Solearte’s Owen Cavanagh etches murals into Coolum Beach sands
A popular Queensland artist has made two breathtaking sand murals for the first time on an iconic beach, saying he’s happy to see a lot of smiles on faces and intends to create more.
Sunshine Coast
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Early morning beach explorers were in for a treat this week to see a beautiful mural etched into the sand by a well-known Sunshine Coast artist.
Owen Cavanagh of Solearte Australia and Owen Surf Art raked two different designs into the sand at Coolum Beach on early Thursday and Friday morning.
Mr Cavanagh said he had started each piece about 5am each day before the tide came in to sweep the canvas clean once again.
The first mural, sporting the word ‘Coolum’ encircled in a heart, took about one and a half hours to complete.
The artist said he was inspired by Mr Cavanagh’s love for Coolum Beach and wanted to give back to the community and “share” that love.
Mr Cavanagh named his second design, which took several hours, Sunny, as a “fitting tribute to the Sunshine Coast”.
The beaming sun centre was similar to his own logo.
Mr Cavanagh said he had wanted to attempt the sand murals for a long time after he was inspired by an American artist, and decided he would do it “just for fun”.
The Coolum Beach artwork was the first he had done and he was pleased to know it put a lot of smiles on people’s faces.
He estimated the pieces were about 150m in length.
Mr Cavanagh said such a temporary piece was one to enjoy “in the moment”.
“The tide comes in and out twice a day so it’s the same sort of thing — it’s there to enjoy and then it’s swept away,” he said.
“The beach is exactly the way it was before so there is no damage to the environment.”
Mr Cavanagh thanked everyone for their support and positive feedback.
“It inspires me to do more,” he said.
He thanked everyone for encouraging not just him but many other artists creating “out there”.
Mr Cavanagh plans to pick up his garden rake again one more time on Saturday morning before taking a rest.
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Originally published as Solearte’s Owen Cavanagh etches murals into Coolum Beach sands
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