How Artist Andres Amador Creates Stunning Fractal Sand Paintings Along the Northern California Coast

San Francisco Bay Area artist Andres Amador shared with the Wired series Obsessed the way he creates gorgeous fractal sand paintings on beaches along the coast of Northern California. Amador talked about how he designs the patterns, how he waits for the right conditions to work on such a large scale and demonstrated how he scratches incredible designs into the sand with rakes and other tools. He also opened up about the ephemerality of his work.

During low tide I have a wet canvas that’s as big as the beach will offer me and I’ll rake on that, which turns over the sand that is a bit dry on the top but it’s still wet below. And so that contrast, those are the lines those are my brush strokes…No question the tide is going to return and it’s going to wash it away. and no matter how much I might want to hold on to whatever I created built into this artwork is a letting go of the creation.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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