"Tall Ships" was created for the South Street Seaport Museum.  It features 25 tons of sand and took four days to complete.  The inspiration was the sailing history the museum depicts through it's collections, exhibits and educational programs.  The sculpture features a classic tall sailing ship set against a background of the South Street architecture at the entrance to the museum.

"Bleach Blonde in Sand" was created at an indoor event space in New York City to promote the newest John Frieda hair care products featuring Cool Dip, Sea Waves, Sun Streaks,and Smooth Seas marketed under the Beach Blonde line.  It features 10 tons of sand and was created in two days for a promotional media event.   Any sculpture can be designed to display product, create a photo op or have objects inserted for special effects,

Every September I carve a sculpture for the Tunnel To Towers Run held in memory of Firefighter Stephen Siller who on 9/11 ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to assist at the site of the World Trade Center.  Stephen perished in the wreckage but his spirit lives through the work of the Stephen Siller Foundation spearheaded by family members.  It has been a great honor to create these memorial sculptures for this event since it's inception in 2002 and will continue to do so as long as they will have us.  "Memorial" seen here, like the 17 preceding it were created with 17 tons of sand over 17 hours. 

When Disney sought a way to promote the release Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland to a large audience, they commissioned sandsculptor.com to create this on the beach in Belmar New Jersey.  Situated just off the boardwalk it was visible to thousands of beach goers as they strolled by.  Countless photos were taken, many to be posted to social media sites later.  It’s a well known fact in marketing that Disney is extremely protective of it’s brand. I have worked for them on numerous occasions. Their logo must be rendered with precision… or you don’t get paid! I’ve rendered logos for them on several occasions and yes… Paid every time!

After years in planning, The National Lighthouse Museum opened near the Staten Island Ferry in late summer 2015.  During the fundraising portion of it's development  to attract donors and community interest in the project we created this sculpture on South Beach.  This sand was a challenge and would not stack very high.  As a result, the design was adapted.   The final sculpture titled "Light The Night" features the museum logo, a lighthouse being pummeled by large waves (specifically added for structural purposes) and some stonework to set it off from the sand.  

After all the art and design, sand castles remain the consummate crowd pleaser!  They inspire whimsy, fairy tales and the dream of living 'happily ever after!”  This sand castle was created in Downtown Manhattan.  Over 50 tons of sand were used to achieve an overall height of 16 feet and incorporates every detail of castleture conceivable!  If it's a crowd pleasing sculpture you’re looking for, add a good old fashioned sand castle to your plan! They make for unequalled impact, and few create more elaborate and inspiring sand castles (in time allowed) than Sandsculptor.com

Here’s a sculpture done for a private event in East Hampton, New York. Sharks and Castles together at last! This is 25 tons of sand done over 5 days merely to entertain party guests! Maybe you would like one for your next party! If you have the dough… I have the sand!

A two for one sculpture!

Phase One:

The sculpture to the right is created each year in May at Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey so it’s ready for Opening Day festivities. It always features horses representing the track and a dramatic sand castle on the back side representing the beautiful beaches of the Jersey Shore.

Phase two:

I return in Late July and re-carve the face to promote the upcoming Haskell Invitational Race complete with the sponsor’s logo. For the most part the remaining sculpture stays the same.

And here’s one view of the sand castle hiding on the back side.

The logo sculpture, the team build experience, and Can You Dig It Sand Tools!  (See below!)

Successful team building events need to meet certain criteria.  Foremost they should entertain guests with positive and constructive activities that benefit employees for some time after they return to their offices.

They must motivate the staff to engage with others and be geared toward developing out of office collaboration among their reward group members.  

A great team build is designed to foster familiarity among co-workers and boost stronger working relationships within the organization.

And if these criteria are met, the by-product leaves guests with more than a great memory and a story to tell but also bolsters company pride which always leads to closer teamwork in the office.

 If your event is at a beach or beach resort, a sand sculpting team building event with a world class sand sculptor will meet all the criteria above and more.  Participants not only get the team building experience, but they learn some rudimentary tricks and unique skills for one of the most beloved of all pastimes.  A skill they can take home to share with friends and family every time they go to the beach!

Here’s how it works:

A typical sand sculpture team build includes a demonstration sculpture created by one or more sand sculptors. The design of the demonstration sculpture should include elements representative of the client’s industry and most importantly the company logo rendered with laser like precision. By example, a pet company might feature animals as part of the sculpture, or a pool company might have waterfalls cascading into different styles of swimming pools.  Often, a client will want to keep a sculpture whimsical to suit the day, in which case detailed sand castles or sea creatures are consummate crowd pleasers.  The clients input on design elements is always welcome!

The demonstration or logo sculpture creates the perfect photo opportunity for members of the group and instills pride.

