The city of Jesolo
Presents
The Nativity - A Story In Sand Sculpture
(sixth edition, November 26, 2007 - January 13, 2008)
by The Sultans of Sand Worldwide
Directed by Rich Varano
Scene two:
THE ANGEL & THE SHEPHERDS
(Luke chapter 2 verses 9 - 11)
And behold , an angel of the lord stood before them , and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
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Varano Sand Sculpture Company LLC
The
Sultans Of Sand
Worldwide Sand Sculpture Services
© Copyright 2007 Varano Sand Sculpture Company LLC / The Sultans Of Sand Worldwide Sand Sculpture Services
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High resolution images available for purchase upon request. [ contact us ]
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Presents
The Nativity - A Story In Sand Sculpture
(sixth edition, November 26, 2007 - January 13, 2008)
by The Sultans of Sand Worldwide
Directed by Rich Varano
Scene two:
THE ANGEL & THE SHEPHERDS
(Luke chapter 2 verses 9 - 11)
And behold , an angel of the lord stood before them , and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
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[ NATIVITY '07 HOME
] [ CARVER NOTES ]
[ IN PROGRESS PHOTOS ] [ SULTANS HOME ] [ NATIVITY ARCHIVES
] [ CONTACT ]
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Karen Fralich of Toronto, Canada, is a highly decorated international
sand carver. Totally into competition, she is probably the
hottest gun on the world competition tour right now. Currently ranked
number one in the North American Sand Sculpting Championships and at South
Padre Island Texas, she has also won numerous awards at the World Championships
and many other illustrious international shows, including the World Grandmaster
"Tournament of Champions" in British Columbia. Karen has worked with the Sultans Of Sand Worldwide team for many years & on numerous projects. But, this is her first time carving on the winter crew for the Jesolo Nativity. Her affable good nature and mellow attitudes make her a perfect fit for working on this crew. We welcome her with open arms, a shovel and a number of trowels & other carving tools. Karen has vast experience with many different subjects and themes. She renders her work in a distinctive style that is very popular with the viewing public. She enjoys doing work with a definite bent for the cute, fun and whimsical. Not that we will see much of that here in what is a decidedly more (deliberately) serious show, but those are arguably just a few attributes that can quite accurately describe her personally, as well. Hidden talents include: An electrical engineering background, a penchant for games like Scrabble & Cribbage (watch out, -she is a shark at Connect Four!) And, she has a beautiful singing voice. Her life partner Scott is also a lot of fun, and a talented guy in his own right. We hope he will join Karen in Italy one of these days for some of the good times we all enjoy in this great, northern Italian coastal community. Check out Karen's website: www.sandqube.ca |
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[ NATIVITY '07 HOME ] [ CARVER NOTES ] [ IN PROGRESS PHOTOS ] [ SULTANS HOME ] [ NATIVITY ARCHIVES ] [ CONTACT ]
Varano Sand Sculpture Company LLC
The
Sultans Of Sand
Worldwide Sand Sculpture Services
© Copyright 2007 Varano Sand Sculpture Company LLC / The Sultans Of Sand Worldwide Sand Sculpture Services
High resolution images available for purchase upon request. [ contact us ]
Karen's Bio and List of Contests
KAREN’S BIOGRAPHY
Karen is a professional multimedia sculptor who has been carving sand sculptures for 14 years. Her passion for sculpting in many mediums led her to a career in sand.
She began her sculpting career at age 14 in a pottery studio in Guelph, Ontario in 1983. While taking a pottery class there, the studio’s owner encouraged Karen to explore the possibility of sculpting as a career. Making small animal figures out of clay became an 11 year hobby. Then, in 1994, a professional sand sculptor hired her to help him on a small sand sculpture in a local mall. Karen was immediately addicted and spent the next 4 years learning the rudiments of sand sculpture while still working full time in the food service industry. In 1998 she entered her first international contest and by 2001 she was working full time as a free-lance sculptor.
Her work as a free-lance sculptor includes many sculpting mediums including sand, snow, clay, stone, super sculpey, foam, wood and fiberglass for movies, television, special events, art galleries and print ads. She also collaborates with several sand sculpture companies in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Italy, Holland, Spain, Japan and Australia.
She has participated in 60 sand sculpting competitions all over the world and won many titles. The high point was at Harrison Hot Springs, B.C, Canada in September 2004. At this event, Karen was the Solo World Champion of Sand Sculpture and also won the Sculptor’s Choice award. She is the only woman to achieve these honors in the contest’s 18 year history.
