Sand Marks
This series of drawings evolved from walks along local beaches with our dog Millie. I became fascinated with the sand marks and structures people had left on the beaches. I began photographing them and realized they were actually traces of personalities left behind. Ephemeral moments marked in the sand to soon be erased by the incoming tide.
I began to draw them, and it wasn't long until the drawings began to mix with one another and with other past and current events in my life, drawing from both external and internal influences and associations. The context of the original Sand Marks were being changed and manipulated to say something new. From old marks or traces to new traces.
The subsequient paintings related to these drawings are under my 'Paintings' tab under 'Archive'.
I began to draw them, and it wasn't long until the drawings began to mix with one another and with other past and current events in my life, drawing from both external and internal influences and associations. The context of the original Sand Marks were being changed and manipulated to say something new. From old marks or traces to new traces.
The subsequient paintings related to these drawings are under my 'Paintings' tab under 'Archive'.
1. 'Foggy Morning'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A3 size.
This work is created from two local beaches, from two different times of the year. The top is Mellons Bay, the bottom Maraetai Beach, Auckland. NZ.
2. 'Protected'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size.
This sand structure was found on Piha Beach, Auckland. These kinds of structures take us back to castles and moats and inner protected villages. As if our walls will save us?
I came across another similar sand mark on Piha Beach a few months later, which I believed to be from the same sand artist
(image 3). Although the structural composition of the second mark was more open.
3. 'Roads and Rivers'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
The sand mark was found on Piha Beach.
4. 'Decorated'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
Sand structure on Omana Beach, East Auckland. This structure represents a very common approach to creating a sand castle - found throughout beaches worldwide I suspect.
5. 'Bird'. Pencil and Derwent blue Inktense pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 Size
I came across this rather large scribed bird shape on Eastern Beach, Auckland. Thought it was rather charmingly out of proportion.
6. Heart'. Pencil and Derwent blue Inktense pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
This scratched heart in the sand was found on Maraetai Beach. Hearts are a common theme on our beaches.
7. 'Fire Place'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
These stones were found on Mellons Bay. They show a very primal need we all have, to sit around a fire, cook food and tell stories.
8. 'Sand Castle'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
This beautiful sand castle was found on Maraetai Beach. A very standard shape created with buckets.
9. 'I would love a job'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A3 size
The image of the lady wanting a job, displayed on the front of our local newspaper, drew me in. The drawing is referencing the needs and wants of owning our own 'castle' or a safe and warm place to call our own. And how the jobs needed to get that are slipping away like grains of sand - increasingly replaced by technology,
10. 'Support'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I discovered this sand castle on Maraetai Beach. I decided to bend the sand and hold it up using a wooden structure and defy gravity. Referencing how hard it is to maintain a job and pay a mortgage and raise a family. The feeling of trying to hold something together that can't always be held. Realizing that life is always in flux.
11. 'Buried'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I have combined two different beaches and added an imaginary girl buried in the sand. A fun thing to do as a child. The house sand mark was found on Eastern Beach and the background trees were from Papamoa Beach, Tauranga. NZ
12. 'Hypnagogia'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I found this sand mark on Tawhatakino Beach, Auckland. Lately I have been interested in the hypnagogic phenomenon - seeing images in the darkness before one goes to sleep. In my case, I see small faces, skulls, eyes and cartoon faces forming and fading out to let another form and fade away. Most turn their heads as they fade away and some are speaking but there is no sound as they turn and fade away. Some are in full colour, while most are made up of dark purple, red/brown and white light.
Perhaps being an artist, one develops parts of the brain which deals with imagery more then others who do not. Like musicians hear sounds or a song come to them or a poet hears a poem. Although I have read that anyone can train themselves to see them. I am not quite sure why they are there but I have seen them since I was a child. I sometimes wonder whether this ‘show’ is permanently playing, and that I sometimes just ‘pop in’ to see what’s being screened. The powers of the mind are truly astonishing.
Notes from an article below - http://www.philosopher.eu/texts/hypnagogic-hallucinations/
'At the beginning of the 21st century they are still somewhat of a mystery. Brain scans can show us that it is not one part but a plurality of parts of the brain that are in activation during this “unique state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep” (as Andreas Mavromatis put it). Brain scans cannot tell us why they occur. That they occur at all is somewhat incredible, let alone that they are of such exquisitely high detail, complexity and often of such beauty and sublimity'.
