Sand Art Painting
(Part of Chapter 1: Research Study)
LITERATURE BACKGROUND
Culturally, sand art paintings are most popularly known as being part of the Navajo
tribe, the largest tribe of North American Indians. According to Navajo tradition, its origins are
found in the Holy People who dwelled in the underworld. The tribe views s and painting as a key
aspect of several healing and ceremonial activities. Sand art (the formation of creations,
pictures and imagery) is an admired activity seeped in history and with many different cultural
components. It involves varied techniques, materials and has embraced an array of subject
matters. It started in the city of Petra in Jordan in the 1920s. Inspired by the colors in the
layered rock of the ancient ruins of Petra, artists began creating layered sand pieces in glass jars
as souvenirs for tourists. Sand art gradually added geometric shapes, then more complex
images, until it developed into a new medium. While artists in Jordan used sand for decorative
pieces, other cultures around the world used it for healing purposes. Sand art may be divi ded
into three main categories: sand art paintings, bottled sand art and sculpture sand art ( Andi,
2012).
According to the author Amy Lenzo (2002), Buddhists and the Navajo used sand
painting rituals to help the sick regain their health.Other popular forms of culturally inspired
sand paintings include the Tibetan Buddhist sand Mandala, as well as Aboriginal ground art.
Nowadays, bottled sand art is a favorite pastime of young children and adults. It entails
obtaining sand and mixing it with powder paint or food coloring to create different hues. This
may then be poured into a variety of bottles (jars, wine and plastic bottles) in order to form
designs and colorful layers, used for decorative purposes. Several sand art bottle manufacturing
companies exist creating and selling goods ranging from simple decorative pieces to picture
frames and flowerpots. Sand sculptures are created using sand and water and can take on
virtually any form that the creator desires. Fashionable themes of sand sculpture usually involve
fantasy-based images such as mermaids, aliens and mythical creatures. Other well -known
forms of sand sculpture include castles, human beings and plants. Sand sculptures are often
made with the assistance of wooden frames as sand is a fragile element. The tools used in the
creation process include shovels, brushes, palette knives and straws (Newcomb&Reichard,
1975).
Figure 1. Navajo Sand Painting
(http://nativeamerican-art.com/)
Figure 2. Jordan Sand Bottles
(http://www.arthistoryguide.com/)
Figure 3. Navajo Sand Art Sculpture
(http://navajopeople.org/)
A type of sand art used in the study is the Sand Painting. For Native American Indians,
Sand paintings are paintings made by sprinkling dry sands colored with natural pigments on to a
board or the ground for ceremonialpurposes to heal the sick. The application of sand art craft
to the garment weighs on how the great influence of tradition and culture (Penny, 1999).
Marble Sand
In the study, marble sand was used instead of pure white beach sand as an
embellishment. Marble sand has been commonly used as a building material since the ancient
times. The industrys disposal of the marble powder material, consisting of very fine powder,
today constitutes one of the environmental problems around the world (Corinaldesi et al.,
2010).
In Turkey marble dust is settled by sedimentation and then dumped away which results
in environmental pollution, in addition to forming dust in summer and threatening both
agriculture and public health. Therefore, utilization of the marble dust in various industrial
sectors especially the construction, agriculture, glass and paper industries would help protect
the environment (Karasahin and Terzi, 2007). This gives a better idea of reusing the marble
sands fine dust as embellishment to the garment.
Barbara Paulette C. Calvo
Fashion Design Student
