Art on the Beach

It has been a crazy-busy, incredibly hectic spring, so a few weeks ago when Hubs expressed a desire to "go see the ocean" I lost no time making reservations for four nights' accommodations on Hilton Head, a destination we had been wanting to explore for quite a while.

Hilton Head Island turned out to be one of our very best vacations ever. (More about this later.) Right now I want to share with you some amazing art discoveries we made on our last night there as we took a post-dinner stroll on the beach:

©2016 Lynn Edwards

We came upon this large sand castle that was so exquisitely detailed it took our breath away. Its creator(s) were nowhere to be seen, which is a shame as I would have loved to have been able to talk with them. A couple walking by told us the sand castle had been there the day before. It appeared to be just out of range of high tide, but I'm sure it didn't survive Tropical Storm Bonnie. I'm glad we were able to take photos of it before its demise. Here's another view of it:

©2016 Lynn Edwards

But that's not the only form of artistry we encountered on our beach stroll. Beyond the sand castle, about a half mile further up the beach, we came across this huge piece of driftwood:

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

Sculpted by the elements, it reminded me of some strange sea creature's carcass that had washed up on the sand. A close up examination of it revealed Nature's diverse artistry:

A fascinating abstract pattern can be seen in the hollowed out wood.  ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Another abstract pattern in the driftwood. ©2016 Lynn Edwards

This amazing sand pattern was created by the tides. It was beautiful!  ©2016 Lynn Edwards

I was so taken by the patterns that water had made in the sand around the driftwood that I took several photos for reference, with future paintings in mind. Here just a few of them, below. To capture the detail better I've enhanced the contrast using Photoshop Elements. (The position of the sun at the time made it hard for my camera to record the lights and darks.)

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

On the walk back to where we had entered the beach, the sun was starting to set. The colors of the light reflecting on the sand and the water were so beautiful, I took more photos. Shades of red, orange and gold sparkled where the surf met the sand, presenting different photo opportunities at every step. Here are just a few of the pictures I snapped, all of which can serve as future artistic inspiration:

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

©2016 Lynn Edwards

The perfect ending to a perfect vacation on Hilton Head Island.  ©2016 Lynn Edwards