Some companies choose to photograph the sculpture and use the resulting images in print ads or company souvenirs and posters.

The team build itself is simple to organize.  After teams are selected, a professional instructor will do a small presentation before the entire group, or just for team leaders when the group is extra large.  Participants then shovel their own sand, carry their own water, create their own designs and carve the sand all under the guidance of the sculptor who works with the teams throughout the event helping to keep them on track and get real results.  Judging the results is by the sculptors or a company committee. This format produces winners who may collect token prizes, certificates and at least some hard earned bragging rights.

The logo with supporting details usually takes one day (though the American Express team build and logo at right were done in one day!)  and the team build is done the following.  The team build can last anywhere from one and a half to three hours: More if a group likes. 

We provide all the tools and equipment for as many guests as you have and use Can You Dig It Sand Tools so everyone is afforded the same advantage on the beach!  And all clients are offered a special discount if they wish to gift the tools to their guests. 

Call or e-mail matt@sandsculptor.com today for inquiries and quotes. 

Click here for some FAQ’s about commissioning a sculpture or hosting a team building event.   

Logos carved in sand can be simple or insanely detailed but no matter, if you want to generate buzz, this is the way to do it.   I have carved hundreds of logos over the years from Time Warner and Nike to FRW Wood Restoration and Can You Dig It Sand Tools. Every single one is photographed and shared on social media site.  No ordinary printed sign can lay claim to that.  Some of our logos have been used to personalize promotional items, others for print ads and others still for media presentations. They have appeared in hundreds of magazines, TV spots, and even the White House Facebook Page!

Creating logos in sand is an art in itself.  Some are quite simple (Think the Nike Swoosh!) while others can be rendered as a full on sculpture (See the Ringling Brothers or the City Place logo here!)

What is the same in every instance is that the logo represents the company brand.  For well-branded companies, the logo and the tag line can be iconic to a culture; think Harley Davidson.  There is no room for error when duplicating them in sand.  They can be so well known that there is no room for error even to an untrained eye.

The logos shown at right illustrate the differences that exist between very simple and very complex logos. 

Logos shown here from the Top:

1)   One of the most well known logos in American culture.  The Ringling Brothers logo was rendered for the first episode of Sand Masters shot in Miami Florida.  It was about three to four feet high and some fifteen feet long.  This entire sculpture took the six-man team two days to carve.  The logo itself was worked on by three of the team while others completed the supporting elements.

2)   Domain Carneros.  This logo was rendered on the neck of a bottle.  The trick was creating the logo without distortion on the double curvature the bottleneck presented.  The lettering on the inner oval is very small.

3)   While most logos are copied from print as in a letterhead, brochure, poster or even a business card, The Naval Aviation logo shown here is a 3D interpretation taken from an embroidered arm patch common in the armed forces.  The concentric circles are a challenge as is turning a flat image into a sculpture.

4)   When Texas On Tour came to New York City they asked Amazin Walter McDonald to create one of his classic sand castles on the pier in South Street Seaport.  I came on to carve the logo.  Before the logo could be preserved it rained hard.  You can see the ‘orange peel’ effect on the panel.  After the storm, I cleaned just the recessed letters and the raised star leaving the textured panel as a surround. 

5)   The two logos for DCR and Save The Harbor shown together were carved as part of a demonstration sculpture at the Revere Beach/New England Sand Sculpting Contest.  The theme of the sculpture was a lumber mill.  Hence, the sponsors logos were carved on what appears to be wood panels; but it’s just sand and water.

6)   Last summer, Banana Republic introduced the Milly Summer Collection to their stores and wanted a summer feel logo carved at their SOHO New York store.  Incorporating a castle created the perfect mood!

7)   When Disney announced the release of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland starring Johhny Depp, they ran a promotion by having sculptures with the logo carved on several heavily trafficked beaches around the country.  This was carved on the beach in Belmar, New Jersey.

8)   The Sand Masters logo!  This is one of my favorites because it was carved with the full cast of the show in California and became the bumper leading into each episode of season one.

9)   City Place is an upscale outdoor mall near Fort Lee New Jersey.  The organizers of a promotional event weren’t sure what to carve beyond the logo so the logo itself became the sculpture.  The boat, the building and the waves can be seen on banner flags that hung on posts throughout the mall.  But only the sculpture logo was photographed by shoppers and posted on social media sites!

10) Last but hardly least is the Can You Dig It Sand Tools logo    carved on the fly at the onset of a large project promoting them in New York.  Before the project was complete, this logo was reworked into the sculpture three times as work progressed and it had to be moved to accommodate elements of the full sculpture.  You can see the full sculpture on our castles page!

