In celebration of a great English seaside tradition, Teletext Holidays Masters of Sand took place on Saturday 24th July in Central Beach, Great Yarmouth and it was the biggest public sand event the UK has ever seen! It was open to all UK residents, regardless of sand sculpting experience or ability and you could build anything you like. There was also lots of entertainment for the whole family including a Broadland FM road show. To tell us more about the event Paul Hoggard, one of the world’s leading and most respected sand sculpture artists joined us live on line on Tuesday 13th July and was able to offer some helpful hints and tips on how to build the perfect sand sculpture!

	Moo wants to know: "how did you become a sand sculpture artist?"
Paul H said:	Going to the beach and playing with the sand. No one taught me, I taught myself. There are big academies in Holland, Russia, all over the world.
	Sand lover wants to know: "Can you sculpt in clay etc as well as sand?"
Paul H said:	Yes I enjoy sculpting with clay. The last thing I made out of clay was a horse’s head.
	Jane wants to know: "What is the biggest sculpture you have ever made?"
Paul H said:	19 metres high and that was in Belgium. It was a sculpture based on the Culture of Eldorado. It was a massive piece with artists from all over the world and I was lucky to be on it from the top down. It was very scary!
	Pete wants to know: "What are some of your favourite British beaches?"
Paul H said:	Great Yarmouth! St Ives! Scarborough! Another one is Whitsand Bay!
	Kevin wants to know: "Where can we see you in action in the UK?"
Paul H said:	Great Yarmouth on the 24th July. The Teletext Holidays Masters of Sand competition. To find out more look on www.teletextholidays.co.uk. I am going to be judging and creating my own exhibition piece.
	Slippi wants to know: "What are you going to make at Master of Sands?"
Paul H said:	I don't know yet, probably an arch out of sand. Something that’s difficult.
	Tim wants to know: "If you could build a sandcastle anywhere in the world where would you build it?"
Paul H said:	On the beach in India where I started.
	Red wants to know: "What’s the best sculpture you have ever done? (I like that face one!)"
Paul H said:	The best one I have done, was with my partner, of a life sized bull elephant, it was amazing! Everyone was amazed! It's tusks alone were 2 metres long! It took 2 days to make!
	Lucy wants to know: "Are there any places in the UK that are better than others for the type of sand/weather conditions you need?"
Paul H said:	Cornwall is the best! Definitely Cornwall. They've got nice golden sand and beaches! I haven't been to Great Yarmouth but I heard from other great sculptors who say it's great and I'm looking forward to going there.
	Aimee wants to know: "Your sculptures look amazing! What are some easy designs to start me off? And any tips on mixing the ingredients - is it just sand and water....? "
Paul H said:	It's just sand and water. Dolphins and animals and faces... things we're familiar with. Always keep the sand nice and wet! 8 parts sand, 1 part water makes the best mixture.
	Josh wants to know: "What are some of the essential sand castle building tools?"
Paul H said:	Sharp knife, a bucket and spade, brush straw for blowing away the dry sand. Your hands are the main tools.
	Craig wants to know: "Do you find it frustrating when you build a sand sculpture only to see it washed away by the tide?"
Paul H said:	No I find that sometimes that's the most beautiful part of the experience because of the fact that everything is temporary. I like impermanence. I've done the work and managed to express my creativity. It's all part of the sculptor's experience!
	Rich wants to know: "Do you think sandcastle building will ever be an Olympic sport?"
Paul H said:	Sculpture used to be an Olympic Sport. It was not just about how fast you are. There are people now that are trying to make it an Olympic sport in America. I think personally I'm in a mission to say it's allowed me to be more free and easy. So yeah I would be there, but I wouldn’t expect gold medals.
	sand lover wants to know: "do you just earn money from being a sand sculpture artist or do you have another job too?"
Paul H said:	I make all my living through making sculptures.
	Cath wants to know: "Is there a sand-sculpture that you'd love to achieve but you haven't yet?"
Paul H said:	Every sand sculpture that I make is an achievement. I enjoy my work if I'm making a little one on the beach or in a competition. I enjoy them all.
	Damon wants to know: "What's the next big challenge?"
Paul H said:	The next big challenge is probably the Great Yarmouth sand competition, as sand sculptures are not well known in the UK. But I'm looking forward to the challenge.
	poekie wants to know: "Paul, are you like Swampy the environmentalist, empowering the people through your Art?"
Paul H said:	Yes, I’m trying to inspire people through my own art.
	Kevin wants to know: "Is there somewhere that we can visit on the web for more information on the things we are likely to see at the beach in Great Yarmoth?"
Paul H said:	www.sandsculpture.net and www.teletextholidays.co.uk
	Kevin wants to know: "have you ever tried your hand at ice sculpture?"
Paul H said:	No, but my girlfriend is very good at ice sculpture. You have to work in a cold room of minus 10 degrees.
	Damon wants to know: "Have you built any sculptures in Australia?"
Paul H said:	No I've never been to Australia. But it's definitely on my hit list.
