People arrive at the 2014 US Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Expo in San Diego.
Here comes one more cool blog post concerning the 2014 US Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Expo!
If you haven’t yet, please check out the SUPER AWESOME previous photos of the solo Sand Master competition at this event!
Now I’m going to cover the rest of what I saw. In addition to the incredible top international individual sand sculptors, a number of great teams also competed for fame and prizes. They started on their unique artwork today, so their creations seem in these early morning pics to have barely begun. I also enjoyed looking at many art exhibits, and a few sand sculptures dedicated to event sponsors.
The fun event on the B Street Pier was sponsored in part by Chevrolet.Teams create fantastic sand sculptures out toward the end of the pier.Many displays of art dotted the exhibition, as well as food trucks and a stage.The teams began their sculpting on Saturday, the day of my visit.This funny dude sifting sand said he hadn’t found gold yet!Teams from far and wide get started on their wonderful creations.Some of the artwork you could enjoy was really sensational!I saw the Sandcastle Man at the Imperial Beach event, too!Now that’s about as advanced as I am–a pail and shovel!These sand heaps will be two demons cast into heaven by Buddha.MakerPlace was there demonstrating their creative local facility.What a beautiful Labor Day weekend by the bay on the Embarcadero!A close look at an artist sculpting with great care.Gazing back toward downtown, adjacent to the cruise ship terminal.The live entertainment hadn’t started yet early this morning.Another sponsor, Foster Farms, had their own very cool sand sculpture!
Tomorrow I’m checking out the equally awesome Festival of Sail, so stay tuned!
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Ten world-class master sand sculptors compete by creating amazing masterpieces!
This morning I headed over to the 2014 US Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Exposition right as it opened, hoping to avoid the worst of the Labor Day weekend crowds. My timing was perfect, as the world-class competitors were all hard at work on their solo sand sculpture entries! I’m told they began on Friday; it appeared their truly breathtaking masterpieces were nearing completion.
For your enjoyment, I present many photographs of these super talented international Sand Masters at work!
Kirk Rademaker is a Sand Master who has won 10 major international awards.Kirk Rademaker works on his shoe sand sculpture on San Diego’s B Street Pier.The master sand artists all work very carefully as big festival begins.Early Saturday morning, and the big Labor Day weekend crowd isn’t here yet.Joris Kivits from The Netherlands has won many awards in different countries.Joris Kivits works on an elegant, simply incredible work of art.2014 US Sand Sculpting Challenge is in San Diego by the cruise ship terminal.A close photo of some very fine work by a sand sculpting master.Helena Bangert, from The Netherlands, also does snow and ice sculpting!Helena Bangert steps back to look at her fantastic artwork on the Embarcadero.A lot of patience and steady-handed work is required to create each masterpiece.The skyline of downtown San Diego can be seen in the background.Chris Guinto has starred in three TV shows on the Travel and Discovery Channels!
Check out my last blog post, which features Chris from days earlier!
Chris Guinto concentrates as he carefully smooths an edge on his sculpture.Chris is married to a master sand sculptor who’s in the Guinness Book of World Records.An exotic, unusual creation seems to depict an ancient warrior.JOOheng Tan from Singapore is often called Vincent Sand Gogh!JOOheng Tan has won many top prizes around the world!What appears to be a simple piece is actually beyond astonishing…Look at the inside of the sculpture. Wow!Sue McGrew is a star on the rise and has won several important competitions.Where is Sue McGrew… She’s inside this strange sand box!The art is inside this hollow, angular sand sculpture!I guess you gotta peek through the slots to see the finished marvel!John Gowdy is a Jersey boy now living in Italy. He won Sand Wars on the Travel Channel.John Gowdy’s piece is both amazing and dramatic.Some people in a row boat are being upset by a hungry shark!The vibe of this sand sculpture is crazy good.Melineige Beauregard of Canada believes sand sculpting is a spiritual experience.This stylishly rendered human head radiates with warmth.Visible are the Broadway Pier and a few visitors to the US Sand Sculpting Challenge.Melineige’s work of art has a second figure hidden within the hair!Sandis Kondrats hails from Latvia! He won the Grand Prize at last year’s competition!Sandis Kondrats takes a break to check his smartphone.Very organic human heads are fused together in this fantastic creation.The world masters’ sand sculptures are lined up alongside San Diego Bay.Michela Ciappini from Italy is a frequent trophy winner here in San Diego.One side of Michela’s sculpture is very sparse, modern and geometric.But something is growing between those straight sand buildings.A huge sand rose and human form emerge on the other side!
My next blog post will feature additional cool pics of the entire event…
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World Masters Class sand sculptures prepped on San Diego’s B Street Pier.
Early this morning, before going to work, I headed down to the Embarcadero to check out preparations for two big events that are coming this Labor Day weekend. One of those events is the 2014 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge, which will be held on the pier by the cruise ship terminal!
