Hookah-smoking Caterpillar -sand sculpture

This is my first solo sand sculpture, made all the way back in 1999 on Gran Canaria, the Canarie Islands. Up to then I had always worked as part of a team and although I did small elements by myself I could never call the sculpture mine.

It was the week before Christmas and I had the pleasure of being asked to participate in this International Competition along with some of the best sand sculptors in the world. I was very nervous that I would make a show of myself and create a sculpture which looked like crap compared to these other amazing artists, So I decided to be quite safe and making something illustrative. I had just finished the book 'Alice's Adventures in wonderland' by Lewis Carroll and was struck by all the visual imagery the text gave. Of course John Tenniel's illustration were also great. But I wanted to base this sculpture on my own vision of the text.

My design process for most sculptures happens as I work. Starting usually with a very basic concept, I begin carving from the top and the sculpture takes form and direction as I work. With sand you can never be sure if the sand will be strong enough to make certain forms so I think it's best to begin with a simple idea and let the sand tell you what it has in mind. I kind of like a conversation. I very rarely make sketches of what I will make because I don't find them useful when transferring them into the third dimension. Below is a very rough sketch that I found which I made for this piece because I was still so young and innocent. As you can see, not very useful. I think I can draw a bit better now but sculpting in sand is much easier for me to sketch out an idea.

The beach sand in the Canaries is one of the best you can work with. It is strong as beach sand goes and hasn't got any pebbles or shells to get in the way of details. It allowed me to carve each individual chain link running up to his monocle. Even though it took the best part of a morning to make this detail, it was satisfying to have the light come through. Maybe there was a bit of OCD coming through also.

I did kind of regret going so safe with my idea but I will always have fond memories of this piece. The project was great fun with some wonderful people and I was up every morning a 6am to have a swim in the ocean before work with a Canadian carver that I had meet for the first time. When we meet now we often reminisce about our great time there in that week before Christmas.