptures in their final phase.

“Emerge” by David Andrews (third place)

“Rising From The Abyss” by Guy-Oliver Deaveau of Quebec (first place and Sculptor’s Choice)

“She Loves Me” by Justin Gordon of Massachusetts (People’s Choice Award winner)

“Dada Read” by Carl Jara of Ohio (4th place)

“Let It Be Magnificent” by Mélineige Beauregard of Montreal

“Phoenix Rising” by Karen Jean Fralich of Toronto (5th place)

“Selfie In Sand” by Damon Langlois of British Columbia

“Hunters Of The Sky” by Michel Lepire of Quebec

“All Together Now” by Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island (2nd place)

“It’s About Time” by Greg J. Grady of New Hampshire

There were also some sculptures that weren’t part of the contest like this sand castle (what would a sand sculpture contest be without one?) and a sand sculpture designed for the sponsors of the event.

There were some other cool things at the event like Ronald McDonald (ok, I said some cool things) and a cool car that was being raffled off.