10 Faces in the Sand

Check out this artful crop of sand-crafted expressions

Though sand sculptures are inherently fleeting works of art, an astonishing amount of labor is poured into each project—often requiring teams of architectures or sculptors and nearly 3000 tons of sand per competition. Amongst the most spectacular castles, animals or otherwise themed creations, there exist true masterpieces that appear to come to life on the shore. Showcasing everything from agony to exhilaration, these are the 10 sand-crafted expressions that masterfully exemplify real human emotions.

Agony

Artist: Bert Adams/Sand in the City®
Competition: 2003 Texas SandFest
Location: Port Aransas, Texas
Fun Fact: The title is “Under Pressure”
Photo courtesy of portofbellingham.com

Despair

Artist: Unknown
Competition: Antalya Kum Sehri 2007/Sand City
Location: Antalya, Turkey (Arapsuyu)
Photo courtesy of Onur Zeybek via Panoramio.com

Purposeful

Artist: Carl Jara
Competition: HarrisSand2008
Location: Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Fun Fact: The title is “What Lies Beneath”
Photo courtesy of Grain Damaged via Flickr.com

Perturbed

Artist: Ludo and Anique from the Netherlands
Competition: HarriSand 2008
Location: Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Photo courtesy of HarriSand.org

Skeptical

Artists: Pat Harsch, Dan Belcher and Mark Mason
Competition: Mount Myrtle Sand Sculptures
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Fun Fact: The theme was inspired by The Colbert Report
Photo Courtesy of TeamSandTastic.com

Contemplative

Artist: Lucinda "Sandy Feet" Wieranga
Competition: Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpture Competition
Location: Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Fun Fact: This creation was dubbed “The Inner Child”
Photo courtesy of Lucinda via SandyFeet.com

Watchful

Artist: Calixto Molina
Competition: Mazatlan Concurso de Escultura en Arena de Mazatlan (7th Annual)
Location: Mazatlan, Mexico
(Credit info verified by sculptor Bert Adams/Sand in the City®)
Photo courtesy of RemovetheLabels.com

Awe

Artist: Unknown
Competition: Lommel Zandsculpturen Wereldwonderzand 2005
Location: Lommel, Belgium (Blankenberge)
Fun Fact: This competition’s theme was “The Brothers Grimm”
Photo courtesy of Gerard Bierens via Flickr.com

Wonderment

Artist: Steve Topazio
Competition: Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpture Competition 2008
Location: Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Fun Fact: This competition’s theme was “The Angry Sun"
Photo courtesy of HamptonBeach.org