| 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 | | | | is very cold and there is no shortage of snow. |
| cold so everything is still and calm. A feeling of peace | | | | The Annual World Ice Art Championships has taken |
| and tranquillity seems to fall with the snow and settle | | | | place in Fairbanks, Alaska since 1989. The event is |
| over the region like a protective, mood tempering | | | | organised and run by volunteers, which makes it |
| blanket. Adults become children again, throwing | | | | rather unique in the world of ice art championships. |
| snowballs and making the occasional snow angel in a | | | | Roughly 100 artists from around the world attend |
| deep snowdrift. Everyone becomes an artist, | | | | enter the competition every year. There are two |
| expressing themselves through the creation of | | | | main categories: single block and multi-block. Each |
| elaborate snowmen. You also get the real winter | | | | category is then sub-divided into 2 more categories: |
| artists, the ones who thrive in the cold and whose | | | | abstract and realistic sculptures. |
| creations will never be treasured in any museum | | | | On the Japanese island Hokkaido; the city Sapporo is |
| simply because the medium doesn't last long enough. | | | | famous for its winter carnival where teams compete |
| Ice sculptors are being taken more and more | | | | to create the best ice sculptures. The designs get |
| seriously as artists, as the complexity of the art | | | | very creative and elaborate, some even reaching the |
| becomes better known and it gains more recognition | | | | size of multi-storey buildings. |
| internationally. | | | | Ice hotels used to be novelties, now they are |
| China and Japan both have long traditions of ice | | | | becoming popular and regular destinations for tourists |
| sculpting. They are 2 countries that for millennia have | | | | in several cold countries. Sweden is believed to have |
| had a reputation for valuing art and beauty so it is no | | | | started the trend, however, with its Ice Hotel in |
| real surprise that they have been appreciating the | | | | Kiruna. It began in 1989 and has been widely |
| magnificence of ice far longer than any other cultures | | | | advertised through all media. The only things in the |
| in the world. The art is so valued in Japan that it | | | | hotel that are not made of ice are the beds. There |
| makes the best ice chisels. Ice chisels are specially | | | | are 60 rooms and suites, a bar, reception area and |
| designed to work on ice and are extremely sharp. | | | | even a chapel. It is only open between the months |
| Other tools used in ice sculpting include: electric | | | | of November and May when the weather is at it's |
| chainsaws, angle grinders, heat guns, torches and a | | | | 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 | | | | and snow covered landscape. It is not defined by |
| involved certainly are fun, though you want to be | | | | freezing temperatures and long winters. Yet it has |
| careful and not accidentally take your own leg off in | | | | some of the world's most well respected ice |
| all the artistic excitement. | | | | sculptors who have won the International Ice |
| Ice sculpting is a fairly complicated and scientific art. | | | | Sculpture Festival, Jelgava, Latvia for two years in a |
| Not just any old piece of ice will do. The blocks of ice | | | | row. Not bad going for a country of shamrocks and |
| used are carefully chosen for their suitability. Sculpting | | | | leprechauns. |
| ice must be made from pure, clean water so that it | | | | Ice sculpting is more popular in the Northern |
| will be as transparent as possible and have the | | | | Hemisphere largely because there is not a great deal |
| absolute minimum of air bubbles. The sculpting | | | | of snow in Australia and Africa, even in the depths |
| environment is equally important. If the temperature | | | | of winter. South America is very similar. The southern |
| is not that cold then the sculptor will have to work | | | | continents are not close enough to the Antarctic to |
| quickly to finish it. In cases like that it is more | | | | get very cold winters and snow. They have to rely |
| efficient to use power tools as much as possible. | | | | on machines to make ice blocks big enough for their |
| There are several ice sculpting competitions and | | | | artists to work with. They also have to keep the |
| demonstrations held all over the world where artists | | | | finished pieces in specially cooled rooms so that they |
| and amateurs are given a chance to display their skills. | | | | don't melt immediately because the warm climates |
| Heilongjiang Province, in China, hosts the increasingly | | | | simply aren't conducive to the durability of the works |
| famous International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, | | | | of art. The people are fine appreciators of ice |
| which is held once a year in Harbin. As the festival's | | | | sculptures though, and whenever an opportunity |
| popularity has increased, so has its size. It attracts | | | | comes around for them to see some art, they are |
| more talented artists every year, who display ever | | | | always there in droves. |