Five Things that Make an Ice Sculpture Stand Out

Ice sculptures are gorgeous other-worldly works of art. Their delicate nature and their fleeting existence are enough to make us bundle up and go out in the coldest of weather to enjoy their beauty. There are many things that make an ice sculpture beautiful including the talent of the artists. However, there are five things that can really make an ice sculpture stand out.

1.    Intricately: The most beautiful ice sculptures are the ones that have fine details that until personally viewed would seem almost impossible to replicate in ice. A fine example of this is the Cinderella’s carriage. The 2003 Winterlude festival in Ottawa saw a life sized replica of Cinderella’s carriage carved in ice. The pumpkin/carriage was carved all over with a delicate pattern and the edges of the platform on which the Disney princess put her glass shod foot were elegantly ridged. This stunning piece of work would have been impressive with a plain globe carriage and no details on the platform but it was this attention to detail that took this ice sculpture from simply beautiful to magnificent.

2.    Emotion: An ice sculpture that evokes a feeling is a sculpture that is memorable. Two large hands folded in prayer, reaching upwards from a frozen wasteland touches those who have cried out with their whole heart to a higher power for healing, for relief, or to express their thanks and gratitude. The body folded with head resting on knees gives us pause as we envy the cold figure in a her silent and peaceful repose.

3.    Size: The larger the ice sculpture, the more impressive it becomes. The ice hotels of Sweden, and Quebec are massive, inhabitable sculptures that are feats of engineering. Sculptured castles combine expert skill with a touch of the fantasy world that we never really grow out of. When you take an carving of an everyday object, be that the bust of a person or something as common as a household spoon and enlarge it to mammoth proportions, you give your audience a new way to see and experience that object and the impression stays in the mind long after the artwork melts away.

4.    Color: As if beautiful objects made completely of ice were not impressive enough, the addition of color adds yet another rich layer to the specialized art of ice sculpting. With color, the icy walls of a castle go from a transparent wonder to a fantasy of blues, pinks and reds. With color the winged goddess is changed from a cold statue to a fiery vixen defying her static position. Color adds dimension. Color adds life. It sparks the imagination and makes the sculpture even more enjoyable.

5.    Fragility: Hair that trails into wisps, the spokes of a wheel so fine they look as though they could shatter at any moment, tapered fingers, the fine lines of an abstract design – the ice sculpture that looks like it could shatter at any moment is beautiful in execution and adds an air of excitement to the watchful audience.

If you have yet to enjoy an ice sculpture exhibition, make this the year you experience the beauty of these fleeting works of art and see for yourself how intricacy, emotion, size, color and fragility come into play in the frozen gallery of sculpted ice.

About the Author

Our frozen ice kingdom is an amazing spectacle that draws in millions of viewers from around the world. Intricately carved ice fused with LED technology and the artistry of color create wonderland that defies description. You have to see it to believe it. This is one attraction that needs to be on your bucket list, so don’t delay. Ice sculpture wonders await you. You will be warmed from the inside out with delight when you view this amazing display.

Author (Nick). Submitted on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 Time: 11:57 AM

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