- Marianne van den Broek has been sculpting sand for 23 years.
- She spends about two days on each of her projects and says the biggest challenge is Florida’s unpredictable weather.
- She makes a living by teaching sand-sculpting classes, making custom sculptures, and going to conferences.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marianne van den Broek, a professional sand sculptor in Key West, Florida. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m a professional sand sculptor in Key West. I’ve been working as the artist in residence at two adjacent sister properties, The Reach resort in Key West and the Casa Marina Resort in Key West, for 12 years — but I’ve been professionally sculpting sand for 23.
Throughout my time at this property, I’ve worked on more than 500 projects. My business is called “Just Sand And Water.”
I’ve worked on somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 sand sculptures in my career
One of the first questions my dad asked me when I got involved in sand sculpting at 18 years old was: “Can you make money with that?” I said, “As a matter of fact, I can.”
Initially, I was hired by a marketing firm that was putting on a sand-sculpting project at a festival, where they displayed the story of The Odyssey through sand sculptures. There were about 70 sculptors who worked on it for weeks.
I was just hired to shovel sand originally, but when I saw what they were going to do, I was so intrigued that I asked to stay and help.
I moved to Key West in 2005, and at the time, there was nobody else doing sand sculpting
The seed popped into my head that I would start my own business, which is exactly what I did in 2008.
The first year, I built a lot of sculptures and worked with a lot of groups from schools, and the Boys and Girls Club, just teaching kids how to build with sand. When that year was up, the resort I work at now gave me a call and asked if I would move over to their property.
I’ve been here ever since. Now, I teach sand sculpting classes for all ages.
The most challenging part of my job is dealing with the weather
I’m on a rollercoaster, in a constant emotional state with everything that’s going on. But at the same time — I’ve been doing this so long, I kind of anticipate how to protect my work by covering it with plastic and preparing for it.
Usually, the first question people ask me is, “What happens when it rains?” They just assume that it will melt away immediately. But sand absorbs a lot of water very quickly. So to ruin one of my creations, it would have to be extensive rain. You just have to wait for the rain to pass and then get back to it.
Sand sculpting is definitely a community
We have a Facebook group called “The Sand People,” and I was recently at a competition in Texas. They brought in 10 sculptors from all over the world, and even though it’s a competition, we’re all pretty friendly.
It also kind of works as a networking session and a conference. We socialize with each other and ask what everyone is up to, and we’re able to pick each others’ brains for tips and tricks, which is how we get better. I’ve definitely seen a positive progression in my work as I’ve learned more.
You start with a pile of sand, which is just like building the foundation for a house
If you take that process seriously, it makes sculpting so much easier.
I start with a lot of water, and I use forms to create the mold, then I mix the water with the sand, then I vibrate it — kind of like squishing grapes. That makes the water and air come up, and everything settles.
When I remove the forms the next day, I have a solid block of sand. When you have a block of sand, and you have to make that first cut, it always feels like it's your very first time.
But it's muscle memory. You start carving into it, and then you get into the flow. Michelangelo's observation that the sculpture is already in there, you just have to free it, is true. Your brain gets trained so well that you see it and connect with it.
It takes me, on average, about one and a half to 2 days to create one of my sculptures
It's shorter than other methods of sculpture making, which is the beauty of sand. If I were to work with something like marble or wood, it would take so much longer.
People say I have patience, but I don't think I would have the patience to work on a piece of marble for three months. The fact that I can knock out a sculpture in a few days works a lot better for me.
The longest project I've made has been up for more than a year
On average, at the resorts, I usually leave them up for one or two weeks. Casa Marina is a larger property, so I have two sandboxes there — one is for my classes, and one is there for weddings and corporate sculptures.
My sandbox is exactly what it sounds like — it's a roped-off section of the beach, so people know to look but not touch. But people do touch it. They really want to make sure that it's actually sand. I'll finish the sculpture and come back the next day, and there's, like, one finger mark on it.
But for the most part, people are very respectful.
For my projects, I don't actually use beach sand
I use quarry sand. The beach sand here is made of remnants from coral and other ocean materials, and it's not good for me to work with.
The sand I get is from a quarry underground. It's fresh and new, which means every grain is still angular and sharp, so when you stack it, it packs.
The beach sand here rolls around all day and is constantly exposed to the elements. Each little grain of sand becomes rounded off, like marbles, and I can't stack marbles.
I could make things with this beach sand, but it wouldn't be as tall or as detailed. Structurally, it doesn't stay together. Using sand from a quarry also means I'm not taking any sand away from the natural environment.
My wedding sculptures range, on average, between $1,300 and $2,500
I do these sculptures on a contract basis, and because I've been here for so long now, I have people who come back for their 10-year anniversary. They tell me their family is still talking about the sand sculpture at their wedding, which feels really nice.
I love working on marriage proposals — they're my favorite thing to do, because they're such an emotional occurrence. You're there when the question gets asked, and it's such a burst of energy when it takes place.
I also love working with kids and leading workshops to kind of work with their imagination, because what they see is different than what we see as adults. I love helping them create what they envision.
People often ask if I get upset my projects don't last
I feel like people always want to hang on to everything. But for me, once I have a picture of it, I'm good.
I take pictures of everything. I always make sure to capture my creations, and I share a lot of my creations on Instagram, which is @justsandandwater.
You get really good at letting things go. Sometimes, you even have a collapse while you're working on a project. You think something is going to turn out in a certain way, and then it collapses, and you just have to come up with a plan B.
Since you're on a time crunch, you can't get too hung up on it. You just kind of have to move forward.
For those who want to make this their profession, I'd highly encourage it
We need some young blood in this profession. I'm 41, and I'm one of the younger ones. We need some new people in the sand sculpting world, and if they want to intern with me, they're more than welcome.
But it's a physical job — all outdoors, and there's a lot of shoveling, and you have to be able to use a hammer. You've gotta be out in the sun — I go through a lot of sunscreen.
When you're working in Florida in the summer, it's usually over 90 degrees. You can get used to all of these things, but you have to initially be willing to leave the air conditioning and be out in the elements. And make sure to drink lots of water.
People are amazed when they see me working
They ask: "Is this your job?" I always say: "Yes." They don't teach you about it in school, but you can work as a professional sand sculptor.
No one hired me. I came up with this job! I make my own hours, too — it's part of the agreement I have with the hotels. I love that I can set my own hours, because sometimes the creative process can take a bit longer.
I recommend to anyone who's having a bad day to just go to the beach and make a sand sculpture, because people will come up to you and tell you you're doing a great job. And in how many jobs do you consistently get that kind of positive feedback from others?