 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Dan
& Meredith, Sandy &
Kirk, Bill & Mark, Christy
& Amazin',
Andrii
& Iryna, Mark & Jon,
Ky
& Jeff,
Roger
& Mark
Biographical info comes from the Texas SandFest Gazette and the Texas SandFest Web site.
| Dan Doubleday (Treasure Island, Florida) This is Dan's eighth appearance in Texas SandFest. He won Sculptor's Choice in 1999 and in 2000 won First Place, Sculptor's Choice, and People's Choice. Dan got his start in 1995 on a beach in California while "just playing in the sand" with his kids. Just six months later he placed 4th in the international masters competition. Dan was the first North American to win sculptors choice at the World Championships and has gone on to win more sculptors Choice awards than any other sculptor on the circuit. He also holds 2 World Champion Gold Medals. Dan and Meredith won first place in TV's Travel Channel's Sand Blasters'. You can check Dan and Meredith at http://www.Sanding Ovations.com |
| Meredith Corson (Treasure Island, FL). This is also Meredith's eighth time at the Texas SandFest. Meredith started sculpting sand as a hobby over twenty years ago. Meredith is the first woman to medal in solo at the World Championships and holds 7 World Champion medals including 1 Gold and 3 Silver. This year Dan and Meredith created: "And On The Seventh Day He Rested." First Place! |
"And On The Seventh Day He Rested" |
"And On The Seventh Day He Rested" |
| Lucinda "Sandy Feet" Wierenga (South Padre Island, Texas). Sandy is one of my personal favorites. She also got me, The Port A Sand Guy, started with lessons in 1999. Lucinda has won a modest amount of fame with her sandsulpting skills, competing at major events all around the world for the past 20 years. Most recently she has shown up in "Sand Blasters: The Extreme Sand Sculpting Championship"; LIVE with Regis & Kelly for four days; and in a full page People Magazine spread. Watch for her next fall when National Geographic airs a special about "what makes sand stand." Lucinda has taught literally thousands of people how to build a better sandcastle and has written three books on the subject, the latest and greatest of which - "Sandcastles Made Simple" - was published last June. A German version will be available this year. See more of her work and lots of other cool stuff at http://sandyfeet.com also check out http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/ |
| Kirk Rademaker (Oakland, California). Kirk is another one of my all time favorite sculptors both for his work and his ability to have fun in the sand. He usually enters contests with a sketch or an idea about what he will carve. His trademark is complicated machinery, the nuts and bolts and gears carved in the finest detail. The final product resemble little else in the sand sculpting world. Kirk was a cabinetmaker, designer, and draftsman before becoming a full-time sand sculptor. Kirk sculpts commercial sand projects, enters competitions, teaches private and group lessons, and holds corporate team building sessions. Kirk is known for his dramatic, unique "mechanical fantasies." This will be Kirk's sixth year at Texas SandFest. Find more about Kirk's world at: http://sandguy.com . This year Sandy and Kirk created: "SUR-REEL" 2ND Place! |
"SUR-REEL" |
"SUR-REEL" |
"SUR-REEL" |
"SUR-REEL" |
"SUR-REEL" |
| Bill Dow (Billings, Montana) Bill saw a huge sand sculpture in a mall in 1991 and was hooked. One of the sculptors got him interested and Bill joined his team, the "Pacific North West Sand Shapers." His first season, his team entered and won in the World Championships in British Columbia. Bill was recruited by USA (the United Sand sculptors of America), a company which does large mall sculptures and other commercial venues. He has worked with many great sculptors and has really learned his craft. Bill has competed in the World Championships every year since 1991. Bill had a very good year last year in sand competition. It started with the doubles win at the Texas SandFest, then a 3rd place team at Parksville, B.B. (with Peoples' Choice), a win at the Pacific Northwest Exhibition in Vancouver B.C., a World Team Championship in Harrison Hot Springs (with Peter, David, & Illya), (also a Peoples' Choice), and finally a win at a new contest in Westport WA. This is Bill's second time to compete at SandFest. |
| Mark Chapman (Portland, Oregon). Mark is another of my favorites both for his babes in metal and his Pirates (I think he has a bit of Pirate in him somewhere). Mark got his start in sand in 1998 with a lesson from Bert Adams. I have had a chance to work with Mark and Bert Adams at "Sand in the City" and am very happy just to be able to pick their brains for more tips and tricks. See more on Mark at: http://www.pnwsculptors.org/profilechapman.htm . This year Bill and Mark present: "The Dragon Slayer" 3RD Place! |
"The Dragon Slayer |
"The Dragon Slayer" |
"The Dragon Slayer" |
"The Dragon Slayer" |
"The Dragon Slayer" |
| Christy McDonald (SPI, Texas). Christy has been sculpting sand seriously for almost five years. She teaches sand castling lessons and plays in the sand. She has been competing as a Master since 2003 and loves working with her Dad, Amazin' Walter. Christy is also a clown and performs educational show about Unlittering! Unlitter is to properly dispose of more garbage than you generate. Unlitter starts with U!! To learn more about Christy go to http://ChristyClown.com or http://www.Unlitter.com . |
