The sunset at Ocean Beach is a sight to see. Tourists and locals alike come out to enjoy the
colors playing off the waters in the Richmond District’s popular surf spot. And during low tide,
beach-goers may have one more thing to look at. Strewn all around the beach during low tide are words like “Dream” and “Love” written in calligraphy with intricate designs. Stan James, 41-year-old Inner Richmond resident, is the artist.
His strokes are precise, as this is a very unforgiving art form. Although all the works he creates will wash away with the tide, he only has one chance to make them right. There are no sand erasers. Using only a rake, a stick, and his talent, James does calligraphy in the wet sand for passersby to enjoy. This calligraphy has gained him a notable following on Instagram, where he commonly posts pictures of his art. While some of his followers are San Francisco locals, many more enjoy his art from around the world.
One such follower is Jimmy Holway, another Richmond District resident, who James inspired and has collaborated with. Holway is still learning, calling James the mastermind and teacher. The difference in James’ and Holway’s works can be easily seen. While Holway’s lettering is heavy-handed and illegible in places, James’ is well-scripted and meticulously done.
Holway and James are part of a community of people who enjoy calligraffiti, or the mash-up of calligraphy and graffiti. Although fairly new, calligraffiti already has a good-sized following in the street art community. Holway and James met through a Reddit.com forum, where calligraffiti artist communicate and share their work. James describes this community as a place where geeks practice art.
“It’s an interesting cross-road,” says James. “On the one hand, you have the artistic side, but most people who enjoy this are also just nerds and math people like me.”
In addition to calligraphy and art, James codes, and has be a “tech guy” for various startups around the Bay Area. Most recently, James has created an app called “Super Selfie Dance”, which is free on the App Store for Apple products. When he was eight years old, James began doing calligraphy, simply because everyone else in his class could draw, but he was the only student who could write in script. As an adult, he is still drawn to calligraphy, because it’s “art with rules”.
The idea for beach writing first came from Burning Man 2013, a festival that takes place in the desert and requires participants to bring a gift. James’ gift was his raking, because he felt he could create works of calligraphy in the desert sands to give back to the Burning Man. When it didn’t work very well, because the sand was too dry and all his art kept getting blown away, he realized he could give back to the San Francisco community with his art as well.
“Doing calligraphy on Ocean Beach makes me feel like I’m part of the city,” says James. “There’s street performers and artists and basically just a big city full of weirdos. This makes me feel like I’m contributing and giving back.
Children’s faces light up when the come across his works, and people watching him from the Cliff House Restaurant take photos and occasionally burst into applause. His art brings people happiness and gives them pleasant surprises, and that’s the main thing James strives for. In addition to being a way for James to participate in the city, doing art on the beach creates a sense of calm and a reason to visit the beach.
More of James' work can be found on his Instagram, @wanderingstan.
