Andrew Clemens, of Dubuque, Iowa, created this sand painting of flowers and an eagle. Clemens, born in 1852, lost the ability to speak and hear after contracting encephalitis when he was five years old. He discovered the natural multicolored sands in the Pictured Rocks area of Iowa and began using them in sand paintings. He even made his own tools to aid in creating his intricate designs. Over time he began to be known as "the portrait painter without a brush or even paint" for his detailed and personalized sand paintings. Because of the delicate nature of the medium and his short career (Clemens died at the age of 37), few examples of his work remain.