To date, Karen is a 3 time World Champion of sand sculpture:
1 solo division 2004
1 doubles division with team mate Matt Deibert 2002
1 Grand Master doubles division with team mate Richard Varano 2006
And she is a 3 time North American Champion of sand sculpture:
1 solo division 2007
2 doubles division with team mate Scott Herel 2004 and 2005
Karens Contest record:
60 CONTESTS (1997 – 2007)
14 - 1st Place Awards
15 - 2nd Place Awards
7 - 3rd Place Awards
15 - Sculptor’s Choice Awards
7 - People’s Choice Awards
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November 2007
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2007 – 1st Place, El Paseo Arts Award
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2007 - 1st Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Parksville Beachfest, Parksville, BC, Canada, July 2007 – 3rd Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2007
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November, 2006 – 2nd Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2006 – 1st Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2006, Partner Scott Herel - Neptune’s Choice
· Arts In Action, Port Angeles, WA, USA, July 2006 - 1st Place, People’s Choice.
· Revere Beach Contest, MA, USA, July 2006 – 2nd Place, Sculptors’ Choice, People’s Choice.
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2006 - 1st Place
· The Vancouver SunTournament of Champions, Harrison Hot Springs, BC Canada, May 2006, Partner Richard Verano- 1st Place People’s Choice, 2nd Place Sculptor’s Choice Duos
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April 2006 – 2nd Place
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November, 2005 – Sponsor’s Choice
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2005, Partner Scott Herel - 1st Place Teams, Sculptors’ Choice, Neptune’s Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September 2005 – 2nd Place.
· Revere Beach Contest, MA, USA, July 2005 – 3rd Place
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2005 - 1st Place, Tied for Sculptors’ Choice, People’s Choice.
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April 2005 – 2nd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2004 – Tied for 2nd Place, People’s Choice
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, Septembe, 2004, Partner Scott Herel - 1st Place Teams, Sculptors’ Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September 2004 - 1st Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Parksville Beachfest, Parksville, BC, Canada, July 2004 - 2nd Place, Sculptor’s Choice, People’s Choice
· Japanese Sand Sculpting Championship in Kaseda, Japan, April, 2004.
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April, 2004 - 3rd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2003 – 2nd Place
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2003 - 5th Place
· World Championships Doubles, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2003, Partner Matthew Diebert
· Jesolo, Italy Sand Sculpture Competition, June, 2003
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, TX, USA, April, 2003 – 2nd Place, tied for Sculptor’s Choice
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA 2002 - 1st Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2002 – 2nd Place
· World Championships Doubles, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2002, Partner Matthew Diebert – 1st Place Doubles
· Quebec City Solo Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2002 – 1st Place
· Jesolo, Italy Sand Sculpture Competition, June, 2002 - Sculptor’s Choice
· Valladolid, Spain Sand Sculpture Competition, May, 2002 – 2nd Place
· Hardelot, France Sand Sculpture Competition, May, 2002
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April, 2002 – 3rd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2001 – 2nd Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2001 - 8th Place, Sculptors’ Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2001 - 5th Place
· Beachfest, Tallahassee, Florida, USA, April, 2001
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, March, 2001
· Sandcastle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2000 - 2nd Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2000 - 3rd Place, Sculptors’ Choice
· Quebec City Team Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2000, Partner Greg Lebon
· Quebec City Solo Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2000
· Beach Fest, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, USA, July, 2000 - 3rd Place
· Myrtle Beach Open, South Carolina, USA, May, 2000 - 5th Place
· Sand Sculpting Competition, Canary Islands, Spain, September, 1999 - 5th Place
· Expo City Sand Sculpting Competition, Quebec City, Canada, August, 1999
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, August, Canada, 1999 - 2nd Place, Peoples’ Choice
· Taste of the Beaches' Competition, Treasure Island, Florida, USA, May, 1999 - 4th Place
· Neptune Festival Competition, Virginia Beach, USA, September, 1998
· World Championships, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 1998
· Expo City Sand Sculpting Competition, Quebec City, Canada, August, 1998
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, Canada, August, 1998 - 3rd Place
· Wasaga Beach Competition, Ontario, Canada, June, 1998 - 1st Place
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, Canada, August, 1997 - 2nd Place, Peoples’ Choice
· Wasaga Beach Competition, Ontario, Canada, June, 1997
KAREN’S BIOGRAPHY
Karen is a professional multimedia sculptor who has been carving sand sculptures for 14 years. Her passion for sculpting in many mediums led her to a career in sand.
She began her sculpting career at age 14 in a pottery studio in Guelph, Ontario in 1983. While taking a pottery class there, the studio’s owner encouraged Karen to explore the possibility of sculpting as a career. Making small animal figures out of clay became an 11 year hobby. Then, in 1994, a professional sand sculptor hired her to help him on a small sand sculpture in a local mall. Karen was immediately addicted and spent the next 4 years learning the rudiments of sand sculpture while still working full time in the food service industry. In 1998 she entered her first international contest and by 2001 she was working full time as a free-lance sculptor.
Her work as a free-lance sculptor includes many sculpting mediums including sand, snow, clay, stone, super sculpey, foam, wood and fiberglass for movies, television, special events, art galleries and print ads. She also collaborates with several sand sculpture companies in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Italy, Holland, Spain, Japan and Australia.
