Simon completes gigantic sand artwork in race against the tide

A SAND artist has created one of his biggest-ever designs on a British beach.

Simon Beck, 62, is a former cartographer who began his sand work in 2014 – creating detailed geometric designs using a rake and a magnetic compass. He created his first design in snow – by running in snow shoes – in the Alps in 2004.

Simon then changed to sand and has now drawn more than 140 designs at Brean, Somerset. This week he created one of his biggestever on the beach next to Brean Down.

He said: “This design was an 18-pointed star measuring 130 metres in diameter and it took me about eight hours to complete from start to finish. It’s my 145th design on Brean beach, the first of several designs over the coming months, body willing.”

Last year he created his 500th design in snow and sand. He said at the time: “I have a lifetime ambition of making 1,000 drawings by the time I reach the age of 80 so I feel a certain amount of achievement to be at 500.”

Mark Newman/SWNS > Sand artist Simon Beck and his latest gigantic design on Brean beach