3 Photos: Julien McRoberts

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel is a world-renowned American sand animation artist, based in Los Angeles, CA, who uses her hands in the sand to create living sand art stories. This is an amazing live performance using sand, a light box and a projector. Charlene creates these fluid story illustrations for large audiences, with an overhead camera instantaneously projecting onto a large screen for audiences in the US and worldwide.

Charlene can also create a beautiful HD sand animation video for your live event, virtual event or wedding.

WATCH CHARLENE’S SAND ART VIDEOS

Hello!

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel performing live at a conference.

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel performing live at a conference.

Charlene Lanzel's amazing sand art is created live onstage, where people can watch the artist doing her performance in a darkened room. A video camera is positioned above the illuminated glass table upon which the artist creates sand magic. Sand scattered on her light box is formed and reformed into ever changing shapes and images that tell visually powerful stories.

Reserve Charlene today for your next project or event!

Sand Artist | Charlene Lanzel

Charlene Lanzel's sand animation, sometimes known as sand art, sand drawing or sand painting, is beautiful to look at but lasts only in the moment. It is ephemeral sand storytelling that makes life and time flow by, right in front of your eyes. Sand animation is the most compelling new art form to come around in decades. A popular new trend in performance art, sand art is a form of live sand painting which evolved from earlier sand animation films. Live sand art performances are very dynamic, and require the living presence of the artist to happen. The art form has quickly become popular all over the World.

Watch this! Charlene’s videos are live performances, shot in one take from memory.

Watching sand animation come to life, in real time, has an extraordinary effect on the audience. Audience members are uncontrollably drawn into Charlene’s seemingly real world made up of sand characters, trees, mountains and seas. Live sand art is a magical art form that charms. Creating images conjured seemingly effortless, like an oracle or a magician, Charlene's hands skate on glass like a kind of dance. The moving sand creates continuously fluid and poetic figures with original storytelling.

Need a specific color for your branding or special event? Add the beauty of color.

Need a specific color for your branding or special event? Add the beauty of color.

Perhaps what makes sand art so appealing, aside from its beauty, is its fragility and ephemeral nature. It is a practice which uses sand on glass to create a live animated image. Sand is a fluid material and its grains settle by chance, creating living images made of a single texture. Sand art storytelling makes life and time flow by, magically, in front of your eyes.

Original Soundscape by Charlene Lanzel and Barrett Cobb (flute & vocals)

Charlene Lanzel's sand performance is choreographed, rehearsed and synched to a special dramatic soundscape, which Charlene creates to enhance the mood. Music accompanies the entire process as the sand artist’s hands follow the rhythm. Her hands move slowly or quickly, as the elegant artwork is created, which challenges and motivates in a captivating way.

The audience amazes at the decisiveness in her hands, since the sand artist's hands can always be seen creating in the projection. Old and young watch and listen together, and all is in harmony, because they all share the same emotions. A visual language is created that transcends linguistic barriers. Drawings are in perpetual transformation which excite imagination, surprise and allow abrupt changes of tone and unexpected images.

Charlene Lanzel performing live at a trade show.

Charlene Lanzel performing live at a trade show.

The sand artist’s light box dream world gives us an incredible opportunity for growth and learning, to manifest positive changes and to shine light on new ideas. Charlene Lanzel keeps audiences spell-bound by the twists and surprises that follow every sweep of her hands.

Reserve Charlene today for your next project or event!


WEAR SAND ART!

Charlene has created her very own ethical clothing and product line, bringing her sand art to the fashion world. Original sand art is now being produced on high-end clothing and accessories, with fabric designed by Charlene in Los Angeles, and each piece sustainably made to order, with love.

2024 Nautilus Collection