Spotlight on Team Member James Ferreira

If there is anyone who can follow in Denny's footsteps it's James. Denny fondly refers to him as "Wingman." Somehow Denny and James can look at smooth sand and turn it into a walking labyrinth with their rakes. They have worked together long enough that they almost have their own language when it comes to creating the paths. Frequently Denny will start part of the path at one end of the sand, James will stat on the other end and add a few islands and then all the paths magically connect without any dead ends. James thrives on the process of creating art with no plan; starting with nothing and ending with a walkable path. His application of a rake to the sand is inspired by skills he has honed over the years in mechanical vocations. Visitors to Circles in the Sand frequently notice and comment on how much of the raked areas come alive like they are vibrating due to the special techniques James uses with his rake. James also brings a zen feel to his creativity. He will pick up a small pebble and build shimmering circle after shimmering circle around it until he has built a walkable extension of the labyrinth. If you look closely you will be ale to see the pebble in the middle and wonder how it got there. He can rake free-form patterns and create the most delicate of swirls without any preplanning.

James and his wife Jacque are a team on and off of the sand. Jacque recently asked James how he would describe the Circles experience to someone who has never been. He says, "The dreamfields are a labyrinth type of walk where one can meditate and escape for a personal adventure. It is a personal experience for each person. The beauty of the beach combined with the fun and creative art gives the public a lot to observe. It is a gathering of happy people!" He also comes in handy for carrying large bags of shells to and from the beach that Jacque uses for her shell art.

Early mornings on the beach James will arrive with a smile and probably some humorous comment about only showing up for the money. His words about Circles in the Sand hold true for all of us on the team, "We have met a lot of people on the beach, some you never see again and some you see often. They are always so appreciative of the work we do and that is nice . . . I feel honored to be a part of something so special."

Happy Birthday James and here's to many more years of walking in circles!

Blog credits: Jacque Ferreira and Bethe Patrick

Photo credits: Donna Belt and Bethe Patrick