This week I found some information about the lovely sand face I shared last week.
Sand Sculpture
Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
February 27, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
The face was part of a gorgeous sand sculpture in the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki.
The Royal Hawaiian asked Sandsational Sand Sculpting
to make a sand sculpture featuring the ulīʻulī,
the feathered gourd rattle that is used as an instrument in the Hawaiian hula.
Ulīʻulī (red and yellow) with ipu heke ʻole (hollowed gourd percussion instrument)
and pahu drum (upper left - Hawaiian Hula Drum)
Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī
Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
January 24, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
The result is the most beautiful sand sculpture I've ever seen:
Here the Hula Dancers Hold the Ulīʻulī above Their Heads
Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
February 27, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
A Closeup of the Hula Dancers
Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
February 27, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
The ancient style ulīʻulī was made from the ipu gourd or coconut shells.
Three or four evenly-spaced holes were made around the gourd, about a quarter of the way down from the top.
A bigger hole in the apex of the gourd was used for cleaning out the gourd
and partially filling it with small shells, pebbles, or seeds.
Fiber from the pandanus leaf or ti plant was run through the holes,
tied, and wrapped in place to form a handle.
The "pouf" at the end of the handle was trimmed and decorated or left alone.
The Met: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
The seed of the ali`ipoe (canna lily) is preferred.
A wooden dowel is glued into the apex hole, a disk is attached to the dowel,
and feathers decorate it.
Hula dancers quickly rotate the ulīʻulī back and forth in their hands
or strike them against a hand, shoulder, or thigh.
The gourds are never hit together.
Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī
Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
January 24, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī
Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
January 24, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
When I saw the ulīʻulī sculpture in the Royal Hawaiian,
I was fascinated by the beauty and the detail of the sculpture.
It was hard to believe that it was made of sand!
A Closeup of the Hula Dancers
Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
February 27, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Sandsational Sand Sculpting has been creating sand sculptures
around the world since 1996.
It's team of creative professionals have backgrounds in
industrial design engineering, fine art, performance art and marketing.
Jill Harris and 2010 World Champion Thomas Koet not only do commercial sand sculpting,
they are known and respected worldwide for the magnificent sculptures
they make in premier master sand sculpture competitions.
Many people are curious about how sand sculptures stick together
and last a long time even outside in the weather.
If you've ever built a sand castle at the beach,
you know that it collapses as soon as the water reaches it.
My brother and I had lots of fun building sand castles with deep moats when we were kids.
We took great delight in watching the water fill the moat,
then swallow our castle as the tide rose.
For answers to how to build sand sculptures that last, I went to the website
of the World Sand Sculpting Academy (WSSA) in The Hague.
When building a sand sculpture you can only use sand and fresh or sea water.
Beach sand typically doesn't work because the sand grains are rounded.
River sand is needed because the grains are angular
and the sand contains some silt and clay.
These river sand features allow the sand to stick together.
Sculptures are built in two stages: compacting and carving.
In the compacting stage, sand is placed into a wooden form and mixed with water.
The sand is compressed layer by layer, by hand or with machinery.
Once the top of the sculpture height is reached, the wooden forms are removed,
and the sculptor(s) can begin carving.
Ted Siebert, Lead Sculptor of The Sand Sculpture Company
Flickr ~ Abraham Puthoor ~ License
A number of factors go into how long a sand sculpture lasts:
sand quality, weather, location (outdoors or in), and climate.
Sculptures like the ulīʻulī inspired one inside the Royal Hawaiian can last for years,
as long as they are not touched.
There is a lot more information at the WSSA website.
A Closeup of the Hula Dancers
Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
February 27, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Here's a video I took at the Royal Hawaiian Center
of hula dancers performing with pu'ili bamboo sticks.
I only have still photos of the hula dancers using the ulīʻulī.
Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī
Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA
January 24, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Thanks for asking me to find out more about the photo I shared last week.
I learned a lot, and you know I love to learn!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
My next post will be on
April 5, 2023 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Wow, wow and wow. Thank you for continuing my education - and in such a beautiful way.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Sue! This was a fun subject for me to research! Have a great weekend! xox
DeleteWonderful sculptures indeed. Great shots
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roentare! I do love photography! I hope you are enjoying a relaxing and fun weekend!
