In the past animators relied on a trusty pencil and paper to create their moving images. Not anymore. These days any material has the potential to become art, including sand.

I must admit, initially this sand animation by Sigrid Astrup didn’t impress me much. But stick with it. Once she creates the fish it all kicks into the gear and the rest is mesmerizing. These humble grains of sand become a bear, a bird, and more creatures from the animal kingdom.

Sand is such an unlikely medium for art, but it allows Sigrid to create creatures with such rich textures. I’ve never seen anything like this, but I hope to see a lot more of it!