I will probably take this further in my work.
The star-shaped image scratched into the sand can mean internal and external, it can also symbolize the unity of mankind with the earth or with the realm of the spirit, the human body. Surprisingly quite fitting!
This work is created from two local beaches, from two different times of the year. The top is Mellons Bay, the bottom Maraetai Beach, Auckland. NZ.
2. 'Protected'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size.
This sand structure was found on Piha Beach, Auckland. These kinds of structures take us back to castles and moats and inner protected villages. As if our walls will save us?
I came across another similar sand mark on Piha Beach a few months later, which I believed to be from the same sand artist
(image 3). Although the structural composition of the second mark was more open.
3. 'Roads and Rivers'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
The sand mark was found on Piha Beach.
4. 'Decorated'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
Sand structure on Omana Beach, East Auckland. This structure represents a very common approach to creating a sand castle - found throughout beaches worldwide I suspect.
5. 'Bird'. Pencil and Derwent blue Inktense pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 Size
I came across this rather large scribed bird shape on Eastern Beach, Auckland. Thought it was rather charmingly out of proportion.
6. Heart'. Pencil and Derwent blue Inktense pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
This scratched heart in the sand was found on Maraetai Beach. Hearts are a common theme on our beaches.
7. 'Fire Place'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
These stones were found on Mellons Bay. They show a very primal need we all have, to sit around a fire, cook food and tell stories.
8. 'Sand Castle'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
This beautiful sand castle was found on Maraetai Beach. A very standard shape created with buckets.
9. 'I would love a job'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A3 size
The image of the lady wanting a job, displayed on the front of our local newspaper, drew me in. The drawing is referencing the needs and wants of owning our own 'castle' or a safe and warm place to call our own. And how the jobs needed to get that are slipping away like grains of sand - increasingly replaced by technology,
10. 'Support'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I discovered this sand castle on Maraetai Beach. I decided to bend the sand and hold it up using a wooden structure and defy gravity. Referencing how hard it is to maintain a job and pay a mortgage and raise a family. The feeling of trying to hold something together that can't always be held. Realizing that life is always in flux.
11. 'Buried'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I have combined two different beaches and added an imaginary girl buried in the sand. A fun thing to do as a child. The house sand mark was found on Eastern Beach and the background trees were from Papamoa Beach, Tauranga. NZ
12. 'Hypnagogia'. Pencil on Fabriano Paper. A4 size
I found this sand mark on Tawhatakino Beach, Auckland. Lately I have been interested in the hypnagogic phenomenon - seeing images in the darkness before one goes to sleep. In my case, I see small faces, skulls, eyes and cartoon faces forming and fading out to let another form and fade away. Most turn their heads as they fade away and some are speaking but there is no sound as they turn and fade away. Some are in full colour, while most are made up of dark purple, red/brown and white light.
Perhaps being an artist, one develops parts of the brain which deals with imagery more then others who do not. Like musicians hear sounds or a song come to them or a poet hears a poem. Although I have read that anyone can train themselves to see them. I am not quite sure why they are there but I have seen them since I was a child. I sometimes wonder whether this ‘show’ is permanently playing, and that I sometimes just ‘pop in’ to see what’s being screened. The powers of the mind are truly astonishing.
Notes from an article below - http://www.philosopher.eu/texts/hypnagogic-hallucinations/
'At the beginning of the 21st century they are still somewhat of a mystery. Brain scans can show us that it is not one part but a plurality of parts of the brain that are in activation during this “unique state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep” (as Andreas Mavromatis put it). Brain scans cannot tell us why they occur. That they occur at all is somewhat incredible, let alone that they are of such exquisitely high detail, complexity and often of such beauty and sublimity'.
I will probably take this further in my work.
The star-shaped image scratched into the sand can mean internal and external, it can also symbolize the unity of mankind with the earth or with the realm of the spirit, the human body. Surprisingly quite fitting!
To enquire about purchasing any of these artworks, please contact Megan