A professional sculptor earns "six figures" a year making mansions, mermaids and hammerhead sharks - from SAND."

Janel Hawking, 30, has been creating sand sculptures since January 2017 and loves making huge butterflies, sea monsters and turtles.

It can take her between four and seven hours to create each sculpture - which are gone when the tide comes in.

Janel, from Gulf Shore, Alabama, US, says he earns six figures and creates 40 a year.

He said: "I love architecture and love the idea of all the history behind architecture. "

"I love taking a fancy house and making it out of sand - I think it's such a good challenge."

"My favourite piece is the dragon and I called it Mushu."

"I stepped back and was like 'this is the best thing I have ever done'."

Janel is passionate about architecture and became a sand sculping apprentice in January 2017.

"I really learned how to deal with people and how to explain your craft," he said."

"They taught me how to be professional and that my job is a fun thing to do."

"It was a really good way of starting off in the industry and understanding what I was heading into."

On average, Janel will create 35-40 sculptors a year and has been asked to do everything from a haunted house to a logo for the new SpongeBob film.

Janel said: "People commission us to do custom sculptures ranging from music festivals, weddings, proposals and any sort of event."

"Most recently Netflix asked to make a sculptor for the new SpongeBob SquarePants film."

"Classes are most profitable part of the business. The other stuff is supplementary and the social media and allows us to work full time."

On a day-to-day basis, Janel will have people come up to her and watch her create the sculpture.

She said: "Most people don't think it's sand. People are really interested in how it works and how it will end up. "

"I've been doing it for so long, It's nice to catch up with regulars."

"With social media, it's nice that I can look back on my work and it brings back so many memories."

"Some of them really hurt. I feel like I don't have enough time to enjoy my sculptures."