We can't always answer the question, "does size matter?" but we offer great bang for the buck with our smaller tabletop sculptures.  Whether you want to bring visitors to your trade show booth, set a display for a beach wedding, make a splash at Comic Con, or create a small presentation in a store window, we can accommodate you.  We bring the sand, the table and the skill.

Often enough it’s impossible to drop ten tons of sand at a location and indoor venues don’t always take kindly to the idea. And the logistics can be overwhelming and costly. 

Check out these gems on the right.  While smaller than floor sculptures, the attraction and fascination of sand sculpting’s appeal is not diminished, as a sculpture complete with a detailed logo can easily be created on a tabletop.   We have tables available in many sizes! In addition, the sculptor can stand throughout the carving and easily interact with spectators. Remember, above all, sand sculpture is a performance art!

 Enjoy this small collection of tabletop sculptures

The image at top right features a sculpture created for Marriott Hotels at their headquarters in Virginia. It was part of a campaign to promote travel to Bali!

The lighthouse seen at right was carved special for New Jersey Tourism in the Javits Center in new York City for the New York Times Travel Show.  The attached house is known as The Red Mill, a historic attraction located in Clinton, New Jersey and the pumpkins were added to promote an upcoming pumpkin sling competition.

Next we have two sculptures created for Nintendo.  The first is at their flagship store in Rockefeller Plaza, New York, and a second done but a few weeks later at Comic Con: the most attended event in the world for nerds, costumers!, and those who refuse to grow old! The castle featured was inspired by a screen shot taken from the new Legend Of Zelda video game!  Gamers recognized it instantly!

 The  sculpture with the DCT Logo was done in The New Orleans Convention Center.  It was for a small emerging maritime safety consulting company at The Work Boat Trade Show.  The WBTS is a huge show taking up the entire convention center.  Displays included ship engines, polished propellers standing ten feet tall and magnificent booths installed by large companies that were a hundred feet long.  How could a little guy starting out compete with this? And alongside booths featuring free drinks, expensive giveaways and scantily clad models? He can’t, unless he has a world-class sand sculptor in his booth telling tales of the sea… in sand!

The Cayman Islands logo sculpture was done at a rooftop lounge in New York City for a media event.  The client had no idea it would garner so many social media posts!

This Shark Week sculpture was created at the Paley Center for Media in New York City. A few sharks, a bit of coral and the iconic Shark Week logo… all on a table. It remained on display for over two weeks!

Done at the famous Coney Island Boardwalk during the wild and crazy Mermaid Parade, the Sparkling Ice bottle was replicated for the introduction of their newest flavor. Attendees would guess the flavor for the chance to win a vacation. They were also given free samples. I think they collected a million e-mails from a well targeted audience!

My Marvelous Mrs. Maisel sculpture was carved for the cast, crew and production team for the first ‘read through’ for the shows second season….. It was carved for one reason: It was to be a rose in the “stop and smell the roses” expression!

When the Ocean Club in Asbury Park New Jersey opened their sales office just blocks from the then under construction building, they wanted a creative way to display the offering. Typically a model is made and sits on a table in a sales office. It’s seen… but no one takes a photo of a plastic model! The sand presentation was striking and made for instant engagement with prospective buyers. This sculpture was created on a table but the base was a wood frame covered with sand to look like a floor sculpture. It’s still there a year after completion!

The Reading Volunteers sculpture was a pro bono project for my wife at a volunteer thank-you luncheon. The castle on an open book is a recurring theme in sand reflecting the whimsical story book, fairy tale, and dream-like aspect of sand sculpture!

This Clinique sand castle product display is one of my favorites. It was done at Bloomingdales in New York City. The client just wanted the castle with the logo but when complete I asked for a few products to display. Within minutes store customers were shopping with the sales team right from the sculpture… and the customers unsolicited…took selfies and photos!

When The Outlets at Corpus Christie needed to make an impression so far from home they chose Sandsculptor to attract attention at a real estate marketing show in New York’s Javits Center… the toughest market in the world! Nothing draws attendees into a trade show booth like a well executed sand sculpture!

Any time I create a sculpture it’s surely one of the Best Days Of My Life. For Thrillist, it was a natural fit to team with Corona beer to introduce the Corona Can!

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is and event for families and friends of the Museum. Creating their soon to be new location on the upper West Side of Manhattan was a challenge and needed to be done in limited time. It was a crowd pleaser for donors and children alike!

E-mail for a quote for your next event here! 

Our sculptures have appeared in hundreds of newspapers, magazines and TV shows, but now and then the media will get smart and ask us to carve up something special just for them.  Here's a small selection of sculptures for such purpose. 

The sculpture ar right was created for the Anguilla Resort Cap Juluca.  Several years after it was carved, the local Magazine Anguilla Life asked could it be used to adorn its cover.  But Of Course! 

