Z

"V" is for Victory!

Hey somebody down there . . . You are IN My dropping zone . . . incoming just about now . . .

Didn't even notice this!
2 down, 24 to go...

after several attempts at making a "z" shaped sand sculpture, I think this is the closest I'll come. The sun was unfortunately harshest on this angle that best shows the z shape, but a friendly seagull came by to brighten things up a bit.

I have to acknowledge the help of my friend Adam, and a 5 year old boy named Teddy who wandered over and ended up gathering sand for us for much of the afternoon.

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Comments

historygradguy says:

damn
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Beefus says:

Congratulations on the beautiful result!
Have you ever considered attempting a series of all 26 letters of the alphabet?
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

smacss says:

That's a great shot and the seagull was fortuitous.
We are going to try it - do you need fine sand?
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Kevin Church says:

What. The...how. the.

What.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

sandcastlematt says:

thanks Beefus - that thought has crossed my mind, but I think it might get a bit predictable and tiresome. And I've got an idea for a vaguely representational sculpture I'm itching to try - maybe next week.

Smacss: Well, I took enough shots of it that something interesting was bound to appear by chance. The finer sand the better, but pretty much anything that isn't primarily gravel will work. Looking forward to the results!

Kevin - thanks! Check out the sand castle set. Its all explained there.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

racingsquirrel says:

So cool that the sand sculpture seems to reach up to touch the sky and the gull. I like how it seems to be standing on one leg, delicately balancing like a ballerina. The sculptures are pretty amazing, it looks really time consuming.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

juniper bee says:

wow! it's so surreal and zen looking, matt!!

can I come photograph one some day?
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

billbalance - off says:

Absolutely Beautiful again Matt . . . Big Bravo . .
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

sierrablu says:

wow, great job on the sandcastle...... What a beautiful day!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

rebranca46 says:

Z = Zorro....really fantastic.....also birds come to see your work:-))
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

chatallot says:

Nice shot!.
>>>seen on
1-2-3 group
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

christaki says:

The Mark of Matto!!

This is great Matt. How long do these last?
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Leela.a says:

Excellent, my friend! Really want to try to check out your stuff this summer!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

sandcastlematt says:

Thanks everyone - I think I appreciate most that no one has teased me (yet!) about the Z being backwards; something I only noticed while uploading the photo. Drat!

Stephan: I'm glad you noticed how its standing on one leg - I tried to make it as one continuous line, with minimal overlap between the three segments. A ballerina; I love that interpretation.

Juniper & Leela: thanks for the nice words, and the interest in seeing them in person. Let me think about this; I've really come to enjoy the photography end of sandcastling and I'm kinda selfish... Keep in mind, too, that to get this angle, I had to lie in the 60 degree surf for quite a while - it was cold! Maybe we could have a flickr meet up in Revere or something later in the summer, when the waters a bit warmer.

Thanks Sierra - it was a gorgeous day; and I had time for a second castle, too (stay tuned!), plus plenty of swimming.

Thanks Bill and Chatallot; glad you liked this one.

Renato: yes, I'm always pleased when a bird comes by too. Maybe I should make an "M" next time to truly leave my mark on the beach...

Chris: This one was dug quite deeply into the sand and braced between two buried planks, so that it was pretty resistant to the waves. You can see that the tide had started to take off the sand, revealing the driftwood skeleton. After a couple hours, I stepped away to get some water, and some lifeguards took it apart, since it was was becoming a safety hazard. My friends reported that it was quite a struggle for them - ha! Normally they don't last this long.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Where's Walden? says:

I am always impressed by your sand castles, Matt! This one is fantastic - I like how precariously balanced it appears to be, even though from the sounds of it the Z was pretty sturdy.

The gull makes for a great photo, but I also like the little island in the distance and the person off to the right. Nice shot.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

jaysk says:

Your KARMA Group
excellent
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Skink74 says:

That looks really cool!

Your KARMA Group
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Leela.a says:

So you're saying you'd rather have people look at photos of your castles as opposed to the castles themselves? Hmm... : P
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Dancing Fish says:

Wicked, Matt! From the thumb it looked like bolt of dark lightening had hit the beach. A great castle and a really dramatic photo too. Top marks all round.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Steinle says:

This is one of my favorites of yours, nice work and amazing castle!
Stunning photo too!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

sandcastlematt says:

Thanks Megan! I'm glad it looks precarious - I tried to make it as slender as possible, to emphasize the line of the Z. There was a meager supply of driftwood that day (the lifeguards clean the beach constantly, so the local teens don't have material for bonfires), so it took quite a while to figure out how to construct the shape. The Singing Beach has two or three small rocky islands off of it, and I do enjoy trying to get them in view.

