Beyond the Sandcastle
Unleashing seaside creativity—a guide for restless beachgoers
There's something magical about the beach—the rhythmic lull of waves, the endless horizon, the wonder of what lies beneath the surface. For many, it's a place to unwind and do nothing, but for some of us, the urge to "do something" is ever-present.
My husband often chuckles at my inability to lie still. Don't get me wrong, give me a good book and shade, and I'm in heaven. Yet there’s always a nagging part of me that yearns to discover. So, I've compiled a list of beach activities that go beyond the sandcastle for those kindred spirits who find themselves antsy on the shoreline.
Memory Collages
For my husband’s 50th birthday, we journeyed to Anguilla—our first vacation since the pandemic—a time that made us value our freedom to travel more than ever. On the beach, I collected tiny treasures, including shells, bits of sea glass, and sand, and used them to create unique memory collages. The one above, for instance, features a blue watercolor background topped with boxes made with white acrylic paint. I used the paint to secure the small bits to the paper and added a short description to each collage.
Sidenote: If you travel to Anguilla, I recommend you read A Trip to the Beach. It’s the story of a couple that left their life behind to fulfill their dream of opening a restaurant on the island.
Rock and Shell Menagerie
For our 10th wedding anniversary, Michael and I traveled to Grenada. I felt a little guilty about leaving our daughter, Carolina, behind. With her in mind, I collected coral, rocks, and shells. I studied the larger pieces to interpret the outlines of animals.
I wasn’t prepared with glue but had nail polish, a white paint pen, and colored pencils with me. I used those materials (along with thread from the hotel sewing kit) to create a menagerie of whimsical creatures. We purchased a small woven basket at a local market to house them. Carolina was thrilled when we returned home with a collection of tiny handmade animals for her to play with.
Seaside Shadowbox
The Instagram algorithm knows me well, and when it fed me an ad for this seashell display box, I couldn’t resist. Each opening is about the size of my thumbnail. I brought it to the North Fork of Long Island, where miniature seashells, rocks, barnacles, seaweed, and even a dried crab rested on the sand. This tiny collection now sits in my bedroom and reminds me of the peace of the East End while I’m immersed in the city's bustling energy.
Sea Salt Watercolors
Watercolors are the perfect beach companion—they're easy to transport, dry quickly in the sun, and—I use saltwater for my painting—so there's a never-ending water supply nearby. I usually let the colors that surround me inspire an abstract painting. It’s never an exact reflection of what I see, but it’s always fun to experiment. This is a great project to do with little ones since any paint that lands on towels or swimsuits will come out in the wash.
Beach Still Life Photos
A few years ago, I discovered the Stripey Pebbles Instagram account and immediately gave it a follow. I found the photos of rocks to be calming. Inspired by Julia’s work, I walked along the beach collecting interesting stones and seashells. Once again, I was on the North Fork of Long Island, known for its rocky beaches. The island was formed by glacial movement during the last ice age, creating a rocky north shore and a gently sloping south shore. It’s why the Hamptons are known for their beautiful sand beaches, while the North Fork is a destination (frequented by Albert Einstein) for sailing.
I gathered a collection of rocks and shells and photographed them from overhead with my iPhone. The result is an image that brings me peace and calm every time I look at it.
Discover Something New
Perhaps something on the beach looks interesting, but you’re unsure what it is. Carolina and I came across what initially looked like a backbone from a fish. When we picked it up, it rattled. Fascinating. We googled it and learned it’s called a “mermaid’s necklace". Carolina, being a fan of all things mythical, found the term super cool. Turns out, it’s the casing of whelk eggs. Each small pouch holds up to a hundred teeny tiny whelk shells.
You can see me crack into this casing in this video on my Instagram account. I couldn’t understand how a mollusk laid an egg chain like this and was amazed to find a photo on the Florida Museum’s website.
The beauty of these activities lies not just in the result but in the process itself. Shoreline explorations encourage us to look closer and appreciate the small details that make each beach unique. They give us a reason to wander, explore, and engage with our surroundings more intimately.
As you embark on your next beach adventure, I challenge you to try one of these activities. Or better yet, invent your own! The shore is a canvas of possibilities, limited only by your imagination.
And who knows? You might discover that "doing something" at the beach can be as relaxing as doing nothing at all.
Until our next adventure,
P.S. I'd love to see your creations if you try these activities. Please share them with me on social media or by replying to this email.
P.P.S. Here’s a helpful list of some of the supplies I used:
Colored Pencils (with sharpener)
Watercolor Set (This one is high quality and compact for travel. It comes with a nice brush)
Acrylic Paint (white)
Paint Pens (white)
Paint Pens (color)
Watercolor Postcards (Not the one I used to make the painting in the photo, but the one I use now & prefer.)
Words of the Week:
"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."
— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Photo of the Week:
Above is of one of the iconic lifeguard shacks on Miami Beach. The original towers were destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, so the ones you see today are modern recreations inspired by Art Deco design and the tropical colors that Miami is known for. This is the 10th Street lifeguard tower, commissioned by the founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell. It is known as "the Bed."
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