Sand Magic by Aiyanna

10/11/2025

So tonight I spoke at the Soup night organised by the Driftwood Council of Brighton
I got to share about my project 6 months on that I won $500 for. Where the story boards about the sand artists from New Brighton were at.
We had just picked up two finished ones about Peter Donnelly from the printers a few days ago.
I have worked closely with Peter's sister Linda Thomas over the last 5 months to bring the story of Peter's creations together.

When I told my story I spoke about my why..... why I wanted to make the story boards

My why starting this project was I didn't see Peter's sand art and contribution to New Brighton anywhere and I thought how sad it was. I wanted to acknowledge his wonderful creative talent while he was still here. Having travelled internationaly with my sand art I know how rare and special us sand artists are. There's too many stories in our history of artists becoming famous or getting credit for their art after they passed and I didn't want that for Peter.

I wanted him to know how much he was loved and how his sand art touched peoples hearts. So much so that people would ask us or share every week on the pier something about Peter. ❤️❤️
He had a huge ripple effect.
... Not knowing of course the path this whole project would take over thenext 6 months and Peter's health journey...

Peter sadly passed on 13th October 2025.

I don't feel sad he hasn't seen the story boards or plaque because I know he knew about it while he was still alive......and that meant the world to me. When we were privelaged to visit him in hospital and as we were leaving, Wayne and him had a hug and he just reached out his hand to me and looked me in the eyes... that said everything to me about how he felt about what I had been working on.

I feel so blessed to have been able to help tell Peter's story to a much bigger audience.

🧙‍♂️⏳️🧹🌏🌊💙

Thanks Wayne Allan Webb for all your help and support

Never give up on your dreams

04/11/2025

Something very special and very dear to my heart is going to be revealed in New Brighton very soon. I'm going to be talking about it at soup night on 10th November. Through this amazing event I was lucky enough to get the most votes to win the cash so I could make my wish come true. Two of the Sand Art story boards are nearly completed and will be revealed on Monday night. Whoop whoop!!!

Would you like to get your neighbours together for a summer BBQ? Strengthening neighbourly connections?

Would you like to plant some additional trees in your neighbourhood?

Would you like to organise a beach clean-up in the lead up to summer?

Do you have another idea, that could benefit from a $500 cash injection? We all know how hard it is to get funding at the minute ... could $500 help?

We are hosting our next 'SOUP event' on the 10th November - we are currently on the hunt for local people / groups who want to do something in New Brighton over the summer and are keen to pitch their idea at our event.

The criteria for pitching at our SOUP event is as follows:
* Must be cool.
* Must do 'good' for New Brighton and/or be a person/group that comes from New Brighton.
* Concept must be (at least partially) realised by our next SOUP event (Autumn 2026)
[Note, established groups including small businesses are welcome to apply, if their project meets the above criteria and they have a fresh idea they need help funding that supports New Brighton]

How do you win the $500?
* Each person who attends the SOUP event pays a $10 entry fee which goes into the prize pool.
* This gets them a bowl of soup (hence the name of the event) plus a voting token.
* After everyone has pitched their ideas on the night, the attendees then vote for their favourite pitch.
* The favourite pitch wins the $500 prize pool.

Even if you don't win on the night, this is a great way of getting word out about your project to audience of people who genuinely care about improving New Brighton.

Plus, you might just make a few new friends too!

19/10/2025

Such sad news to hear of Peter Donnelly, the Sand Man's passing on Monday 13th October here in Christchurch, New Zealand.

My life has been enriched over the last year here in Christchurch where I have got to meet Peter a few times and he would always have a yarn and read one of his latest poems to Wayne Allan Webb and I. We even got to see some of his original paintings.

Peter created over 1100 large sand works over a 17 year period 1997- 2014 at New Brighton, Christchurch, New Zealand, seen by people all over the world, back when people had actual cameras they took photos with and got the photos developed. People would post him photos they had taken of his creations for him to see.