	Henry wants to know: "Do you ever let onlookers lend a hand? - community bonding sessions!!!"
Paul H said:	Yes I do. I remember recently there was a young chap who said I wasn't very fast so he joined me for an hour and helped me finish off a piece. He said it was a lot harder than it looked!
	Gretel wants to know: "How long have you been making sand sculptures?"
Paul H said:	I'm into my 13th year!
	Gretel wants to know: "What inspires most of your designs?"
Paul H said:	That’s a difficult one. From nature - I look to the sea and relax, that is where I get my inspiration
	Mad Kiwi wants to know: "Have you ever trained anyone?"
Paul H said:	Yes I train people all the time on the beach. I've done workshops and have taught kids for years. For the last couple of years I have taught more advanced classes to adults.
	Kane wants to know: "Where is the best place you have worked so far?"
Paul H said:	I've worked in some beautiful places! There was a beautiful beach in Hong Kong. But my all time favourite is Goa, Baga Beach!
	Kelly wants to know: "Is the art of sand sculpting in any way harmful to the environment?"
Paul H said:	No it's not. If we are on the beach all we use is just water. We don't use any chemicals!
	Ed wants to know: "If you were a sandcastle, what sandcastle would you be and why? (For example I would be Windsor Sandcastle because this is my favourite castle)"
Paul H said:	I would probably be a sand elephant just because I love animals. If not I'd probably be a lion.
	sam wants to know: "What sculpture has taken the longest?"
Paul H said:	The 19 metre high sculpture took 3 weeks. 10 hours a day which was in Belgium. The longest one I built in the UK took 10 days, it was of the nativity scene.
	Mrs. McBride wants to know: "Hi Paul....... What a great hobby! I'm really interested in taking this up as I spend a lot of time lazing around on the beach on holiday doing nothing. How could I get into this too? P.S. I have no imagination so what would be a good sculpture to start with?"
Paul H said:	Something simple. The obvious one is a castle. A face is always a good one to start for the reason that you can touch yourself and work out a scale.
	Ben wants to know: "Do you only make these sand sculptures on the beach or do you make some for corporate functions like ice sculptors do?"
Paul H said:	Yep, I do sculpture for TV and magazine publications and on a commission basis. I have even done a sculpture for the Queen back in 1996 of a farmyard scene of a giant pig with nine little piglets. It was nice. The Queen liked it!
	sam wants to know: "Is a volcanic sandy beach harder than a regular sandy beach?"
Paul H said:	No it's actually better as the sand holds better because of the small molecules.
	Mandy wants to know: "What will the sandcastles at this years event be judged on? "
Paul H said:	Creativity, use of space and originality!
	Mad Kiwi wants to know: "What was your first sculpture?"
Paul H said:	Bob Marley! And I don't know why! It just happened to be of him, which I spontaneously did with no picture.
	Luke wants to know: "Do you surf as well?"
Paul H said:	No, but all my friends in Cornwall are surfers. But I am a surf dude who likes building sharks not being chased by them!
	Dave wants to know: "What are the ideal conditions to make a superior sculpture?"
Paul H said:	The ideal conditions are not too hot and a little bit of drizzle. We want a bit of drizzle or a bit of rain in the morning at the Great Yarmouth Comp and some sun in the afternoon.
	Shane wants to know: "What's the average lifespan of one of your sandcastles?"
Paul H said:	On beaches it's 3 days. Off the beach is about 3 months.
	Andy wants to know: "Is there an international sandcastle constructing competition?"
Paul H said:	Harrisand hot springs is where the world sand sculpture championship is taking place in September in Vancouver, Canada. I'll be there building a piece based on silence. It will be a water scene where there will be a canoe of two red Indians. There will also be animals on the side of the river sculpted to look like they have stopped to listen.
	Lisa wants to know: "If you are on a pebble beach what can you do that is as much fun as building a sandcastle?"
Paul H said:	You can do patterns, i.e. spirals! I also do rock balancing which is great fun and it looks very impressive!
	Luce wants to know: "Is sand-sculpting a competitive business?"
Paul H said:	Yes! Not so much in England but the rest of the world is very competitive.
	Wayne wants to know: "Do you find that there are some types of sand that you can't build a sandcastle with?"
Paul H said:	No, I've never found sand that I can't build with.
	Melanie wants to know: "What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you at a competition?"
Paul H said:	We once had part of our sculpture that came down in Canada whilst at the international competition. We had to work around it with an hour left to go!
	Emma wants to know: "Do you ever use colours in your sculptures?"
Paul H said:	Only different colour sands. I don't use any paints or chemicals as that can ruin the environment.
	Milney wants to know: "If I enter the Master of Sands Competition will I look silly that I can only build a bog standard castle?!"
Paul H said:	No you won't look silly! It's not about how it looks it's about how you feel and that you enjoy the experience! And I will be there to help you out!

Still got a question or comment?

Name

Your question Question

Enter code