Popping the question - sand sculpture

I feel I have been part of this community for long enough for you to know that my work is not just about the individual piece but about the stories behind them which for me is part of an art piece in of and itself with each and every one part of the collection. As I try to preserve my part in an ephemeral art form on the Blockchain there will invariably be these tangents now and again so, please be patient with me.

An engaging sculpture

I was approached by this smiley faced man called Paul with a special request to help him propose to his girlfriend. He wanted them to take a walk in St.Stephen Green, Dublin and happen upon a sculpture created especially for the occasion and then pop the question. I was happy to be involved but, of course, it's not allowed to do such a thing without first talking up the chains of command in the parks Department till someone can be found to make the decision, Yay or Ney! Finally, the minister of Tea and Biscuits said ok and the plan was put into action. I was given a window in which to be in and out of about 1 hour and so dragged a couple of bags of sand to the location and got started.

The sculpture was pretty simple. Less than an hour of sculpting time will have that effect. I still think it got the point across and as the time came for the walk by I went and hide in the bushes. I had told Paul that I would take a photo of two and maybe a video to preserve the moment for them.

Waiting in the Bushes of love

I must say it was quite romantic to see the whole thing play out. She was very moved by the whole experience and of course, said Yes. For me, what seemed like a good idea to hide in the bushes to document quickly turned into the most uncomfortable and cringy feeling. I felt like a voyeuristic pervert with the viewfinder pressed to my eye. Here were two people very much in love and expressing it in the most intimate way possible and there was some stalker watching the whole thing play out from the bushes. It wasn't that I was getting off on it or anything like that, it was more that this was their private moment and I had no right to be involved. I was embarrassed for them and for me so I stopped recording and went to another bush to hide my shame and wait till the moment was over. Finally, I got a call from Paul and his fiancee to say thanks. I shot these images for them but it's not my place to show their image here, hence the smiley masks.

They went off and I cleaned up the scene of the crime. A fun little project and a learning experience for sure.