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WHY Sand Art?

Watching sand animation come to life, in real time, has an extraordinary outcome on the audience. Audience members are uncontrollably fatigued into Charlene's seemingly real world made up of sand characters, trees, mountains and seas. Alive sand art is a magical art form that charms. Creating images conjured seemingly effortless, similar an oracle or a magician, Charlene's hands skate on glass like a kind of dance. The moving sand creates continuously fluid and poetic figures with original storytelling. Old and immature watch and listen together, and all is in harmony, because they all share the aforementioned emotions. A visual language is created that transcends linguistic barriers. Drawings are in perpetual transformation which excite imagination, surprise and allow sharp changes of tone and unexpected images.

Charlene Lanzel tin can perform her sand animations live at: gala events, in theaters, at festivals, opening or closing ceremonies, at corporate events, conventions, trade shows, weddings, dinner parties, art events and more. Charlene'due south sand fine art tin can exist integrated into: trip the light fantastic toe, concerts, advertisement, storytelling, video and television projects. Bespoke performances tin can as well exist custom created to existing compositions or original musical scores. Custom alive presentations or videos can include your own imagery, logos and themes.

The powerful impact of sand animation is indescribable. Adding special uniqueness to any event, sand blitheness is almost unbelievable. Information technology is a new, different and exciting way to communicate a message. Sand storytelling comes alive in this imaginative poetic expression.

Sand Creative person | Charlene Lanzel keeps audiences spell-bound by the twists and surprises that follow every sweep of her hands.

Reserve Charlene today for your next projection or issue!

Sand Art Music Video - Roots Run Deep

Here'southward a song by Amy Barkley, a very talented songwriter from Memphis. A cute tribute to her Grandfather, her Papaw… sung by her sister Kim Boeving.

Vocal: Roots Run Deep

Songwriters: Amy Barkley & Ian Duren
Characterization: Matchstick Media Publishing
Production: Bryan Hayes / Farmhouse Studio

Musicians:
Kim Boeving (vocals)
Steve Dunavant (upright bass)
Ian Duren (acoustic guitar, drums)
Alice Hasen (violin)
Eric Lewis (acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin, 6 string banjo)

© Matchstick Media Publishing

Videography: Sand Creative person | Charlene Lanzel

Visit: amybarkleymusic.com

SHOUTOUT LA Interview

An interview with Sand Creative person | Charlene Lanzel…

"Hi Charlene, what role has risk played in your life or career?"

SHOUTOUT LA

Interview with Sand Creative person | Charlene Lanzel

one. How did you showtime discover sand art/sand animation, and what was the most important deciding cistron in you wanting to practise it?

Sand animation was pioneered by Caroline Leafage in 1968 with her animated motion-picture show project "Sand, or Peter and the Wolf" for an undergraduate grade at Harvard Academy. As a child, in 1973-74, I saw two animations by Eli Noyes, another Harvard graduate, on the PBS television program Sesame Street. They showed her animated films "Sandman" and "Sand Alphabet". I was really fascinated with it, but at 6 years sometime I was a bit too young to think nearly doing it myself. By 1989, I started working equally a professional artist and mural painter. In 2004, I saw a video of Hungarian artist Ferenc Cakó'south live sand blitheness performance being passed around in the early on days of the internet. Cakó was responsible for turning sand animation into a live operation. At this point, I had been working as a fine artist and muralist for many years already. In 2009, a Ukrainian sand artist, Kseniya Simonova won "Ukraine's Got Talent" with her emotional sand blitheness performance. Her sand video went viral around the earth. A associate of mine mentioned that sand animation was becoming desirable for corporate amusement and events. Mural painting work had become scarce, due to advances in digital engineering. I needed something new to practise, a new style to brand a living. I knew I had the necessary skills and experience to do information technology. So, I spent a twelvemonth education myself sand animation, and posted my first sand video on YouTube in January 2011. Two weeks after I was scouted to perform at a party for Cirque du Soleil, and I've been traveling around creating sand animations e'er since. One of the things that I love most about sand animation is that information technology is an imperceptible art form. Information technology lasts only in the moment, and requires the living presence of the artist to happen.