DeleteWow, Louise, what a fabuous post! Thanks so much for taking the time to research the sculptures and customs. The sandsculptures are precious, those people are very talented. Thanks again for all the work you put in here! Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie! I have a lot of fun finding out about things in our world. I hope all is well with you! Take care! xox
DeleteThat is impressive work with sand. Be curious what they do to make it permanent.
ReplyDeleteYou and a number of other people asked me this question, Alex. Duh! It's obviously something that I should have put in my post, so I went back and worked the answer into my post. It's very near the bottom. That's what I get for writing at the last minute until midnight ~ sometimes you leave something important out. Oh, well. We're all doing the best we can! Have a great weekend, my friend!
DeleteWhat a wonderful post, Louise! I enjoyed every bit of your info about that marvelous sand sculpture, the sculptors who created it, and all the various types of Hawaiian drums! I was never able to bring any Hawaiian drums home with me in my luggage, alas, too big! But I did bring home a pair of those split bamboo percussion sticks (I don't know what they're called in the Hawaiian language) which the dancers are using in your video. They were used in my drumming circle for many years and were popular with the women attending.
ReplyDeleteHi, Debra! Somehow your comment didn't get added this morning when I approved comments. But I found it! I went back to my post and added some more information this afternoon. One of the things I learned was the bamboo sticks are called pu'ili in Hawaiian. How cool that you used them in your drumming circle. You have lived such a culturally rich life, my friend! I can just imagine the fits Terry would have if I tried to bring home a big drum ~ lol! Have a great weekend! Hugs!
DeleteThanks for teaching me the name of the split bamboo sticks!
DeleteHappy to do so, my friend!
Deleteprecious friend Louise what a post !
ReplyDeleteno doubt i was struck by the elegance and perfection of the sculpture when you shared it ,so good to learn more because sculpture is normal to hear but i hear about sand sculpturing for the very first time and was curious to how sand can stand so firm and beautifully :)
thank you sooo much now i know that world's some best brains are creating those magnificent arts wow i fell in love at once !
i can imagine how enjoyable must be the performance you saw personally
folk songs ,tunes and dances all have certain beauty which lacks the modern arts actually. that specific touch that make us meet to our origin somehow is inexplicable .
hugs
Hi, Baili! Thanks for you welcome comment. I went back to my post and added in a section about how the sand sticks together. A lot of people were curious about that. You can see what I found out near the end of my post. I love sand sculptures, and I am always looking for them when Terry and I travel. They are an amazing, but short-lived form of art. I love seeing performances of the hula and other Hawaiian cultural presentations. But then I like exploring culture wherever I travel. Culture fills you heart, and the more we learn about and experience other cultures promotes understanding and peace. I've loved your posts because I always learn from them. Much love to you and your family, my dear, dear friend! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
DeleteAmazing sand sculptures! -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine! I loved the cat you drew which Nicole featured on her blog. Happy weekend to you!
DeleteWow Louise. This is an excellent post. The artist creating the sand sculptures are amazing. So much wonderful informatioin. Yes, I love learning too. Thank you for sharing all of this with FFO and have a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole! I have had a great day which included an hour spent at my favorite bookstore. I hope that you have had a great day too! Enjoy your weekend, my friend! Hugs to you!
Delete...Louise, I LOVE the sand sculptures, this isn't mere playing in the sand. The Royal Hawaiian is a pink beauty. The first time we went to Hawaii the hotel was under renovation. If we all danced the hula, this would be a more peaceful world.💛💙
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom! You are so right about making the world a better place. If I ever win a big lotto, or if I live to be old and still have some money left, I am going to stay at the Royal Hawaiian. Now I just explore it and have a mai tai and maybe a piece of cake. I love that place. Have a great weekend!
DeleteLovely sand art!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine! Hugs to you!
DeleteI was most impressed by the sand sculptures, including the dancers. I've seen a few on the beaches of SOCAL, but nothing like what you encountered. Most are so temporary, I hope that is not the case here.