Thank you Peter for shining your light so brightly, for being the creative spirit you are in all the ways, inspiring me to flow freely and fly like the seagulls.
Fly free 💜💜

17/10/2025

Such sad news to hear of Peter's passing. My life has been enriched over the last year here in Christchurch where I have got to meet Peter a few times and he would always have a yarn and read one of his latest poems to Wayne and I. We even got to see some of his original paintings. I hoped the storyboards I am making of his sand art legacy here at New Brighton would have been finished for him to see, however he knew they were happening and for that I am very grateful. Thank you Peter for shining your light so brightly, for being the creative spirit you are in all the ways, inspiring me to flow freely and fly like the seagulls.

Christchurch has lost one of its most creative and beloved figures. Read more ⬇️ Rest in Peace Peter.

28/09/2025

Here's another beautiful tribute made for Peter Donnelly coming from Nielson’s Beach, Bargara Queensland Australia.Thank you Cynthia for your beautiful design and kindness. I so appreciate you

A small message is carried across the seas and touches the hearts of those who receive it.

20/09/2025

So today Wayne Allan Webb and I went out and created a sand magic piece for Peter Donnelly New Zealands original sand man.

Peter created here at New Brighton beach from the day the new pier opened 1/11/1997 until 2014. In that time he created 1180 large creations on the sand mostly taking 4 hours each to complete.

Over this weekend I have spoken to my many friends in the international sand and land art community and have asked if they would like to create a tribute for Peter and how he has inspired their art, poetry, life.

The ripple effect......

What a wonderful project to be a part of and thank you to all of you who are creating something. As artists we aren't always aware of how big our ripple effect is so I wanted to show Peter how many people genuinely care about him and how his sand art has touched their life.

Look out for the photos to come !!! Exciting. Some have come from Scotland already!!!.

'Much love from all of us.
Thank you for all of your sand magic
SANDMAN'

And a big hi to all those creative souls gathering for Talamh this year. Thanks again Sean and Miranda for your amazing organizational skills to create this amazing festival again. Talamh 2023 was life changing for me. 🥁🎶⏳️🧹🌈🌊
Hi from New Zealand

03/09/2025

Both Wayne Allan Webb and I are very grateful to be following in the footsteps of the Master sand artist Peter Donnelly.

His 15+ years of creations seen from the New Brighton pier 1997-2014 have touched the hearts of so many people from Christchurch, New Zealand and around the world.

We get comments often on the pier from people saying they remember seeing Peter's creations.

Was this you? We would love to show Peter how much he is loved and how he has had an amazing ripple effect in the world with his sand art.

If you have a favourite memory please share it here so we can pass it on to him, the living legend.

Many thanks Aiyanna and Webby

#

10/08/2025

What do bubbles, cymatics and sand magic have in common... the magic of water 💧🌊❄️🌧

I love learning more about water and water consciousness and all the ways it shows up in our world. It's a fascinating subject.

If you want to check out some cool pages that I love
There is


https://www.instagram.com/seeing_into_the_unknown


https://www.instagram.com/bubbles_the_pixie


Thanks Webby for the art today 🫧🔮🫧🔮

03/08/2025

Imbolic blessings to you here from the Southern hemisphere.

I'm on a health journey currently and not on the sand so much and so I've shared a sacred geometry piece I created with 3 sand angels Tracey Dorn Eszter Dora-May Mirjana Zovko Krizanovic for Imbolic 30/7/2022 at Maukatia Bay, Muriwai, Auckland.

This is sacred geometry created by me. This 8 pointed star to me is the Divine Feminine wisdom returning, remembering our rhythms and atuning to Mother Earths rhythms,; the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn eqinoxes and the seasonal celebrations spring, summer autumn, winter also known as the sabbats of the celtic Wheel of the year.

Walking In right relationship with Mother Earth and especially here for us in the Southern hemisphere matching the seasonal celebrations with what's really going on around us and in happening In the earth.

The 5th photo is what the 4 of us created and I saw this sacred geometry as the divine masculine container.
To hold the divine feminine photo 6.

I will be sharing more about this remembering.
Right now I'm in awe of how clever we were to create this in the sand!!!