OGUNQUIT — Sebastian “Subby” Privitera of Methuen, Massachusetts, has been coming up to the Wells/Ogunquit area in the summer for about 30 years.

“I call this my home beach,” he said Friday morning at Footbridge Beach. “I think it’s the nicest beach on the East Coast.” Privitera makes several trips to Maine during time off from his job at the Market Basket distribution center, and much of his time is spent at the beach.

And like most mornings at the beach, Privitera was working on an art project Friday, using the sand as his canvas and using only an adjustable rake to scrape the design. Privitera was working on what appeared to be a sun, having scratched out a large circle with some rays extending from the top of it.

The day before, Privitera completed a sand drawing of retired Red Sox baseball player David Ortiz, which was featured on the Ogunquit Police Facebook page. He used to do sand sculptures, but after a back injury switched to sand drawings, which he finds “a little easier on the body.” On his phone is a gallery of his past work, which includes sculptures of Olaf from the movie Frozen, Pokeman character Pikachu and a a serving of French Fries. 

Privitera, who also enjoys woodworking, said he became interested in creating sand sculptures by playing in the sand with his children, who are now in their 20s.

As he stood on the beach Friday, rake in hand, people came up and asked him what he was going to be drawing today, or complimented him on his work from the day before.

“People remember me,” he said. 

Privitera spends about three or four hours on his pieces. Privitera said he finds creating sand art relaxing, and will put on a pair of headphones and listen to music and tap into his creativity.

“It’s like therapy,” he said. “Therapy is in session.”

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.

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