Ice Sculptures

When it comes to breathtaking scenery there is verymore impressive techniques and create ever more
little that can compare to a snow covered landscape.spectacular pieces to display. Heilongjiang is an ideal
The snow dulls sounds so that everything is quieterregion to host an ice and snow festival as the climate
than it normally is, nothing much ventures out in the coldis very cold and there is no shortage of snow.
so everything is still and calm. A feeling of peace andThe Annual World Ice Art Championships has taken
tranquillity seems to fall with the snow and settle overplace in Fairbanks, Alaska since 1989. The event is
the region like a protective, mood tempering blanket.organised and run by volunteers, which makes it rather
Adults become children again, throwing snowballs andunique in the world of ice art championships. Roughly
making the occasional snow angel in a deep snowdrift.100 artists from around the world attend enter the
Everyone becomes an artist, expressing themselvescompetition every year. There are two main
through the creation of elaborate snowmen. You alsocategories: single block and multi-block. Each category
get the real winter artists, the ones who thrive in theis then sub-divided into 2 more categories: abstract
cold and whose creations will never be treasured inand realistic sculptures.
any museum simply because the medium doesn't lastOn the Japanese island Hokkaido; the city Sapporo is
long enough. Ice sculptors are being taken more andfamous for its winter carnival where teams compete
more seriously as artists, as the complexity of the artto create the best ice sculptures. The designs get very
becomes better known and it gains more recognitioncreative and elaborate, some even reaching the size
internationally.of multi-storey buildings.
China and Japan both have long traditions of iceIce hotels used to be novelties, now they are
sculpting. They are 2 countries that for millennia havebecoming popular and regular destinations for tourists
had a reputation for valuing art and beauty so it is noin several cold countries. Sweden is believed to have
real surprise that they have been appreciating thestarted the trend, however, with its Ice Hotel in Kiruna. It
magnificence of ice far longer than any other culturesbegan in 1989 and has been widely advertised through
in the world. The art is so valued in Japan that itall media. The only things in the hotel that are not made
makes the best ice chisels. Ice chisels are speciallyof ice are the beds. There are 60 rooms and suites, a
designed to work on ice and are extremely sharp.bar, reception area and even a chapel. It is only open
Other tools used in ice sculpting include: electricbetween the months of November and May when the
chainsaws, angle grinders, heat guns, torches and aweather is at it's coldest.
plain old household iron. How you use these tools andOne country that you would not normally associate
how many of these tools you use will depend on thewith ice sculpting is Ireland. It is not known as an ice
size of the sculpture and its design. The toys involvedand snow covered landscape. It is not defined by
certainly are fun, though you want to be careful andfreezing temperatures and long winters. Yet it has
not accidentally take your own leg off in all the artisticsome of the world's most well respected ice sculptors
excitement.who have won the International Ice Sculpture Festival,
Ice sculpting is a fairly complicated and scientific art.Jelgava, Latvia for two years in a row. Not bad going
Not just any old piece of ice will do. The blocks of icefor a country of shamrocks and leprechauns.
used are carefully chosen for their suitability. SculptingIce sculpting is more popular in the Northern
ice must be made from pure, clean water so that it willHemisphere largely because there is not a great deal
be as transparent as possible and have the absoluteof snow in Australia and Africa, even in the depths of
minimum of air bubbles. The sculpting environment iswinter. South America is very similar. The southern
equally important. If the temperature is not that coldcontinents are not close enough to the Antarctic to get
then the sculptor will have to work quickly to finish it. Invery cold winters and snow. They have to rely on
cases like that it is more efficient to use power toolsmachines to make ice blocks big enough for their
as much as possible.artists to work with. They also have to keep the
There are several ice sculpting competitions andfinished pieces in specially cooled rooms so that they
demonstrations held all over the world where artistsdon't melt immediately because the warm climates
and amateurs are given a chance to display their skills.simply aren't conducive to the durability of the works
Heilongjiang Province, in China, hosts the increasinglyof art. The people are fine appreciators of ice
famous International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival,sculptures though, and whenever an opportunity
which is held once a year in Harbin. As the festival'scomes around for them to see some art, they are
popularity has increased, so has its size. It attractsalways there in droves.
more talented artists every year, who display ever