ReplyDeleteI know about a LOT of different types of drums, but have never seen these before. And that dance must have been magical for you to see and experience. A once in a lifetime and you shared it with US. Thank you.
Thanks, Elizabeth! The dance was magical! I've been fortunate to spend a lots of time in Hawaii and to see amazing cultural events. I never tire of it. The Hawaiian culture and aloha spirit are alive everywhere. Have a lovely weekend! xox!
DeleteOh my, how interesting! I love to learn too and I thank you for this post! I remember reading that the hula was originally only done by men not women? Now, I have no idea if this is correct, I will have to look it up! I learn things but then, I forget them. LOL! I love the sand sculptures!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, as a travel agent in the 1980's and 1990's, I loved to send people to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. They would come back and thank me profusely!
I know that you love to learn, Kay! The origin of hula dancing can't be verified, but tradition says that the first hula dancer may have been one of several goddesses (ie, a woman). When Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778 both women and men were dancing the hula. Two friends and I actually performed a hula at one of the smaller hotels ~ It was one of the highlights of my life! We danced to "Pua Hone" which means "Honey Flower." And I've spent the last few months learning how to walk again without a bad limp. Growing older is not for the faint of heart ~ lol! I still can't afford to stay in the Royal Hawaiian, but I spend time there. It is a magical place! I hope you, Richard, and Chris are all doing well. I've been so slammed in recent weeks, so it has been hard for me to even pretend I'm keeping up with blogging. Hugs and love to you!
DeleteWow. It sure is impressive indeed what they can do. Wonder how they get the sand to stay though. Stick some sort of hardening agent like cement in it? Going down the rabbit hole sure can result in some interesting things indeed. Bit of a different meaning to pound sand with what they do lol they make excellent work, where as the other meaning... hahaha
ReplyDeleteHi, Pat! A number of people have been asking how the stand sticks together, so I went back this afternoon and added the answer to that at the end of my post. A sculptor is only able to use sand and fresh or salt water ~ no other ingredients. It was fun to learn more about the process, something I should have had in my original post ~ duh! But that's what I get for writing my first draft last night. Sand sculptors are sometimes pound sand with big machines. I think that would be fun! Have a great weekend!
DeleteHi, Everyone! I went back and added to my post to answer what many commenters want to know: HOW DOES THE SAND STICK TOGETHER? When you do a post at the last minute and work into the night until you are bleary-eyed, sometimes you leave out something important! 😱
ReplyDeleteThat is a gorgeous sculpture, and, even better, I learned something new in this post too. I didn't know those rattles were called uli uli, and I certainly didn't know how they were made. Nor did I know how sand sculptures were held together. That is really interesting. We have a beach here in New Hampshire that has a sand sculpture competition every summer and many of the artists come from very far away. It is such a specific art, isn't it? Have a wonderful start to April and happy weekend too. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erica! I would love to see a sand sculpture competition live! How wonderful! It is a form of art that really appeals to me. Enjoy as winter turns to spring! Hugs to you!
DeleteSand sculptures are amazing! A couple of years ago I saw an article, complete with video, of women destroying a sand sculpture at the Royal Hawaiian. It was shocking. The Royal was going to pay for the artist to recreate the sculpture. I hope it's been finished by now.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Hi, Janie! It's lovely to see you! I knew about the vandalism, and I considered adding it to my post. But I decided that would detract from my post. I didn't spot the sand sculpture that was destroyed. I can't fathom some people! I hope all is well with you! xox
DeleteWow, I believe I have been schooled on the Uli uli and on sand sculpture. It still amazes me that the sculptures can last so long without using something to hold them together. Very interesting and now I have something to talk about next time I go out with friends. I would like to see more hip action in your hula girls and boys ... hitting sticks doesn't do it for me, Ha! Wonderful and informative, Louise ... You certainly are a woman of the world.
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol
Thanks, Andrea! I have some more videos of the show, but I have to learn how to edit my videos first ~ lol. I do love to travel, my friend! xox!
DeleteThis is such a cool post Louise! I love how intricate the sand sculptures can be...and the rattles. One of my spiritual friends uses a rattle to clear bad energy from her space before reading her cards!
ReplyDelete