My name is Lucinda Wierenga, though I am known around the world as "sandy feet the sand castle lady." Born and raised in Grand Rapids, I have spent the past 30 years perfecting my art on the beautiful beaches of South Padre Island, texas. I compete in sand sculpture events around the world, and I am very happy to be bringing sand to Artprize in 2012. Congratulations to Grand Rapids for giving me a good reason to come back home!

The title of my entry is "Garden of UnEarthly Delights." My plan is to create a menagerie of unearthly creatures in an alien, vaguely gardenlike setting. The sculpture pictured above - an award-winning solo project in Fort Myers Beach in 2011 - is something in the same vein.

This sculpture will be created on site from sand donated by local supplier Coit Avenue Gravel. We will start by compacting the sand with water into forms, which are stripped away as we carve. After an area has been carved, we spray it with a light solution of white glue and water, which - if it has time to dry - creates a thin, crusty shell. This protects the sculpture's detail from rain showers and wind, allowing it to stand for weeks and even months before it turns back into a pile of sand. I like to say that a sand sculpture's temporary nature is a large part of its charm. We take lots of pictures and in fact will be shooting time lapse photos as we work. Please feel free to mug for the camera - it makes the final video more interesting.

Back on my home beach in South Padre Island, Texas, I supplement my income by offering sandcastle lessons. During ArtPrize Emerson and I will be demonstrating sandcastling techniques that you can take to Grand Haven with you, helping you to have more fun on the beach forever.