| When it comes to breathtaking scenery there is very | | | | more 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 quieter | | | | region to host an ice and snow festival as the climate |
| than it normally is, nothing much ventures out in the cold | | | | is very cold and there is no shortage of snow. |
| so everything is still and calm. A feeling of peace and | | | | The Annual World Ice Art Championships has taken |
| tranquillity seems to fall with the snow and settle over | | | | place 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 and | | | | unique 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 themselves | | | | competition every year. There are two main |
| through the creation of elaborate snowmen. You also | | | | categories: single block and multi-block. Each category |
| get the real winter artists, the ones who thrive in the | | | | is then sub-divided into 2 more categories: abstract |
| cold and whose creations will never be treasured in | | | | and realistic sculptures. |
| any museum simply because the medium doesn't last | | | | On the Japanese island Hokkaido; the city Sapporo is |
| long enough. Ice sculptors are being taken more and | | | | famous for its winter carnival where teams compete |
| more seriously as artists, as the complexity of the art | | | | to create the best ice sculptures. The designs get very |
| becomes better known and it gains more recognition | | | | creative and elaborate, some even reaching the size |
| internationally. | | | | of multi-storey buildings. |
| China and Japan both have long traditions of ice | | | | Ice hotels used to be novelties, now they are |
| sculpting. They are 2 countries that for millennia have | | | | becoming popular and regular destinations for tourists |
| had a reputation for valuing art and beauty so it is no | | | | in several cold countries. Sweden is believed to have |
| real surprise that they have been appreciating the | | | | started the trend, however, with its Ice Hotel in Kiruna. It |
| magnificence of ice far longer than any other cultures | | | | began in 1989 and has been widely advertised through |
| in the world. The art is so valued in Japan that it | | | | all media. The only things in the hotel that are not made |
| makes the best ice chisels. Ice chisels are specially | | | | of 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: electric | | | | between the months of November and May when the |
| chainsaws, angle grinders, heat guns, torches and a | | | | weather is at it's coldest. |
| plain old household iron. How you use these tools and | | | | One country that you would not normally associate |
| how many of these tools you use will depend on the | | | | with ice sculpting is Ireland. It is not known as an ice |
| size of the sculpture and its design. The toys involved | | | | and snow covered landscape. It is not defined by |
| certainly are fun, though you want to be careful and | | | | freezing temperatures and long winters. Yet it has |
| not accidentally take your own leg off in all the artistic | | | | some 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 ice | | | | for a country of shamrocks and leprechauns. |
| used are carefully chosen for their suitability. Sculpting | | | | Ice sculpting is more popular in the Northern |
| ice must be made from pure, clean water so that it will | | | | Hemisphere largely because there is not a great deal |
| be as transparent as possible and have the absolute | | | | of snow in Australia and Africa, even in the depths of |
| minimum of air bubbles. The sculpting environment is | | | | winter. South America is very similar. The southern |
| equally important. If the temperature is not that cold | | | | continents are not close enough to the Antarctic to get |
| then the sculptor will have to work quickly to finish it. In | | | | very cold winters and snow. They have to rely on |
| cases like that it is more efficient to use power tools | | | | machines 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 and | | | | finished pieces in specially cooled rooms so that they |
| demonstrations held all over the world where artists | | | | don'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 increasingly | | | | of 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's | | | | comes around for them to see some art, they are |
| popularity has increased, so has its size. It attracts | | | | always there in droves. |
| more talented artists every year, who display ever | | | | |