Land artist creates 500th design on Somerset beach

An artist who creates large-scale designs in sand and snow has produced his 500th work on a Somerset beach.

Simon Beck, 62, used a rake and a magnetic compass to make his latest geometrical design on Brean Beach near Burnham on Sea, where he creates many of his artworks.

“It’s a major landmark,” he said.

“I have a lifetime ambition of making 1,000 drawings by the time I reach the age of 80 so I feel a certain amount of achievement to be at 500.”

Mr Beck, a former cartographer from Taunton, began creating large-scale land art in 2004 when he used snow shoes to realise a design in the Alps.

His latest effort was in the style of a Sierpinski triangle – a triangle made up of smaller triangles.

But the conditions on the beach – high winds and dry sand – on Saturday meant the image was not quite of the standard he had hoped for.

“I’m disappointed not to have a better result,” he said.

“The beach was a bit too dry therefore we lost some definition of the drawing so it’s mixed feelings.

“I’d feel a lot happier if we had a really good result, but you win some you lose some, don’t you?”

Mr Beck’s previous efforts have included other similarly intricate geometric designs, as well as a recent commission based on TV show Sandition.