A MYSTERIOUS sand sculptor has been delighting beachgoers in Port Fairy.
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Intricate works have been popping up along the beach for the past week, with locals wondering who has been creating the sandy masterpieces.
The Standard can reveal Richard, who declined to reveal his surname, as the covert artist.
He is a holiday maker to the coastal town, from Ballarat.
“It’s a three-hour activity on a sunny afternoon,” Richard said.
“They are usually gone the next day. I think I started doing them when my children were little.
It’s a three-hour activity on a sunny afternoon. They are usually gone the next day. I think I started doing them when my children were little. We enjoy the Port Fairy sand.
- Sand sculptor Richard
“We enjoy the Port Fairy sand. It can stick together and you can build it up quite tall.”
Richard usually sculpts faces, but sometimes adds bodies or creates animals.
“I’ve done some heads and dogs,” he said.
“I’ve been using my smart phone to attempt to do some different faces. I might look up a grumpy old man or a sport star with expressions such as anger or delight. I’ve done some tennis players, actors and politicians.”
Richard said he had also tackled subjects close to him.
“I’ve also done a self-portrait and one of my partner. She left me soon after,” he joked.
Beachgoers have also spotted gorillas, Australian currency and mermaid sculptures during ventures along the shoreline.
Richard said he didn’t make the sculptures to draw praise.
“It whiles away the time and gives me a short-term goal with satisfaction at the end,” he said.
“It was never to draw attention to myself. People come up for a chat and little kids enjoy it.”
Richard has been coming to Port Fairy for about 20 years. Local residents reported seeing his sculptures last year as well, with people from the town posting on Facebook wondering who the secret sculptor was.
Richard will be staying in Port Fairy until the weekend, so keen eyes may still be able to spot some of his works along the beaches.