The Year in Sand 2007

Our Season

High clouds hinted at a change in the weather. Friday came up cloudy. Errands got cancelled by little sleep and a minor migraine. Wouldn't have taken much for weather to cancel the sculpture too but the afternoon seemed to be getting lighter. I put the camera and a few tools in the pack and took off. It was dark enough off to the west that I was thinking the lack of a jacket would be a problem.

Build number: 07P-8
Title: "Warming Up"
Date: September 27
Location: Venice Breakwater, south side
Start: about 1400; construction time approx 3.5 hours
Height: about 3.5 feet
Base: 3X2 feet roughly
Assistant: none
Photo digital: about 38 shots with 1Dmark2 and 24-70 zoom
Photo 35mm: none
Photo 6X7: none
Photo volunteer: Rich, with digital
Video: none
Equipment note: yes, small subset (lightweight edition)

The very high full-moon tide hadn't removed the good sand. Thank the low surf for that; lots more surfers than waves out there. What's bad for them is good for me as the fine dark sand lies in a broad expanse. Picking a spot to work is entirely arbitrary.

Being nearly brain-dead I just dig in and start packing. The base ends up being very big but the sand is so good that it's not a problem. Clean and fine. I just build.

Rich walks up as I'm starting the outside shaping. It's a big pile. I have no idea what to do with it. I certainly don't want the tower-on-base look that's so easy with these things, nor the beer-bottle that Rich points out.
"I hope to remove that."
"You'll probably succeed."
The first step in that is a long curve downward from right to left. That's a little obvious so I try some other subtle curves. Design plan department seems to be out to lunch, though, so things just sort of go from one hole to the next.

Internal structure has been a growing presence. This one continues the pattern. It's big enough to fit lots of detail inside but I don't have the wits to really pull it off. Still, the scale of things fits well. Balance is important.
"It has nice flow," Rich says.
"Yes. Nothing really new here, but in the way things go together."

The afternoon turns golden and warm. A light breeze from the west brings scents of seaweed. Pelicans dive offshore, first one and then two more who home in on the action. Far off is a band of cloud.

The lifeguard drives past to say hello. We agree that this is the perfect beach day.
"These are our months," he says.

"How often do you do these," a beach walker asks.
"Every couple of weeks, on average. I took the summer off because my crowd tolerance was practically nil this year."
"I was thinking you were out of action for good," Rich says.
"No. I wanted to make something but just didn't want anything to do with the crowds." Fall is much more relaxed.

I go get the brush and start cleaning up the area. It could use more earthworks, but the sculpture is so big that making appropriate surroundings would take a backhoe. I just use up the waste sand and call it good. The shadow reaches far across the beach.

Rich takes off, on his way to a concert in Harbor City.
"What is it?"
"Beethoven. One of the trios. And something else."
"Hmm... I've not heard those. I have a sextet and a septet, and the late string quartets."
"Those are the real meat."
Yes, I do find them heavy going.

I sit and watch the shadows lengthen and swing around eastward. High clouds reach down from the north, softening the sunlight, rendering the beach in gentle tones. I'm glad summer is over even as I enjoy the memory of its heat on this calm day.



2007-September-28