Why would a man bring a rake to the beach? The answer to what Andres Amador does with a rake might surprise you.

San Francisco native Andres Amador has an interesting talent. He takes to the beach around low tide and creates art, armed only with a rake and his broad imagination -- and sometimes some rope. What results is an impressive beach mural that will eventually be washed away by the tides, but is ultimately a fleeting moment of beauty for all who witness it.

According to his official website's FAQ regarding the beach murals, he etches the designs into the beach when it's low tide because it "exposes the wetter sand, causing a color difference between the raked and unraked sand."

He gets the designs nearly perfect by using a rope as a compass. The rest, he says, "is geometry in motion - and its perfection is a thing of beauty to participate in." Of course, the most obvious question would have to be about why he does it when he knows his creations will just be washed away by the water.

In response, Amador said, "For me it is more about the process and less about the result. I can be a stickler for getting something the way I think I want it- which is more goal-focused. But ultimately, when it is finished, I let it go. For me the energy and draw is around the act of creation."

It's inspiring to see an artist create something just for the sake of creating it, literally making his marks into the earth, knowing that they won't remain. Check out his beach murals below and more of his artwork on his website.

Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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Andres Amador
Andres Amador
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