Washed Away

This is the sand sculpture I created during the Harrison Sand Sculpture Solo Competition 2006. It stands 12 feet tall and is made of just water and sand.
Since this was my first sand competition, I knew I didnt have a chance of winning anything, so I created a piece just for me to see if I could actually to it. I didnt have any plans or sketches when I started, I just knew I wanted to build a sculptural form, basically because everyone else was doing human figures or castles or dragons. In my head I was thinking "this isnt the worlds sand castle competition, its the worlds sand SCULPTURE competition." Anyways, I had 25 hours to build something that had to stay standing if I wanted to get paid. The first day I shoveled... and shoveled and shoveled. I first built a series of plywood and 2x4 forms. I then filled one with sand and water and put the next smaller one on top. When I got to the 10ft mark I couldn't shovel any more as I kept missing the box. So I filled buckets and carried them up. I finally got up to 13 feet tall, when I promptly knocked the top 3 feet off as I didnt like where I stacked it. Then I added 2 more feet and then collapsed into a pile of goo from overexertion. The next day I took off the top forms and started shaping, still no idea what It would look like. When I got down to the middle I decided to add the texture on the sides and carve out the middle adding more texture there. The next day I added the tail just because, but the first tail fell over, so I made a smaller one.
During this time I thought about the piece and decided it was my hommage to the wave that nearly took me away. It kinda looks like a wave... When the organizer came by near the end and asked for the title, I quickly said "Tidal Wave" as people need to relate to something. But "nearly washed away" is more apt to me. I finished the piece in time to make a sign and to wask the ground out with water.
I didnt win anything for this, but I recieved a surprising number of votes from the public and many salutations from the sculptors. And many of them came to me and said "don't stop making these". made me feel good. And I may get invited back next year!