between tides. jim denevan
When did you began doing this work?
I have been drawing in the sand since 1996. I drew a 15 foot fish on the beach with a discarded piece of driftwood. Created at just the right time, in the late afternoon. It really stood out in the environment so I continued drawing. Soon after, the entire beach was filled with curves and lines creating shapes in the sand.
Why sand? Why the beach?
The beach is a giant canvas for me. I am a surfer, so I have been attracted to the movements of the tide for quite some time. The water works as a giant eraser and forces me to rely on immediacy and
the appreciation of impermanence.
Do you always work only by yourself?
Yes, I never have help.
How do you manage to work so precisely on such a big scale?
Years of practice and concentration
When you begin workin in one of your drawings, you know it ́s going to dissapear in few hours...how do you feel working against the clock?
I am not attached to the results, the drawing will be washed away. I have to let it go. It is just like the wind or the waves, you can enjoy them for the moment.
You did a huge freehand drawing in Nevada. And this time you didn ́t have the tide problem.... how was that work?
One week after the drawings completion, thunderheads pouring erasing rains swept the drawing away from the surface of the lake bed. I was happy that the rains storm came. It's not usual for me to have
my artwork last. I knew the drawing would erase at some point considering that dry lakes by definition are occasionally filled with water. I didn't expect the rains to come so quickly. There was no momentof loss. The erasing is part of the process just as important as the creation of the composition.
How was the experience of working with Chesley Chen shooting the film "Sandman"?
Good, I like working with film makers and seeing how they construct the story.
What could you tell us about "Outstanding in the Field"?
Outstanding in the Field is a dining experience on the land where we connect diners to the land and people who produced it. Everyone has the same meal and everything is picked that day or the previous day straight from the fields. The menu is composed of whatever is available nearby; that includes wine, cheese, vegetables, fruits, meat etc. Check out our 2009 schedule at:
I have been drawing in the sand since 1996. I drew a 15 foot fish on the beach with a discarded piece of driftwood. Created at just the right time, in the late afternoon. It really stood out in the environment so I continued drawing. Soon after, the entire beach was filled with curves and lines creating shapes in the sand.
Why sand? Why the beach?
The beach is a giant canvas for me. I am a surfer, so I have been attracted to the movements of the tide for quite some time. The water works as a giant eraser and forces me to rely on immediacy and
the appreciation of impermanence.
Do you always work only by yourself?
Yes, I never have help.
How do you manage to work so precisely on such a big scale?
Years of practice and concentration
When you begin workin in one of your drawings, you know it ́s going to dissapear in few hours...how do you feel working against the clock?
I am not attached to the results, the drawing will be washed away. I have to let it go. It is just like the wind or the waves, you can enjoy them for the moment.
You did a huge freehand drawing in Nevada. And this time you didn ́t have the tide problem.... how was that work?
One week after the drawings completion, thunderheads pouring erasing rains swept the drawing away from the surface of the lake bed. I was happy that the rains storm came. It's not usual for me to have
my artwork last. I knew the drawing would erase at some point considering that dry lakes by definition are occasionally filled with water. I didn't expect the rains to come so quickly. There was no momentof loss. The erasing is part of the process just as important as the creation of the composition.
How was the experience of working with Chesley Chen shooting the film "Sandman"?
Good, I like working with film makers and seeing how they construct the story.
What could you tell us about "Outstanding in the Field"?
Outstanding in the Field is a dining experience on the land where we connect diners to the land and people who produced it. Everyone has the same meal and everything is picked that day or the previous day straight from the fields. The menu is composed of whatever is available nearby; that includes wine, cheese, vegetables, fruits, meat etc. Check out our 2009 schedule at:
