For many others, the quarantine and the resulting free time provided an excellent chance to try out a variety of new interests. While others attempted to recreate paintings or become amateur beauticians, New York-based artist Anna Chan went to the beach and began sculpting incredible animal sculptures out of sand and seashells.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Anna began sculpting the sculptures precisely one year ago, revealed in an interview. “There was nowhere to go,” the artist stated, “so I went to our neighborhood beach on Long Island, New York, two to three times a week with my kid.” “I had been unemployed for a few months and was desperate for a way to put my creativity to use.”
During the lockdown, artist Anna Chan acquired a new hobby: sculpting stunning animal sand and snail sculptures.
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Anna has been designing jewelry for 20 years and claims to be accustomed to producing it regularly. “It was nearly electrifying as my hand contacted the sand.” “All I wanted to do was produce something,” the artist said.
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Anna’s first inspiration was marine life, but she soon expanded to include everything of nature. The artist claims that there is a lot to be drawn from the endless beauty that surrounds us and that the seashells also help her come up with new ideas. “For example, with the sheep, I had gathered a large number of moon snails, which are plentiful on Long Island beaches, but I had no clue what to do with them.” I saw another artist paper cutout of a sheep with paper curls for the fur on my Instagram feed one day. “I noticed how the moon snail resembled curling sheep hair right away, and that’s how that artwork came together,” Anna remarked. The artist has said that her materials and nature collaborate to create her works.
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“Because I was still experimenting with the style and method for my work, I utilized shells not found locally in several of my little pieces.” “However, all of my major sculptures are made out of shells obtained on Long Island,” Anna remarked. “Each beach has its distinct collection of shells, so I know where to go to get what I need.”
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According to the artist, some of her early pieces took roughly 6 hours to complete, from when she began gathering shells to when she finished them. Moving her workstation into her garage, on the other hand, enabled her to be more careful, and her sculptures now take anywhere from 3 to 7 days to complete, depending on the complexity. “So far, the lion has been the most technically demanding item I’ve done since it’s a high relief work, so fastening the shells to the sand requires a steady touch and a lot of time,” Anna noted.
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Anna says she’s excited to do more with sand since there are still so many options. “As an artist, I aim to challenge conventional notions about what a medium can and cannot achieve. “I’ve spent most of my creative life looking for a connection to a material, and I’m thrilled to have discovered it at my local beach during such tough times,” the artist ended.
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