2. Do you believe that creating art is but a hobby, or something much more? Why or why not?

For me, making fine art was always something I wanted to do for a living. I told my mother I wanted to be a commercial artist when I grew upward. I started painting at age 5 and never stopped creating. Fine art is what I'm best at, and something that I can contribute to society. Being a professional creative person is non an easy path. It requires focus, hard piece of work and determination. It's not for everyone. Information technology'south for someone with an entrepreneurial mind, every bit well every bit a adept skill set. I started out as a window brandish artist and through that I began painting murals. I've done fine art paintings and shown my piece of work in galleries. I've worked for jewelry designers, and fabricated my ain jewelry likewise. I have too worked as a sign painter and a street painter. Information technology's important to exist flexible and to be aware of trends.

3. What is a message you would like to send to those who may desire to pursue an art form such as this?

Sand animation is an advanced fine art form which requires a huge corporeality of time, hard work, focus, patience and do. You will demand drawing skills, an understanding of shadow & lite, a dancer's flow and coordination, and a steady hand. Information technology may not come hands. There will be a lot of trial, fault and mistakes. Don't be agape to make mistakes. Learn from them. Yous will too want to learn music and motion-picture show editing equally y'all grow into the fine art form.

4. Did yous ever experience someone ridiculing or mocking you for doing this, and if and so, how did you overcome information technology?

All of my life, people take told me that I couldn't be, shouldn't be, and wouldn't exist an creative person. I've proven them all incorrect. When someone tells you that yous can't, it's usually because they can't. The crusade is ofttimes jealousy and fear. Listen to your heart and do what'southward right for you.

Charlene Lanzel_Sand Artist_Kyocera.jpg

v. In your opinion, what is the almost difficult matter well-nigh sand animation?

The nearly difficult part of sand animation are the transitions from scene to scene. You lot desire a polish flow from ane image to the adjacent. It has to look pretty in all stages of evolution, even when scenes are irresolute. Synching with a soundtrack is also challenging. There's a lot of dorsum and along between the music and the artwork, until a time remainder is achieved.

six. How long do y'all plan to continue with sand animation, and what would y'all do afterward?

I plan to practice sand animation as long as I tin earn a living at it. Hopefully, that will be for a long time. But, considering it is so fourth dimension consuming, if the work flow stops I'll take to put my focus elsewhere. I'll keep making sand art films, even if I stop performing live. I'll stop when I run out of ideas. Afterwards that, who knows. Something creative, for sure. As long every bit I'k creating, I'k happy. Happiness is my goal in life.

vii. If you weren't doing sand animation, or it had never been created, what would you be doing right now instead? Why did you lot choose not to practise that thing?

If sand blitheness had never been created, I would be painting, which is what I did before and still do. I like trying new things. I've thought about creating sand mandalas, but I don't similar working outdoors on hot pavement. I also do acting, sometimes, only I'm a flake shy with my voice.

eight. What bear on do you believe your artwork has made on the customs?

People have oft told me that my sand art is inspiring. It inspires a sense of awe. It tells stories and showcases new ideas. It makes people happy... and that'due south the goal. Happiness.

9. Who has been your biggest motivator to proceed doing what you love? How does this person inspire y'all?

Myself. I am self-motivated. Some people accept tried to knock me downwardly, merely I am stiff and I fight to inspire others to exercise what they love! And... David Bowie always inspired me, just by being his unique self. :)

Interview by Chloe Docks, a student at S Elgin High School, doing a projection for her English form by researching information about sand art.

Lightworker

I am a Lightworker… and I'm on a mission to burnish your earth.

I devote myself to being a bright and shining, unique flavor of low-cal. I piece of work for the purpose of the greater good, keeping the highest interest of all beings in mind. I embody calorie-free, peace and truth to uplift humanity with a compassionate eye.

My desire is to produce positive letters, spread wisdom and warm people'south spirits. I promise to usher in a wave of positivity, dear and joy. I attain out into nighttime corners to gain perspective, and then dig through the shadows to help find inner lite.

The sand artist'due south light box dream world gives us an incredible opportunity for growth and learning, to manifest positive changes and to shine low-cal on new ideas.

Light is an always changing and mysterious medium. It is energy, a wave, a pulse and a spectrum. Information technology is invisible, however makes everything visible. Lite has the power to change our perceptions, creating focus while supporting activity. Light helps the world heal and transform.

Raise the vibration of the planet past being a conduit of light. Embody your authenticity. Use your thoughts to create a positive reality that makes a shining statement.

Add light to your world!

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel

Sand Creative person | Charlene Lanzel

Wedding Sand Art

Add together special uniqueness to your wedding reception or dinner. Sand animation is a new, different and exciting way to tell your love story...

