BUILDING SANDCASTLES IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
What could be more fun than playing in the glistening white sand of the Riviera Maya building sandcastles all day long while enjoying the ocean breeze!? According to Jose Gonzalez, the answer is creating sand art SCULPTURES in Playa del Carmen. This incredible artist, originally from Argentina, has come to Playa del Carmen to enhance our already beautiful beaches with his distinctive artistic flare.
Jose Gonzalez has traveled up and down various coast lines, bringing smiles and wonder to those who appreciate his short lived works of art.
Jose has a crew of helpers. Building sand sculptures of this magnitude is no small feat. Wooden forms are built, sand is carried from one place to another and the exact amount of water needs to be mixed with the fine white sand to acheive the perfect consistency for sculpture building.
Not to mention that the sand sculptures need to be protected day and night to keep people from toppling them! Of course we all know the joy of stomping down a sand creation- it is a true temptation for many!
The sand sculptures need to be spritzed with water every 20 minutes to keep them from drying out and crumbling. This spritzing turns into a full time job as the artist creates more and more sand sculptures.
Jose Gonzalez is working with Solidaridad, the municipality of Playa del Carmen, to artistically enhance our beaches. The sand art exhibition will on display on the public beach area in front of Parque Fundadores, downtown Playa del Carmen, through May 20th, 2013.
The back drop of the new landmark sculpture, Portal Maya 2012, sets the tone for Jose Luis's fantastic sand sculptures.
The Mayan Calendar is proudly placed near the center of the sand art display.
A wishing well, to help your dreams come true for this new era of the Mayan calendar is present, front and center.
A sand interpretation of the Travesia Sagrada, the reenactment of the retracing of an ancient Mayan trade route to the island of Cozumel by canoe is also in the works.
Sand forms are built and filled with powdery sand and just the right amount of water in preparation for the artists carving tools.
This process takes days and many long hours under the blazing Caribbean sun.
Among these sculptures will also be the artist's depiction of Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility.
The sand sculptures advance greatly on a daily basis.
They change and grow and become more and more elaborate.
Soon this area will be filled with interesting sand sculptures illustrating Mayan themed scenes. It is well worth the trip down to the beach each day to see how much progress has been made.
The sculptures can even be seen from Playa del Carmen's trendy Fifth Avenue, across the plaza.
Don't miss this unique photo opportunity in Playa del Carmen. The beauty of these sand sculptures is fleeting. Soon they will be trampled upon, wind blown, and return to the flat shimmering beach that make the Riviera Maya famous with tourists and beach lovers from all over the world.