Delighting adults and children of all ages, creating sandscapes has been a staple beach activity since ancient times. Originating from civilizations that used sand as a material for ceremonial and tomb carvings, this ephemeral art form has evolved dramatically over the years. 

 Artist Jolene Martin takes sandscaping to the pinnacle of excellence, using the coastline to create elaborate, yet temporary, masterpieces. Martin is an artist whose canvas is the ever-changing sands of our area beaches. With a deep connection to nature and an unwavering commitment to her craft, she transforms the shoreline into a living gallery of intricate sandscapes. 

 Each piece she creates is a reflection of her inner peace, a temporary masterpiece that captivates beachgoers and invites them to pause and appreciate the transient beauty of life. 

 Her sand art, meticulously designed and executed, tells a story of harmony between the artist and her environment, a dance with the tides that ultimately wash her creations away. 

 

 For Martin, the ephemeral nature of her work is both a challenge and a source of inspiration. The knowledge that her art will be swept away by the waves encourages her to embrace the present moment and pour her heart into every grain of sand. 

 This temporariness brings a unique tranquility to her process, allowing her to find solace in the rhythmic ebb and flow of the Gulf waters. Each sandscape is a meditation in itself, a way for Martin to connect with her island home and share her sense of peace with those who witness her creations. 

 Martin's artistic journey began at the tender age of three, when her natural inclination to draw became evident. From the start, she exhibited an extraordinary ability to create intricate and detailed pieces with remarkable ease. 

 This early talent set the stage for her lifelong passion for art. As she grew, so did her skill and dedication, with every drawing and artistic endeavor serving as a steppingstone toward mastery. 

 A native New Yorker, Martin has always enjoyed drawing and painting and experimenting with different mediums. She also enjoys teaching like-minded artists to bring out their greatest abilities. 

 She earned a teaching degree from Pennsylvania Western University (previously known as Edinboro University). As an art teacher for 10 years, Martin taught students of all ages from kindergarten through high school everything from the most basic elements of art to plein-air landscapes (a 19th-century style of painting outdoors). 

 She came to the Texas Coast for a breath of fresh ocean air during the Covid-19 pandemic. Leaving the northern part of the United States, she found herself enjoying the warmer weather and decided to move closer to the beach. 

 After relocating, Martin frequently participated in beach cleanups. “No matter what, there is always something to pick up on the beach,” she said.

 During one of these beach cleanups as she was picking up clutter from the shore, Martin found a broken paintbrush handle and decided to draw in the sand with it. She quickly realized that she could use this broken handle to unleash her artistic abilities. 

 An accomplished artist, she has created portraits, landscapes, chalk and street art, pottery, two- and three-dimensional installations, and henna art. Henna is very closely related to the current mandala-style pieces Martin creates on our local coastlines. 

 Like Henna, mandala-style art is a geometric pattern or design that is used to create a “sacred place.” Mandalas are often used to represent an imaginary palace that meditators contemplate. In Buddhism, the purpose of the mandala is to help the meditator transform their mind and heal. 

 

 Martin refers to her large, geometric patterns that she creates on the beaches as “sandalas,” which originates from the term mandalas. Her creations are more than just drawings in the sand, they are very precise pieces of art that take an average of one and a half hours to create. And most take up to 10 to 12 feet of open sand. 

 Martin says some artists use large-scale tools to make their sandscapes, such as rakes and other garden tools, but she prefers the paintbrush handle method. 

And to avoid traction in the sand, Martin uses flip-flops without treads. This helps to create a clean surface around the art. 

 Her sandscapes take time, dedication, and patience. Occasionally, she must restart an entire project because a dog or young child runs through a working piece. 

Other challenges include the environment itself. Often the weather forecast predicts blue skies with no storms, but she’s confronted with clouds and rain once she begins a new project on the beach. And sometimes the tide is rough or high which makes it hard for her to finish a creation. 

 Despite the challenges that life, and the tide, throw at Martin, she has persevered, using life experience to strengthen her skills. 

 Her work has garnered admiration not only for its beauty but also for its profound message. By choosing to create art that vanishes with the tide, Martin reminds us of the fleeting nature of all things and the importance of cherishing every moment.