Sand Sculpture

Sand sculpting as an art form has become very popular in recent years especially in coastal beach areas. Hundreds of annual competitions are held all over the world. Techniques can be quite sophisticated, and record-breaking achievements have been noted in the Guinness World Records. Sometimes contests are staged as advertising or promotional events.
Some sandcastle artists are purists, using no artificial materials, formwork, coloring, adhesive or heavy machinery. One such purist is G. Augustine Lynas, who has been building public sand sculptures for over 50 years. However, in sand sculpting competitions, the rules often require that the finished sculpture be sprayed with a stabilizing coating that preserves it and allows the work to be properly judged and enjoyed by spectators. Coated sculptures can last for months.