Leila: Well, I suppose you've got me in a pretty solid trap there. If you or Juniper want to give me a ride to the beach, I'm game. Or we could meet up in Revere. Better yet: I've been meaning to try the beaches that stretch from Castle Island through Southie and Dorchester Bay - we could meet there after work while the sun still sets late. Interested?

Jane: Wicked? You sound like a native Bostonian! I never thought of a thunderbolt, but I see it - a much more exciting interpretation than the simple Z I was aiming for.

Andrew: Thanks alot - I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. If only the light were a little softer, but I suppose I can't complain that much.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

jenink says:

Extraordinary !! Definitely a winner!
and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
FlickrInvite
Fl♥ckr Extraordinary Capture Award,

Please Tag your photo with ExCapture
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

ellie 6 says:

Please add your wonderful picture to the group www.flickr.com/groups/shopofcuriosities (SHOP of CURIOSITIES) and tag it with ShopofCuriosities

Wonderful picture and a great idea for composition !
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Dancing Fish says:

Believe me, Matt, it's said with a completely different accent, lol!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Leela.a says:

Sounds good!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Thushan Sanjeewa says:

You are definitely a Nature Watcher!
Please add this photo to http://www.flickr.com/groups/naturewatching/
and tag your photo "Nature Watcher"

Congratulations! Your eligible for PHOTO CONTESTS
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

rivadock4 says:

It looks like Thor's strike into the ground.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

down_the_rabbit_hole says:

Brilliant image - just love your sand sculptures and this one is typically amazing plus that very zen seagull - magnificent work.

Seen in www.flickr.com/groups/shopofcuriosities
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

GregStolze says:

For a second, I didn't realize it had a wooden skeleton and I was wondering, "Where the hell did he put the laws of physics while he was building that thing?"

-G.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

gcquinn says:

Seen in www.flickr.com/groups/shopofcuriosities
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

meaganwade says:

looks like a harry potter lightning bolt. but maybe i just have harry potter on the brain.

but whatever it looks like, its still awesomee.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

l.a.s. [deleted] says:

Zorro! Well done! Really amazing result.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

islanddreams132 says:

beautiful capture
Seen in www.flickr.com/groups/shopofcuriosities
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

darla2sam says:

Another amazing creation by Matt! Mighty Fine!
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

alohadave says:

Great shot Matt. Love your sandcastles.

--
Seen in the interestingness archives. (?)
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Vol-au-Vent says:

F A N T A S T I C ------ You're about to become THE ultimate sand sculpture artist, dear Matt!!!!

After all the explanations of how you do it, I am still utterly amazed at seeing those creations (was going to say creatures...) actually assembled - and then the bible says: Don't build on sand, build on rocks..... :))))))

Love from the pebble-beach of Lutry, Lake Léman, Switzerland
Kiki

--
Seen on your photo stream.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

hickoree says:

Great work!
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

hanaan says:

I LOVE THAT!! What a feat!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

CelloPenguins says:

You made that?! Wow. Amazing.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

Mikor! says:

that looks more like a S ;D if you want a z you have to flip that horizontally ;D
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

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Comments

historygradguy says:

Beefus says:

smacss says:

Kevin Church says:

sandcastlematt says:

racingsquirrel says:

juniper bee says:

billbalance - off says:

sierrablu says:

rebranca46 says:

chatallot says:

christaki says:

Leela.a says:

sandcastlematt says:

Where's Walden? says:

jaysk says:

Skink74 says:

Leela.a says:

Dancing Fish says:

Steinle says:

sandcastlematt says:

jenink says:

ellie 6 says:

Dancing Fish says:

Leela.a says:

Thushan Sanjeewa says:

rivadock4 says:

down_the_rabbit_hole says:

GregStolze says:

gcquinn says:

meaganwade says:

l.a.s. [deleted] says:

islanddreams132 says:

darla2sam says:

alohadave says:

Vol-au-Vent says:

hickoree says:

hanaan says:

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