He wanted to stay home. He spent the whole car trip grumbling, moaning, and complaining. That monkey boy of ours is sometimes like a grumpy old man, but before we had even finished parking he was trying to leap out of the car. He saw the ocean and had to get closer. Scampering over rocks, collecting sticks, stones, and other beach debris; he quickly went to work. I stood by watching, documenting, and grinning to see the sudden transformation from grumpy monkey to focused land artist. And then the rain started to come down a little harder, the waves started creeping closer, and we knew it was time to head back home.Curious about land art? Check out this great interview with Richard Shilling at The Artful Parent. We got started several years ago after discovering Andy Goldsworthy's work. Highly recommend any of his books and this excellent documentary. And this flickr group. And then try it yourself. It's good for rainy days, sunny days, and especially grumpy days.
We just call it 'play' ;) Lovely photos!
There's no denying that he has the blood of artists in his veins.
That last shot, with the wave crashing in the background, is just stunning.
Give the Monkey Boy and Mei Mei a hug for us.
VERY cool! Why is it kids always complain about the most fun places until they get there.
i wish we lived near a beach for this very reason. the few times my children have been to the ocean, they've set to their work and play immediately and with such purpose, as if they just knew they were meant to be there.
beautiful photos and thanks for sharing :)
Too cool! I emailed you Skype info for book club! :-)
What great creations and that last photo is one to enlarge and hang on the wall!
we often have the same exact thing happen with my oldest. grumpy about going out, then has so much fun once out!
a couple other things--already have bananagrams! have not played it too much (ahem. darn doodle jump), so will have to get on that! and yes, NYT and NPR are so nice to have too. have you found any good travel apps? i got a metro map thing for rome, which i hope will be useful!
which brings me to: what do you think of taking our phil and ted's to rome? trying to decide if it's easier to do without a stroller and carry EVERYTHING, or if the hassle of a stroller is worth not having to carry everything (plus having a seat for a sometimes tired 3.5 year old). thanks!!!
oh, and also (LOL! sorry!), just looked at your road food link. very cool! am excited to put it to use once we go back.
Beautiful, love the blue paint on the wood.
A trip to the beach in ANY weather seems to always take the grumpies away. We love Goldsworthy here too. Your photos are fabulous!
Your photos are beautiful. Looks like time very well spent.
Glad you had a nice time despite the not so nice weather!
Beautiful artwork and beautiful photos. I was very inspired after seeing Andy Goldworthy's documentary as well. Our family has not created anything quite like what you've done and photographed here...but the process was a great experience. We did find that it was harder than Goldsworthy makes it look, for sure! Thanks for sharing. Very inspirational!
I love being reminded how children don't need fancy expensive toys to enjoy themselves. On a side note, I can't believe how dark the beach sand is...it is such a stark contrast to the white beaches where I live.
I've always been fascinated by "land art", but never knew there was a formal name for it. I love finding someone's creation when I'm visiting the beach and often snap photos of particularly interesting things.
Once again nature proves to be the best toy. Beautiful.
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