The castle seen here was created in Coney Island, Brooklyn for the cover of Time Out New York For Kids.

Here we have The Torso of the Unknown Bodybuilder!  It surely isn't me!  This was created for an article about getting in shape for summer that appeared in Men's Health Magazine in Spring 2014.  I did look it over at the time but fell short of taking action!

The castle seen here was designed as a display stand for a story that featured reviews of exfoliating products.  appearing in Business Week Magazine

The products were set on shelves and terraces throughout the sculpture.  Sculptures created to display products is common.  See one we did for John Frieda Hair Care Products on our Event Sculptutres Page. 

Here's a sample of some competitive sculpting.  Sand sculpting contests are typically between 22 and 26 hours over three days.  Only water is used to compact the sand.  It is shoveled into forms and packed tight.   The forms are removed when the sand reaches a workable state and it is ready to be carved.  After all the carving is done, a light fixative/windscreen made by diluting school glue with water. It is applied using a garden sprayer to prevent the sculpture from drying out and returning to dust.  Competitive sculpting is quite difficult physically and is as much a test of endurance as skill!   There are barely a few hundred competitive sand sculptors worldwide.  The attraction competitions hold for sculptors is the chance to connect and reconnect with friends from around the country and the world… and the chance to show off our skills.  Sculptors will push the sand to its extremes structurally and in degree of detail at every chance. And as there are no themes or requirements to follow, will express them selves artistically. The results can be striking.

Here are a few of my entries.  Some were done solo and some as part of a team.  Enjoy!  If you have any questions about competitive sand sculpting feel free to send me an email anytime! 

This top right sculpture was called “Handle With Care” carved circa 2007.  It fell during Earth Day hence the theme.

I carved “Makes No Senses” (2nd from top) with my good friend Matt Deibert from Atlantic City.  Each of the five senses are represented several times but in no order and with limited realism.  We worked from the idea, but without a plan essentially making it up as we went along.

Right: “Nasal Passages” was another team sculpture.  This one was done with the incomparable artist Kirk Rademaker.  We teamed up for the Siesta Key Crystal Classic.  The idea for some sort of a man sticking his head out of a space ship came to us merely an hour before the start of the contest.  We had no real discussion beyond the idea except that when I suggested we plan further Kirk replied, “Did you ever see kids in a sandbox with plans?.  Sometimes no plan is the best plan. 

“IMAGINE” Carved with Brian Wigglesworth at the Texas Sandfest on Port Aransas Beach in Texas.

This is the one side of a massive sculpture designed by myself and Bouke Atema of the Netherlands.  This was the third place winner at the World Championships held in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2012.

“The Gears Are Turning” Back view; Atlantic City 2012 Solo Division. 

“The Amazin Sand Castle Machine” was a tribute to ‘The oldest sand sculptor in captivity” Amazin Walter McDonald.  Created with my cast mate from Sand Masters Andy Gertler in Siesta Key Florida

To the right are front and rear views of a sculpture called “Spheres of Influence” Carved with another cast mate from Sand Masters Rusty Croft in Atlantic City for the World Cup of Sand Sculpting.

Music might be my favorite theme for sculpting.  Here’s one I called “Songs In The Key Of Life” After the classic Stevie Wonder album of the same name.

Here’s another carved with Andy Gertler for the Crystal Classic in Siesta Key Florida.

And one last music/art piece.  I don’t recall the title, but the idea was Venus Di Milo breaking out of a cello and was carved at the New England Sand Sculpting Contest on Revere Beach, Massachusetts. 

Sand Castles are the ultimate crowd pleaser!!!  

Often, sand sculptures are designed based on themes that relate to a clients product, service or mission statement.  For instance the tall ship seen on our home page was created for the Souths Street Seaport in NYC.  But very often a client does not have a theme or is more interested in entertaining a crowd allowing the logo to speak to the business at hand.  When asked for a default sculpture sure to attract attention, create impact and appeal to the largest audience, there is nothing that can compete with the classic whimsy of a finely executed sand castle and we have carved hundreds and hundreds.. maybe even over a thousand! .   Here are a few of ours in sizes ranging from a few buckets of sand spilled on a table top to 50 tons trucked in and dropped on the ground in downtown Manhattan. 

Over the years I have had some real adventures in sand, carving the gritty stuff from places as far away as Thailand and as close to home as Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza.  During my two years on the Travel Channel Show Sand Masters I carved sand with some of the finest sand sculptors in the world and had many once in a lifetime experiences.  Here is a small collection of some of my favorite sand sculptures.  They have each made the list for their own reason.  Sometimes the back story outweighing the quality or size of the sculpture.  I plan to compose more in depth blogs telling the story of how these and many more came to be.  Feel free to share and enjoy!