| Amazin' Walter (So. Padre Island, Texas). Walter is about the greatest person you would want to meet. I learned a great deal about sand sculpting and giving lessons just by following him around and doing his shoveling. The Amazin' Walter is the Grand Pooh-Bah of the Sons of the Beach (SOBs). he has been competing in Master's Class Sand Sculpting Competitions since 1985 when the SOB's won second place at Virginia Beach. Since then he has traveled the world carving sand. China, Belgium, Holland, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Costa Rica, Bahamas and many states in the U.S. In 2006 h competed at the Tournament of Champions at Harrison Hot Springs, British Colombia with his partner Sandy Feet. Then, with his daughter Christy at Port Aransas SandFest he entered the new Duo Category. September, Amazin' and Christy entered the World Championships of Sand sculpting at Harison Hot Springs, B.C. then the Neptune Festivals, North American Championships of Sand Carving in Virginia Beach, VA. where they won 3rd place in the duo category, sculptors choice, and peoples choice. Amazin won the C101 "C-Sculpture" Competition in Corpus Christi and was "player/coach" for the team that won 3rd place at the Architects competition in Galveston. In October Amazin' won 3rd place and peoples choice at South Padre Islands Sand Castle Days, in November he won "peoples choice" again in Ft. Myers Beach. He has been featured (frequently along with his partner Sandy Feet and his daughter Christy) in hundreds of magazines, newspapers, ads, movies, TV... he's famous on his block! Amazin's partner n this Duo Masters competition is his daughter, Christy. She is pretty "Amazin" too. Amazin' is most famous in the sand sculpting community for his technique of hand-stacking" sand. He teaches young and old & beginner and pro how to better STACK sand. Check out his web site: http://amazinwalter.com . This year Christy and Walter create: "Door Is Always Open" Peoples Choice Award!!! |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
"Door Is Always Open" |
| Iryna Kalyuzhna (Ukraine). Iryna is a painter and sculptor who graduated the Kharkov Academy of Art and Design. She works as a sand sculptor and has competed in major events in Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, Turkey and other countries. She has sculpted sand and ice with Andriy Vazhynskyy for three years. Winter ice festival, Russia, Moscow. International competition of sand sculpture in Anapa, Russia, "Sand Illusions" Held 3rd place "Europe" International Sand festival in Blankenberg Belgium "Ciao Bella Itallia," "History of Belgium" International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Russia. Yanao, Salekhard "Polar Rhapsody" Ice festival in Moscow "Skazki Narodov Mira" International competition in Samara "Zimniy Grad" International Sand festival in Apeldoorn. Nederland "Egypt" International competition, Russia. Moscow 2nd place, "Simba Lion" International sand festival, Portugal. Fiesa-2006 International sand festival "Laura sand city" Anatolia, Turkey composition "Adam and Eve" Sand Festival, Russia. Perm. Composition "Day and night" Check out more at http://www.sand-ice.by.ru/ |
| Andriy Vazhynskyy (Ukraine). Andriy Vazhynskyy
is a sculptor and graduated the Kharkov Academy of Art and Design. He works
with Bronze, stone, ice, and sand. Andriy has competed in major events
in Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, Turkey and other countries. He has
sculpted sand and ice with Iryna Kalyuzhna for three years. The list above
and the web site is Andriy's list as well.
Andrii Vazhynskyi and Iryna Kalyuzhna came from the Ukraine to compete here at SandFest. It was their first time in the United States and they were sponsored by Island Cycles."Peace In Paradise" depicts a baby girl and a baby boy asleep inside an apple. A giant snake is curled up beneath them and completes the powerful symbolism of good and evil.This sculpture won the "Coveted Befress Award" in the Master's DUO Division. (Meaning that these sculptors raised the most money for SandFest) |
"Peace In Paradise" |
"Peace In Paradise" |
| Mark Flynn (South Walton, Florida). Mark is a long time "castler" from Florida's Gulf coast. Up until 1999, Mark entered the occasional local contest, never stepping beyond castles, although these did become more elaborate. In 1999 Mark entered in the Master's level contest in St. Petersburg, Florida.In 2002 he worked on a large commercial sand project in Belgium, one of forty sculptors presenting the history and architecture of ancient Egypt. He returned to Belgium in'03, for a project on South America. Find out more about Mark at http://www.sandodyssey.com |
| Jon Woodworth (Leander, Texas). Jon has four children who gave him the name "Sand Dad." He is just a kid at heart and as such, loves to play in the sand. His wife, Kristie, joins him when possible. Jon has been sand sculpting for over 15 years. In 2002 a member of the SandFest organization chanced by Jon sculpting and invited him to enter the Amateur Sculptor's Division. He entered and won 2nd place. He entered the Pro-Am Division in 2004 and 2005 and won 1st place both times. This will be the second time that Jon has entered the Master's division at SandFest. Jon enjoys the competition of sand sculpting and the people involved in the event. Check out Jon at: http://www.sanddad.com . Mark and Jon created: "Calamaries Revenge." |
"Calamaries Revenge" |
"Calamaries Revenge" |
"Calamaries Revenge" |
"Calamaries Revenge" |
"Calamaries Revenge" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
"Castle Attack 101" |
| Roger Logan (Houston, Texas). Roger has been sculpting sand up and down the Texas coast since his first lesson on South Padre Island in 1999. A scientist by education, he is truly an artist at heart that never could grasp two dimensions but loves to sculpt in almost any medium. He finds carving sand to be both challenging and gratifying. Roger has competed several times and never passes up an opportunity to expose the art hinding in a pile of sand. Although a big fan of sculpting fantastic creatures, one of his strongest passions is intricate feaux rock work on castles. This marks Roger's fourth entry at Port A's SandFest. Roger has competed and placed at the Texas State Championship on South Padre Island. |
| Mark Landrum (Corpus Christi, Texas). Hey
wait...that is me, the Port A Sandcastle Guy, Check out more about me on
this website: http://sandrum.com.
Roger and Mark teamed up to create "Nosy Neighbor." The 2-person
team was sponsored by Mark Grosse
Real Estate.
"Nosy Neighbor" had a big castle about 8 feet tall with a giant dragon wrapped around it, trying to look in the door. |