I noticed those sculptures that I took pictures of on Sunday are now completed. I also observed that the mounds of loose sand that the World Masters will sculpt this weekend have been enclosed in very mysterious-looking wooden frames.
As I took pics down the pier, a gentleman came striding along with some tools. I asked if he was a sculptor. He said yes. His name was Chris.
One competitor arrives at his future work of art by cruise ship terminal.
I spoke for a bit and learned he’d been creating sand sculptures since he was a kid on the beach, and that one could make a full-time living in such work. These unique works of art are popular at corporate events, public events, weddings and special occasions.
Chris said that some of the best sand artists would be competing from around the world, from places like the Netherlands, Singapore and Italy. He affirmed that this competition was one of the best in the world. I asked him about his own sculpture, and he said it’s a secret!
I didn’t know it at the time, but I learned with a little research that I had spoken with Chris Guinto, of Key West, Florida, a world class sand sculptor who has starred in several acclaimed television shows! His work has been a central feature of ‘Sand Masters’, ‘Sand Wars’ and ‘Sand Blasters’ on the Travel and Discovery Channels! All I can say is he was super friendly and very cool!
It’s Chris Guinto, star of several shows on the Travel and Discovery Channels!While Chris gets to work, I walk to see finished sculptures created last Sunday.In my blog post from Sunday, you could see the eagle head being formed!The sand truck looks unfinished and rather odd to me.The San Diego skyline sculpture promotes new MTS Rapid bus route.Chris has a tripod up, and now I say good luck and head for the trolley.
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Six dogs on a colorful mural on F Street in downtown’s East Village.
Here are some photos of outdoor art that I’ve discovered just wandering about the streets of downtown San Diego’s East Village. Enjoy!
Exotic faces, car and flowers along sidewalk in San Diego.Utility box dedicated to Tweet Street park.
The park itself is located up on Cortez Hill, just steps from where I live!
Summer swallowed us whole, written randomly on a step.More fun street art in East Village.Cool smile, horn, coffee and heart.Bold graphics on wall of Lucky’s tattoo parlor.Jumbled, eye-catching mural on a fence on F Street.
This fence borders SILO, which contains a ton of awesome street art, which I documented in this blog post.
More artwork along F Street on the fence that borders SILO.More cool street art on F Street in downtown San Diego’s East Village.
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Alamo Flags in Seaport Village certainly has a few flags!
If you live in San Diego, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Alamo Flags. The cheerful specialty shop near the center of Seaport Village has been known to give away large, beautiful American flags on the Fourth of July.
To express his gratitude for his country, the owner, Mike Ismail, has created a tradition of presenting Old Glory to lucky shoppers on Independence Day.
Recently, he was recognized for this patriotic tradition by local San Diego Chapter 472 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Should you visit his colorful store, you’ll definitely see plenty of red, white and blue!
Bright flags and banners of every type flutter in the blue San Diego sky.An outdoor passage of brilliant colors.Mike Ismail in front of Alamo Flags in Seaport Village.Award above door from San Diego Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America.Two young men check out window display of many flag pins.A variety of fanciful wind socks dazzles and delights the eye.Fun gifts shaped like hot air balloons seem to lift off.Stars and Stripes are a frequent sight.Alamo Flags stands proudly near the center of San Diego’s Seaport Village.
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Sand sculpture is prepared in front of San Diego’s Cruise Ship Terminal.
This coming Labor Day weekend, two major events will take place on San Diego’s Embarcadero. The 2014 Festival of Sail will feature about 20 beautiful tall ships from ports far and wide. The second event, the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and 3D Art Exposition, will feature a world-class competition between many of the world’s greatest sand sculpting masters.
I noticed today during my walk that preparations have begun for the unique art competition. Several sculptures are already being created to herald the event and welcome the weekend crowds. Big piles of sand also wait along the pier for the competitors to realize their creative visions.
2014 US Sand Sculpting Challenge to be held downtown Labor Day weekend.Man shovels spilled sand on pier into one of many big piles.This artist is making a representation of San Diego’s skyline!Each mound will become a unique sand masterpiece.These guys are working on a life-sized sand truck!Carefully adding Chevrolet logo to back of the detailed sculpture.A few minutes later, an eagle is taking form on this heap of sand!
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Passengers arrive at San Diego station of the Balboa Park Railroad!A train is now pulling right on schedule into the station.All aboard! Wait! I see a huge gorilla off in the distance!I wonder if this huge gorilla escaped from the nearby San Diego Zoo.The train departs on another exotic, unexpected adventure.Yikes! Now it’s a tiger that I see! There are wild animals all over the place.A silent lion watches as the tiny train glides through Balboa Park.Giraffes seem to be enjoying some eucalyptus trees nearby.The folks riding the fun little train wonder what might come next.The tracks pass Tijuana! That was a very short trip!Who knows what might appear around the next corner…
Sometimes ya gotta have fun with a blog post’s title, just to get a little attention! I hope you enjoyed my silly little excursion.