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel creates a memorable sand art story merely for you, which adds a luxury chemical element to your nuptials result. Include portraits and shared experiences drawn in the sand, performed to a custom musical soundscape. Your love story comes alive with this unique alive animation!

Charlene offers 3 options for alive wedding sand art to suit your upkeep: Ambient, Combination (or) Bespoke.

1) 10 infinitesimal Live AMBIENT Nuptials: This is the most economic option. Charlene performs a love story from her stock animation "Dear & Nature" with the characters personalized to wait like the wedding couple. (ii-three weeks pb time)

2) 10 infinitesimal Alive COMBINATION WEDDING: This is a popular pick. Choose scenes from Charlene's stock imagery storyboards. Did you lot meet at the beach, city or countryside? Choose your scenery, choose from personalized wedding scenes, and add a sentiment at the terminate. (2-3 weeks atomic number 82 time)

3) Live BESPOKE Wedding ceremony: This is the best option. Use your imagination! Tell your completely customized story in sand with scenes of your choice, including: portraits, beautiful scenes, memorable experiences, and more. At to the lowest degree 7 minutes custom animation is recommended to tell your story. (three+ weeks atomic number 82 time)

Charlene's sand art can be performed LIVE at your reception or dinner...

and/or

4) a SAND ART VIDEO of an Ambient, Combination (or) Bespoke animation tin be created for large screen viewing at the event. An Hd digital video file (.mp4) of your sand blitheness includes a custom musical soundtrack which synchs with the artwork.

Please provide all information for the project at least 2-3 weeks prior to the performance or appointment needed. A signed contract, along with l% deposit, are required to hold your engagement and start your custom project, prior to the 2 week deadline.

Choose a sand color to match your nuptials theme!

PICK (one) Colour: White, Gilded, Autumn, Red, Pink, Cran, Purple, Blueish, Aqua or Green…

SandColors2019.jpg

Birth of a Sand Artist

People oftentimes enquire me how I got into making sand animations. Information technology probably started for me in babyhood, before I ever thought almost a career in the arts...

I loved to watch PBS programs, particularly considering of the artistic content. Every bit a child, I loved all things art related. On Sesame Street, I saw an animation of ii sand men throwing a sand ball back and along on a light box. There was also a sand alphabet animated on Sesame Street. I was fascinated. In the summertime, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, I would depict images in the sand, and wipe them abroad, trying to mimic those animations. I closed my eyes and faced the sunday... and wished I could draw in the sand forever.

Later, I enjoyed watching International Motion-picture show Festival animations on PBS. Every year the winners in the brusk animation category were broadcast. I loved watching them over and over. I told my mother I wanted to be an artist when I grew upwardly. I dreamt that I lived in New York. I started making flip volume animations.

I did become an artist when I grew upwards. I moved to New York Metropolis and found piece of work creating window displays and besides painting murals. I learned equally I went forth. Eventually, I landed jobs as a landscape painter on big projects both nationally and internationally. I actually enjoyed the work. I became very skilful at lettering and sign painting likewise, which became useful skills later.

While on a scaffolding, working on a large calibration mural, I had an accident. I suffered from a head injury. A week later on 9/11 happened. I needed something to ease my physical and emotional pain. I was out of commission for awhile healing, and feeling very vulnerable, and so I started studying Buddhism.

An creative person friend of mine recommended a video to me that she had seen on something new called the internet. We had been talking about the Buddhist concept of impermanence and ephemeral art. It was a live animation by a Hungarian artist. He was creating sand animations on a light box, but as a alive operation. An electric stupor went through my body... I remembered how much I loved those animations from my babyhood, and I had a flash vision of myself upward there doing the performance. I had goosebumps. I watched it over and over.

As the internet grew in popularity, and YouTube came forth, I saw a Ukrainian daughter'due south sand animation performance getting passed effectually on Facebook. I started wondering if this fine art form was something for me to try.

Time passed, and the economic system collapsed. Mural painters were out of work, due to advances in digital technology and the trend of minimalism. I needed something new to do. A co-worker mentioned sand blitheness and how desirable the art course was becoming. I decided in that moment to give it a try. I knew I had the skills necessary and I liked the idea of working with engineering.

