Artist returns to beach to create sand portraits
Gert-Jan Van Der Kooij thrills the festival with his sand portraits of the good and the great.
Artist returns to beach to create sand portraits
Dutch sand artist returns to Walton-on-the-Naze to recreate his popular portraits
A Dutch sand artist has come back to an Essex beach to make portraits of famous figures.
Gert-Jan Van Der Kooij used the sand at Walton-on-the-Naze beach to draw images of Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne and David Hockney, all of whom have recently died.
He was taking part in the Walton Arts Festival at the weekend and, alongside celebrities, he also created images of Walton women who have made a difference historically.
Van Der Kooij said he uses computer software to plan his work, and wears virtual-reality goggles that project the image onto the beach, enabling him to then "draw" the design into the sand.
The artist, who lives near a beach in the Netherlands, began by using his hands for his artwork until his wife bought him a rake.
Known as "The Beach Raker" in his home country, he said it took about 10 minutes to draw a portrait in the sand for the festival, which is also known as Between The Tides.
"I draw really, really fast," he said. "And I also draw them in perspective. So usually when I do my drawings, you can only see them good from above."
He said he enjoyed making his art at Walton-on-the-Naze because its high promenade meant he had an audience watching him as he worked.
Gert-Jan Van Der Kooij first created his sand art at Walton-on-the-Naze last summer while on holiday
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