A Revere Beach Sand Sculpting artist shares secrets to making a sandcastle

Growing up in New Hampshire, Greg Grady always looked forward to August, when his family beelined to Cape Cod for two weeks on the beach. There, he’d watch his dad create epic sand sculptures. “He was like a local hero,” Grady recalls. His sand-sculpting father eventually founded the Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, which recently celebrated its 23rd year. Grady followed in the footsteps of his master-builder dad — also named Greg — and has been a pro sand sculptor for 15 years. (“In the sand world we’re known as G1 and G2,” Grady says.) He’ll be among more than a dozen artists creating stunning, large-scale works for Revere Beach’s 19th Annual International Sand Sculpting Festival, taking place July 28-30 and also featuring food trucks, live entertainment, and fireworks. We recently asked him for advice on how amateurs can bring their sandcastles to the next level.

1. Come with a plan

Whether you want to sculpt a castle, the Little Mermaid, or Fenway Park, think about it at home before you hit the beach, Grady says. “Then print a picture for reference. It’s always best to look at something while you’re making it.”

2. Pick your spot

You want to be close enough to the water for packable sand, but just above the high-tide line. Remember sand that’s either too wet or too dry won’t hold. “A simple test is making a sand ball and holding it with two fingers,” Grady says. “If it sticks together, you have workable sand.”

3. Pile it on

Once you find that sweet spot, “Shovel it in a pile, wet it down, pack it with your hands and feet, make it as strong as possible.” A 5-gallon bucket with the bottom sawed off — a tube making it easy to pack the sand inside — is one way to get some height. Grady has worked on sculptures reaching 48 feet tall.

At a beach, a man stands in front of a sand sculpture of a sphinx and carves out details in the face. — Greg Grady works on a sand sculpture.From Greg Grady

4. Bring the right tools

Shovels and buckets are standbys, but next-level sculpting requires tools like spoons and knives, a cake spatula, toothpicks for intricate work, and a straw to blow sand from fine details. Grady keeps sculptures moist with a spray bottle and swears by a variety of masonry trowels. “Some type of trowel is in my hand 90 percent of the time.”

5. Get down to it

Start sculpting from the top, keeping the sand moist as you work your way down. To give his creations a bit more staying power, Grady uses a mixture of 20 percent Elmer’s glue and 80 percent water in a spray bottle. “Spray it on your finished work,” he says. “That puts a crust on the outside to hold moisture in.”

6. Be philosophical

Accidents will happen — structural collapse, a rogue wave, a rogue child. “It’s not a permanent art form,” says Grady who hashtags his online photos with #ItsJustSand. There’s a Zen lesson there: Nothing lasts. “The creation is meditative,” he says. “Dig in and have some fun. Temporary art allows you to enjoy the moment.”