I spent a year researching, watching sand animation videos, and trying many different materials. I built my ain sand table in my studio. It took me several months just to acquire to move the sand. I also had to learn digital editing for music and picture. It was a hard process and I almost gave up. But, eventually, with a lot of do and some patience, I created my beginning sand animation video and put it up on YouTube. A week later I was scouted to perform for the opening nighttime after party for Cirque du Soleil'south Zarkana show at Roseland in New York City.

The residuum is history...

A Sandbox of Stories

(Re-posted from 07/xiv/2014)

"A Sandbox of Stories"

by

Caithlin Pena

She stands in a darkened room, a sandbox with calorie-free underneath filled with sand in front end of her, a mounted camera projecting the images onto the screen backside her. Her dark hair is clipped neatly on the back, her fingers devoid of rings. "I Simply Fall In Beloved Again" by the Carpenters filled the space every bit she takes two handfuls of gilt sand and, like a baker working with flour, sprinkles them onto the lighted glass. When the glass becomes lightly covered, she begins to create.

Simple lines at starting time, forming the silhouettes of buildings. Then she brushes the excess sand back to the sides. She is going to demand them later. She dots her fingers downward the buildings, ii-past-ii, creating windows. Soon, the buildings all have glowing windows, provided for past the light underneath the sandbox.

Grabbing another two handfuls of sand from the sides of the box, she lightly sprinkles the sand on the space to a higher place the buildings, creating the night sky. Next comes the stars as she dots her fingers beyond the sand on top of the buildings. A moon comes next, a lone crescent in the starry sky. Her eyes do not go out the lighted glass of the sand box, her brow deep in concentration every bit she continues to brush her fingers across the surface, sprinkling more sand, pressing against the sand, drawing on the sand. Before long, she has created a road, a car, the heads of a human and a woman kissing nether the light of the moon and stars. It's a prissy picture. Yous call up it's over, that the performance is done, and that the piece is finished.

In an unexpected twist, she brushes abroad the buildings, the auto, the stars, and the moon, simply leaving the two lovers on the drinking glass pane. She sprinkles more than sand on the empty space before pressing her fists against the sand, creating a wavy pattern. Taking i more handful of sand, she carefully sprinkles on the tiny silhouettes of a man and a woman, standing on top of their larger counterparts, holding hands. A eye and some rays of sun later, she finishes the piece to the cease of the song with ii words on the top, left side corner, "Exist Mine." And and then, the video ends. That piece of sand animation is titled, "Valentine," created, performed, and filmed and posted online by Charlene Lanzel, a dark-haired, brilliant-eyed woman with magic hands.

Lanzel is a freelance creative person of various art forms. 1 of her specialties is performing sand animation, a performance that requires weeks of preparation for a five minute performance.

Lanzel discovered sand animation when she became interested in Buddhist philosophy. In 2004, a friend and swain artist sent her a video of Ferenc Cakó, a Hungarian film artist, who invented the live fine art form.

On a Tumblr blog created by Cakó fans, the biography states that he started doing sand blitheness in 1988, along with clay animation, which won him a Gilded Palm in Cannes that twelvemonth. In 1996, Cakó performed sand animation live and with music for the first fourth dimension.

Sand animation, or sand fine art, is performed in total darkness using a sand box with a calorie-free. A photographic camera projects the image in the sand box onto the projector screen, showing the audience a variety of images. The only tools used are sand and the artist's ain two hands. The blitheness is normally accompanied by music.

"I just roughshod in love," she said. "I was only so fatigued to it, and I could really pic myself upwardly there doing it."

Earlier she was a sand creative person, Lanzel painted murals. Born in Wisconsin to visual artist parents, she was exposed to various forms of visual fine art such equally drawing, painting, and ceramics. She moved to New York when she was twenty years quondam and began her career equally a professional artist. She worked in the art department of Unique Vesture Warehouse, a heart for fashion in the 1980'south. She became the Art Manager until the shop finally shut down in 1991. She and so became a freelance mural creative person.

"I've been an artist all my life," she said.

She afterwards began working for Silver Loma Atelier, a mural painting company in New York, where she had the chance to travel nationally and internationally and paint murals for various places and companies. Her works were featured in restaurants, casinos, amusement parks, and even residential homes. She fifty-fifty worked on murals for Godiva Chocolatier and 2 Disneyland parks: Disneyland Tokyo and Disneyland Hong Kong.

"I was doing really well equally a mural painter," she said.

Lanzel as well had a brief history in performing in a cabaret show.

"At dark, I was a showgirl," she fondly recalled.

