Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted Siebert.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have worked as a professional sand sculptor for 30 years, but I started out oil painting when I signed up for an art class at North Idaho College where my father taught. I did not have any high school art leading up to the class and I distinctly remember the painting instructor urging me to drop the class because I was basically dreadful and he did not have the time to teach me basic art skills. However, from my perspective this new-found hobby had completely enthralled me and I think I got a C in the class for effort only. He was right though, I had no art experience and it took many years to get proficient at painting and countless hours pouring over art reference books in the library of all my favorite artists at the time. I was quite the library hound in my 20’s and really enjoyed that beginning ride that art took me on. Sometime later, my father passed away while I was still in my late 20’s and the very building where I was told I would never make it as an artist I was commissioned to paint a picture for the very same building (which was named after my father) where I had started my first picture some 8 years earlier.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a professional sand sculptor and my company has created well over 500 professional sand sculpture projects in numerous countries around the world. Sand sculpting for me has always been a team effort since my first years on a competitive sand castling team from the Seattle area. Some people often think I have the best job in the world and there are some aspects of that that are true. Sand is fun to carve and we get to do build things of gigantic scale in. some drop dead gorgeous locations, but there is an engineering side and logistics side that keeps me up at night because the jobs can be so complex. I seem to have a knack for this organization and the piles of gray hair to show for it. I’m, working on a 5,000-ton project for the city of San Diego right now and that takes up a lot of my time.
Sand is at its basic, a wonderful sculpting medium and ask any kid on the beach how much fun it is, but for myself and the people I work with we do this for the beauty of the moment, take a picture of it and move on to the next piece. There is always a sculpture of mine standing somewhere in the world at any given time.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Absolutely not. I create art because I love to create sculptures and paintings. I love the beauty of art. I can’t seem to sit still for more than a day or two without creating something and for the sand business I am working on sculpture projects in the thousands of tons, but in regards to international events and issues I am of course concerned and follow them as best I can, but it’s not my role as an artist to voice an opinion that is any stronger than anyone else just because I can make something in protest. I would prefer to use that motivation with my pen or keyboard to get my voice heard which I do often.
My big beef lately is watching our office, the beach erodes and get smaller because of rising sea levels. There are some that write these things off, but we see it all the time and all around the world where cities are spending millions of dollars renourishing beaches. It’s quite alarming.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Good luck with that. My next job is in Romania and then Western Canada. I do some work in the Chicago area but it’s more like a traveling gypsy art show that travels around. In this business you just do your best, hope your photographs look good and then move on to the next job.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sandsculpting.com
- Phone: 8153349101
- Email: siebert@sandsculpting.com
Image Credit:
sand castle in Cape Town by FNB SA, photo of Ted sculpting with water sprayer- Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, Fulong Giant and group of lead sculptors in front of Fulong sign, Laura Siebert, Tiki sculpture..photo with Carl Jar and Ted Siebert- photo by Laura Siebert, world’s tallest sandcastle..photo by Andrew Briggs, Alice in Wonderland….Ted Siebert SSC, group photo of Kuwait crew…..Damon Langlois
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