The present invention relates to a work of art of sand and/or clay material .

The main object of the present invention is to produce a work of art which exhibits a unique surface structure and strength and which may be designed as wished.

Said object is achieved by means of a work of art according to the present invention which is principally characterized in that the sand and/or clay material is compressed to form a body which altematingly has been given the intended shape and has been treated with a fixing agent, wherein the shaped formed body presents a hard surface layer after drying.

Another object with the present invention is to provide a method which enables production of a work of art according to the invention in a simple and efficient manner.

Said further object is achieved by means of a method which is principally characterized in that the work of art is formed by means of a compressed body which consists of sand and/or clay, that a fixing agent is altematingly applied to said body and the body is given the desirable shape whereupon the body is allowed to dry to form a hard surface layer.

Finally it is an object of the invention to provide means by which the invention may be accomplished.

Said final object is achieved through means which are substantially characterized in that a work of art is formed by a compressed body of sand and/or clay and a fixing agent.

The invention is described here below as a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Fig 1 shows a raw material to a work of art,

Fig 2 shows schematically a method for producing a work of art in the shape of a statue, a statuette etc. ,

Fig 3 shows a perspective view of a finished first work of art, and

Fig 4 shows a perspective view of a finished second work of art . A work of art 1 in the form of a statue, a statuette or the like which consists of sand and/or clay material 2 is formed according to the present invention of a body 3 of hard compressed material 2. More precisely, said body 3 comprises a lump from e.g. a sandpit and which is hard compressed by means of above located amount of sand etc. during many years.

The work of art 1 has altematingly been given the intended shape and been treated with fixing agent 4 to a finished work of art 1. The shaped formed body 3 exhibits a hard surface layer 5 after drying and solidifying. The body 3 is provided with fixing agent 4 which reaches at least about 5 mm into itself, from its surrounding external surface 6 along its entire perimeter.

According to a special embodiment, said body 3 is formed of different strata or layers 7 of sand and/or clay the plane of which extends substantially vertically. This looks like graining in the material .

In order to further adorn and/or protect the work of art 1, the said body may be covered with a surface protecting coating of for example paint, enamel or the like. Said body 3 is impregnated with a suitable agent for the purpose and which among other is a part of hairspray 8 for

forming a stone resembling shell together with the material of the body. Hairspray comprises, excepting water, alcohol and propellant, copolymers like silicone, polyvinyl acetate, acrylate copolyτner and which in combination of a plurality or individual substances provides the desired solidification effect in the sand etc 2.

One example of hairspray contains e.g. the following substances:

Ethyl alcohol Water

Perfume

Propellant

Polyvinyl acetate

Copolymer Silicone

Amino methyl

Propanediol

Another hairspray contains in its turn the following substances : Alcohol

Water

Vinyl Acetate/Butyl

Maleat/Isobornyl Acrylate Copolymer

PVP/VA Copolymer Fragrance

Glycerine Aminomethyl Propanol .

A method for producing a work of art 1 which consists of sand and/or clay material 2 according to the above is performed in such a way, that the work of art 1 is formed by means of a compressed body 3 which consists of sand 2 and/or

clay. Altematingly, a fixing agent 4 is applied onto said body 3, so that the agent 4 enters the body 3 at least partly, and gives the body 3 the desired shape, right up to that the work of art 1 has been given the correct shape and size. Then the body 3 is allowed to dry to form a hard surface layer 5.

Preferably said fixing agent 4 is sprayed onto the surface of the body and that said agent 4 is composed of one or several ingredients which are a part of among other hairspray according to the above specified list of ingredients. The means for producing works of art 1 according to the above which consist of sand and/or clay material 2 are formed on one hand by a hard compressed body 3 of sand and/or clay and a fixing agent 4 for said material 2 and preferably then hairspray or at least any product which normally is a part of hairspray. A fine example of works of art 1 and 101 respectively are shown in the drawings in Fig 4 and 3 respectively, and there is no limitation as how to shape the body 3 which shall form a work of art after forming and application of the desired fixing agent 4 onto it. It is also possible to use tools when shaping the body 3, e.g. scrapes, combs, knives etc., however the best and most form sensitive tool is the hands 9.

The invention is however not limited to the above described and in the drawings shown embodiment, but may be varied within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the concept of the invention. By the material designation sand and/or clay material should be understood that the main ingredient in the material preferably should be sand.