The emergence of digital technology eventually afflicted the business organisation of mural painters, including Lanzel. With art being done digitally in this new age, she wanted to try something new and dissimilar. This is when sand animation entered her life once more than in 2010.

"And then I remembered this art form and how much I loved it," she said. "So I thought 'let me give it a try and see if it'southward something I tin can practise for a living.'"

Then, in her own picayune studio, Lanzel built her ain wooden sand box attached to a light box and a photographic camera. She taught herself the fine art through experimentation with different styles and techniques. She was a principal by the fourth dimension 2011 came around and began posting videos of herself performing on Youtube. Information technology was a perfect match.

"The sand art brought together my art piece of work and my performance into i matter," she said.

Within weeks of posting her first video, Cirque du Soleil, one of the biggest theatrical producers in the world of circus arts and street entertainment, found her video. The company invited her to perform for the opening party of Zarkana, Cirque du Soleil's famous acrobatic prove.

"That was my kickoff gig," she said. "I was really nervous, especially because it was Cirque du Soleil."

Performing for a large crowd was non a kickoff time experience for Lanzel, but even so, information technology was a wonderful feeling. I video was all it took for her career to take off.

"I felt so lucky," she said.

Lanzel said that there are simply a handful of professional person performance artists for sand animation in the world who tin can perform live. Two can be found in the Us. Lanzel is one of them.

"Information technology's quite rare," she said. "You can scout videos online, simply it's very rare to run across an bodily live performance."

Back in 2012, sand animation was featured on NBC'southward "America's Got Talent" where an creative person from Richmond, Joe Castillo, made it to the semi-finals with his alive operation. Some other sand creative person, Kseniya Simonova, was also on "Got Talent" in Ukraine dorsum in 2009, where she won the competition subsequently performing sand animation live.

Sand blitheness is not only cartoon pictures in the sand as you would at the embankment. Co-ordinate to Lanzel, it is "a very meditative art course."

"It requires me to actually become deeply within myself to kind of conjure the story," she said. "I have to exist able to non simply create a squeamish epitome, that paradigm as well has to exist able to transform into another scene."

In the case of her "Valentine" piece, information technology started off with a perfect dark in the metropolis, calm and romantic. The final piece was not this calm, romantic city scene, but of the 2 lovers standing on pinnacle of the world. Lanzel managed to create the story of the 2 lovers without the need for words, but sand.

Lanzel remembers performing at a convention sponsored by Silpada, a jewelry company. This happens to be ane of her about memorable performances in her career every bit a sand artist.

"It was there that I received my first standing ovation," she said proudly.

The experience was unbelievable to Lanzel.

"I can't begin to limited how good that feels for an artist," she said. "Because normally, we're only working alone in our studio. We don't get to have that kind of recognition, so for an artist similar me, a visual artist, it'south very rare to be able to experience getting a continuing ovation."

Lanzel'south pieces and performances vary, often depending on her clients' requests or suggestions.

"I effort to make the pieces emotional," she said. "Considering that's what really grabs people."

Nature scenes are mutual in her pieces.

"In that location's nothing more beautiful than nature," she said.

Considering of the corporeality of time for her come upward with total piece, Lanzel just have on a few custom pieces per month.

"It takes me near two or three weeks to create a custom blitheness," she said. "I like to be able to requite my full attending to each project."

In addition, Lanzel also has her ambient performances, pieces she creates herself. Her ambient performances are a mix of the different pieces she performs in the videos found on her Youtube page. She combines these to create one large story, most twenty minutes long.

"It'due south kind of like a film," she said.

Sometimes, the music is pre-recorded. Sometimes, it's performed live by a ring. But the music Lanzel chooses for her functioning, too as the images she animates, all convey a message.

"At that place's a lot of dorsum and forth between the music and the artwork," she said. "They go together. I tin't imagine sand fine art without music. The music takes it to a more dramatic level."

Lanzel currently resides in New York City. She still travels around the country and effectually the world, performing and spreading her art to a broad variety of audiences. In add-on to performing for top companies like Google, Geobeats, and Fusion Productions, she also gets invited to perform at festivals, weddings, and even dinner parties. Sand blitheness is an fine art form that can be integrated and performed anywhere. Lanzel calls it an "ephemeral art course."

"Information technology simply happens in the moment," she said. "I spend about two weeks of my time coming up with a new piece, just to be performed in one case, unremarkably. So whoever is in that room, gets to see that endeavor. It'due south a very special thing."