The Balboa Park Miniature Railroad can be found a few steps beyond the north end of Spanish Village in Balboa Park. It’s sandwiched between the carousel and the San Diego Zoo. I remember riding the kiddie train back when I was an impressionable young whippersnapper. There were no animals sculptures back then. But it did have the same really cool tunnel near the end!
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Canyon in Balboa Park to be site of San Diego Zoo employee parking structure.
When I recently went on a special tour at the San Diego Museum of Art, my new docent friend expressed concern about an upcoming construction project. We were standing at a window that overlooks Old Globe Way, a short, winding access road that follows the edge of Jungle Trail Canyon directly behind the museum. The road starts behind the San Diego Junior Theatre, passes the rear of the Botanical Building, and finally leads to the back of the Old Globe Theatre. We gazed out the window at many colorful hummingbird feeders dangling from a nearby tree, at trees by the road that were marked with green paint, then beyond the narrow canyon to the back of the famous San Diego Zoo. The small canyon, I learned, was to be converted to parking!
After doing a bit of research for news on the internet, I learned the canyon would be the location of a six level parking garage for zoo employees. The idea is to free up a large amount of space from the zoo’s main parking lot on Park Boulevard. Employees arriving by car usually start their shifts in the early morning, and depart at different times, so traffic problems in the park would be kept to a minimum. The new structure has been in the planning stage for a long time.
Yesterday my journey through Balboa Park included a stroll down Old Globe Way. I saw that the work had already been started. Fortunately, those green markings on larger trees indicated they were to be saved.
A tree at canyon’s edge is mercifully saved.Canyon between Old Globe, art museum and zoo has been mostly unused.San Diego Zoo amphitheater where exotic birds and other animals perform.Trees cut down, making way for new road to a long-planned parking area.Hummingbird feeders in a tree directly behind the San Diego Museum of Art.
Here’s one of several identical signs that appeared nearby in November…
Sign posted in Balboa Park explains the Old Globe Way Renovation.
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House of Panama dancers practice on a Saturday morning in Balboa Park.
I spend a lot of time in Balboa Park. It’s close to where I live, just north of downtown San Diego. It’s full of things to do and see. And it’s simply a wonderful place that makes me feel optimistic and alive.
My pleasant walk today took me once again into the park. As if by magic, I discovered dance, a play, music, bright works of art and a surprising someone I used to know years ago.
Members of Jane Austen Society in San Diego prepare to perform a play.Scandalous play Lovers’ Vows was referenced in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.Moonlight Serenade Orchestra practices at Spreckels Organ Pavilion.Jazzy group rehearses Night and Day, Sweet Georgia Brown, and more!
That big happy dog is a frequent visitor to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. He’s the friend of Dr. Carol Williams, the civic organist! The musicians today were getting ready for Monday’s finale of the International Summer Organ Festival.
Kids, hula hoops and sunshine on El Prado in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
I believe that’s the same hula-hooper who wore the Merry Solstice shirt in my December Nights blog post.
Flowers near the reflecting pool in front of the Botanical Building.Bright greens and clear water attract my wandering camera lens.A daring pirate dangles beside the San Diego Natural History Museum.Falun Gong artwork emphasizes overcoming persecution in China.A homeless Chinese girl and sunflowers.
A friendly lady advocating for Falun Gong and protesting their persecution in China told me she believes in collective consciousness, and that the power of good thoughts around the world will eventually bring about positive change.
Glassblowers in Spanish Village remove red hot molten glass from furnace.Photographer Dallas displays his fine work near the International Cottages.
Dallas used to show his excellent photographs along the Embarcadero, just north of Seaport Village. I’d stop and chat from time to time and he’d tell me all about his interesting life experiences. One day he disappeared.
Today, many years later, I saw him again! He was among other artists showing his professional work on a patch of grass. It was great to see him again! His photography is truly top notch and depicts places he’s visited all around the world. Please check out his website!
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Lady twists balloon creations near the historic Balboa Park Carousel.
Whenever I walk through Balboa Park, I almost always point my feet in the direction of the carousel.
There’s something just so innocent and joyful about the old merry-go-round. For generations it has faithfully awaited children of all ages at the north end of the park, right next to the San Diego Zoo. The whirling playful animals and marching organ music put a smile on my face and a lift in my spirit.
While the 1910 Herschell-Spillman carousel has been moved a few times, for one hundred years it has been located in San Diego. Today it is only one of two carousels west of the Mississippi that feature the nostalgic brass ring game. Lucky riders who grab a brass ring win a free ride!
People gaze at the 1910 Herschell-Spillman carousel on a summer day.The merry-go-round features 27 horses and 25 menagerie animals.A brightly painted carved wooden horse awaits a passenger.The carousel, built in New York, has stood in Balboa Park since 1922! It was previously located at Tent City in Coronado.Old items in building include a rowboat.A fun brass ring game is still played today.Many generations have enjoyed this cheerful San Diego attraction.Another view past a ride for very young children.
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Cool San Diego Sights! 