Humour Cafe

The incredible SAND sculptures

Big Ben, a herd of African elephants and a likeness of Scott of the Antarctic are some of the giant sculptures transforming a seaside resort today - all made entirely from sand.

Dedicated sand-artists are at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset this week recreating the world's best known-landmarks and faces on the famous beach.

Twelve experts in the medium are turning 360 tonnes of sand into iconic images from seven continents - including the Empire State Building complete with King Kong.
The lion sleeps tonight: The sand sculptures will be on show at the beach until August 31
Sand magic: A herd of African elephants are among the giant sculptures transforming the seaside resort today

The artists have until Saturday to finish their masterpieces in time for the opening of the Sand Sculpture Festival 2008.

Last year's event attracted 30,000 visitors and the organisers are expecting more this year.

Marketing manager Luci Hortop said: "The theme is 'Around the World'. For example there's Antarctica, featuring Scott of the Antarctic, and his team along with an ice-berg. Africa has a mud pool, elephants bathing and a lion stretching out in the sunshine.
Famous landmarks recreated: A sand-artist works the Big Ben sculptures before the opening of a sand sculpture festival in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

"In Australasia there's Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) and in Europe there's an eight-foot replica of Big Ben, built by the Italian artist Leonardo Ugolini."

Versions of Antoni Gaudi's cathedral in Barcelona and Venice's Rialto Bridge are also being created.

A 12-foot Empire State Building, straddled by King Kong, is under construction in the North America section, built by US sculptors Thomas Koet and Jill Smith.

There is no danger of the sandy masterpieces being ruined by Britain's unpredictable weather, as the works are sealed in with a strong lacquer.

Ms Hortop said: "They are protected by a protein-based solution almost like hairspray and can't be affected by the rain."

A 100 by 40-metre area of beach has been taken over by the event, which has a section reserved for children's sculptures.

South America and Asia are the other continents represented.

The sand sculptures will be on show at the beach until August 31.

Councillor Elfan Ap Rees of North Somerset Council said: "We are very lucky to be hosting this event yet again, which is a reflection of the superb sandcastle-building qualities of Weston beach of course.

"I certainly look forward to seeing the results once the build is completed and the designs unveiled."
Hard at work: Jill Smith from Florida, USA, working on her sand-sculpture of a Canadian ice hockey player

World’s Biggest Useless Things

When you have too much free time on your hand and fame just isn’t coming your way, here’s one thing you can try: big the biggest thing that hasn’t gotten to the Guinness Record Book and enjoy some attention. Here are a few of the most useless biggest things we have come across

Incredible sand drawing

Spiralling off across the Nevada desert, these huge geometric shapes are an amazing three miles in diameter.

Created using only common garden implements and wooden sticks, the stunning creation is the most ambitious of many sand sculptures made by 47-year-old Jim Denevan.
True grit: US artist Jim Denevan walked in circles for more than 100 miles to make the massive piece of sand art in the Nevada Desert

Making three trips to Nevada's scorching Black Rock salt plain and taking a total of nine days, the Californian artist walked more than 100 miles scraping his designs onto the desert floor.

Denevan discovered his talent for sand art more than ten years ago when he idly picked up a stick and drew a 12ft long fish.

Since then he has created more than 600 sand drawings and walked at least 1,800 miles.
Optical illusion: Another sand picture appears to stand directly upright from the California beach where he drew it

'I just picked up a stick and started to make shapes,' he said. 'Before long I had covered the beach in animals, cars, volcanoes...you name it!'

A stranger later pointed out similarities between Denevan's work and Zen Buddhist gardens, suggesting the artist use a rake as his primary tool.

Denevan, who has exhibited his work in galleries, also compares Britain's complex crop circle shapes.

'They seem to be a bit more geometric than my designs and I guess they are planned in advance. I just turn up on the sand and start to create an image off the top of my head,' he said.

On beaches his work gets such a positive reaction that he has even found himself being told to leave it alone by strangers who don't realise he's the artist.

'I once finished a picture and was on my way home and realised that I had forgotten my jacket. When I went back, people on a cliff above the picture shouted at me to get off it. I had to shout back that it was me who had drawn it,' Denevan said.

But the temporary nature of the pieces is one of the attractions for him.

'I love to complete a piece just as the tide comes in so that in that moment it is finished and destroyed,' he added.