ENJOYING the heat of the East Yorkshire sunshine, Paul Hoggard takes in the historic surroundings of the town he grew up in.
For Paul, 49, a trip to Beverley is now a rare treat, as his work creating sand sculptures has taken him across the globe.
Back in East Yorkshire for just a week, Paul says his trip is for both business and personal reasons.
"I've come to see my beautiful little grandson Jack, but I am also here for work," Paul says.
On hearing Hull had been crowned UK City of Culture 2017, Paul is back in East Yorkshire with a plan as he dreams of bringing an international sand sculpture festival to the city as part of the celebrations.
"I grew up here and know an awful lot about the shipping and fishing industry," he says.
"I would love to bring Hull's history to life with a series of sand sculptures.
"The whole East Yorkshire area is a haven of opportunity for sand designs.
"Take a look at Beverley as well. You have the minster and St Mary's Church, both beautiful iconic buildings, which are a sand sculpture's dream.
"As John Lennon said, give me a potato and I will come up with something."
Growing up in Beverley, Paul worked in the steel and construction industry for a number of years.
"Obviously, working in construction meant I spent several years working with sand," he says.
"I was also melting stainless steel. Basically, I was sculpting in a different way.
"I guess you can say my experience and technique in sculpting therefore comes from Beverley."
Paul made his first sand sculpture on a beach in India in 1991.
"I was amazed at the face that materialised under my hands out of the sand." he says.
"I was hooked. I soon found myself in the Canary Islands and worked for several winters creating sculptures for tips.
"I also established a spring to autumn base in St Ives, Cornwall, where I worked building sculptures and teaching sand sculpture to the local kids."
Since then, he has created thousands of sculptures for events, festivals and international competitions in the Netherlands, China, India, Denmark and Qatar.
He was also commissioned by the Royal Cornwall Show to create a sand sculpture for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Paul created a farmyard scene of pigs and piglets, which he presented in person to the Queen.
It was through his love of sand sculpting that Paul met his wife Remy, who is from the Netherlands.
The couple locked eyes at a sand sculpture park in Belgium in the summer of 2003.
Paul says: "We admired each other's sand art, fell in love and have been inseparable ever since and are now happily married.
"I love to make sand sculptures, especially with Remy.
"We are in our element when we work together. Travel and nature are where I get inspired for my personal sand sculptures."
The couple have toured the world and visited far-flung places, including China and Kuwait, creating their massive monuments.
Their most impressive figures include a mass elephant graveyard, complete with skulls and tusks, and the Biblical battle between David and Goliath.
Paul says: "We love our work. We get to create huge sculptures out of sand and water together, travel, meet new people and experience other cultures.
"Our art takes us all over the world. In the past year, we have worked in Greece, Holland, Kuwait, Iran, Bahrain, Denmark, South Korea and France."
Paul is now appealing for people to get in touch with him with ideas for a sculpture festival in 2017.
Email paul@sandartist.com to find out more.
