Artist Crafts Detailed Sand Sculptures That Look Like Real-Life Animals From Afar

Jun 15, 2020 by apost team

Artists, no matter what medium they choose, deserve enormous respect. The combination of inspiration, creation, and talent design works of art that enhance our lives and bring more beauty to the world.

One artist named Andoni Bastarrika, from the Basque region of Spain, crafts incredibly lifelike sculptures of animals using wet sand. His work lives on the beaches nearby and is able to be viewed by all. 

Many artists choose more than one medium to work with, in an effort to expand their talents. Some start with simple sketches and move on to sculpture and painting. Others choose more unconventional art forms, choosing to work with metal, wood, and natural materials to inspire us to see art all around us. With the hundreds of ways to express ourselves artistically and create art, there is no end to the possibilities that exist for the enjoyment of its expression.

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One artist in particular deserves accolades for his unique use of sand to create breathtaking artwork. He has gained worldwide fame for his artwork, crafted entirely from sand. While most of us are content to build a simple sandcastle that stands strong for a single day, Bastarrika is using his super imagination and expansive talent to create some truly magical pieces.

This most gifted artist uses the Basque beaches off the coast of Spain as the perfect backdrop for his sand art sculptures. Once he finds a cement platform that overlooks the sand, surf, and ocean, he begins to deposit buckets of sand onto his canvas. The talented, self-taught sand magician wets his materials, molding and shaping them with his hands, stones, and sticks until he is satisfied with the realistic look that he has created. For his unique and over-the-top finishing touches, he will sometimes find found objects such as shells, stones, and foliage to create fur, teeth, and hooves.

From natural substances, Andoni takes his inspiration from the beauty of nature around him, sculpting soft, fine sand into natural landscapes, animals, and other works reminiscent of the finest artwork. What makes these sculptures truly unique is Bastarrika's use of natural color elements to make his subjects look so real that they may be breathing! From horses to bulls to dogs, sharks, and beyond, his sculptures breathe life and beauty into every beach scene that he chooses to work with, and many beg for the chance to take pictures with his creations. Some even stop to ask the artist if he can create a replica to bring home with them.

When asked how he manages to create such marvelous works of art, Bastarikka attributes his talent to two things—time and desire. In speaking with Bored Panda, Andoni explained:

"I devoted myself to developing this gift and have spent the last 10 years doing just that."

You can see more images of Andoni's artworks on his Facebook page.

We are just as excited as Andoni to see where his journey of creativity will take him. May he inspire all of us to create more beauty and joy in our lives! What did you think of Andoni's incredible sculptures? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family!