She has participated in 60 sand sculpting competitions all over the world and won many titles. The high point was at Harrison Hot Springs, B.C, Canada in September 2004. At this event, Karen was the Solo World Champion of Sand Sculpture and also won the Sculptor’s Choice award. She is the only woman to achieve these honors in the contest’s 18 year history.
To date, Karen is a 3 time World Champion of sand sculpture:
1 solo division 2004
1 doubles division with team mate Matt Deibert 2002
1 Grand Master doubles division with team mate Richard Varano 2006
And she is a 3 time North American Champion of sand sculpture:
1 solo division 2007
2 doubles division with team mate Scott Herel 2004 and 2005
Karens Contest record:
60 CONTESTS (1997 – 2007)
14 - 1st Place Awards
15 - 2nd Place Awards
7 - 3rd Place Awards
15 - Sculptor’s Choice Awards
7 - People’s Choice Awards
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November 2007
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2007 – 1st Place, El Paseo Arts Award
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2007 - 1st Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Parksville Beachfest, Parksville, BC, Canada, July 2007 – 3rd Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2007
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November, 2006 – 2nd Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2006 – 1st Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2006, Partner Scott Herel - Neptune’s Choice
· Arts In Action, Port Angeles, WA, USA, July 2006 - 1st Place, People’s Choice.
· Revere Beach Contest, MA, USA, July 2006 – 2nd Place, Sculptors’ Choice, People’s Choice.
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2006 - 1st Place
· The Vancouver SunTournament of Champions, Harrison Hot Springs, BC Canada, May 2006, Partner Richard Verano- 1st Place People’s Choice, 2nd Place Sculptor’s Choice Duos
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April 2006 – 2nd Place
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA November, 2005 – Sponsor’s Choice
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2005, Partner Scott Herel - 1st Place Teams, Sculptors’ Choice, Neptune’s Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September 2005 – 2nd Place.
· Revere Beach Contest, MA, USA, July 2005 – 3rd Place
· Hampton Beach Contest, NH, USA, June 2005 - 1st Place, Tied for Sculptors’ Choice, People’s Choice.
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April 2005 – 2nd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October 2004 – Tied for 2nd Place, People’s Choice
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, Septembe, 2004, Partner Scott Herel - 1st Place Teams, Sculptors’ Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September 2004 - 1st Place, Sculptor’s Choice
· Parksville Beachfest, Parksville, BC, Canada, July 2004 - 2nd Place, Sculptor’s Choice, People’s Choice
· Japanese Sand Sculpting Championship in Kaseda, Japan, April, 2004.
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April, 2004 - 3rd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2003 – 2nd Place
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2003 - 5th Place
· World Championships Doubles, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2003, Partner Matthew Diebert
· Jesolo, Italy Sand Sculpture Competition, June, 2003
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, TX, USA, April, 2003 – 2nd Place, tied for Sculptor’s Choice
· North American Sand Sculpture Competition, Fort Myers, Florida, USA 2002 - 1st Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2002 – 2nd Place
· World Championships Doubles, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2002, Partner Matthew Diebert – 1st Place Doubles
· Quebec City Solo Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2002 – 1st Place
· Jesolo, Italy Sand Sculpture Competition, June, 2002 - Sculptor’s Choice
· Valladolid, Spain Sand Sculpture Competition, May, 2002 – 2nd Place
· Hardelot, France Sand Sculpture Competition, May, 2002
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, April, 2002 – 3rd Place
· Sand Castle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2001 – 2nd Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2001 - 8th Place, Sculptors’ Choice
· World Championships Solo, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 2001 - 5th Place
· Beachfest, Tallahassee, Florida, USA, April, 2001
· Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, Texas, USA, March, 2001
· Sandcastle Days, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, October, 2000 - 2nd Place
· Neptune Festival , Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, September, 2000 - 3rd Place, Sculptors’ Choice
· Quebec City Team Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2000, Partner Greg Lebon
· Quebec City Solo Competition, Quebec, Canada, August, 2000
· Beach Fest, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, USA, July, 2000 - 3rd Place
· Myrtle Beach Open, South Carolina, USA, May, 2000 - 5th Place
· Sand Sculpting Competition, Canary Islands, Spain, September, 1999 - 5th Place
· Expo City Sand Sculpting Competition, Quebec City, Canada, August, 1999
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, August, Canada, 1999 - 2nd Place, Peoples’ Choice
· Taste of the Beaches' Competition, Treasure Island, Florida, USA, May, 1999 - 4th Place
· Neptune Festival Competition, Virginia Beach, USA, September, 1998
· World Championships, Harrison Hot Springs, B.C. Canada, September, 1998
· Expo City Sand Sculpting Competition, Quebec City, Canada, August, 1998
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, Canada, August, 1998 - 3rd Place
· Wasaga Beach Competition, Ontario, Canada, June, 1998 - 1st Place
· Ontario Place Competition, Toronto, Canada, August, 1997 - 2nd Place, Peoples’ Choice
· Wasaga Beach Competition, Ontario, Canada, June, 1997