Making a Beautiful Snow Sculpture
Winter has fascinated people for as long as it has been around. Festivals and celebrations focus on this season by celebrating it with snow sculpture displays. These displays can range from moderate to large masterpieces displaying hours of work and dedication. From our back yards to massive festivals, people will always be fascinated by the art of these sculptures.
The snow sculpture titled “Romantic Feelings” made its debut in Harin China in 2007. It showcased an ice maiden, a Russian church and a French cathedral. Her detail and size amazed and stunned everyone at the festival. At 115 feet high and 656 feet long, she was a display of gigantic proportions. Made completely from snow, she earned her spot in the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest snow sculpture. Six hundred workers from forty countries compressed and then carved this large masterpiece. The images of people beside this giant statue give proportion to this extremely large work of art.
Building a snow sculpture is an artwork that many can enjoy. In order to start, you need to have large amounts of very wet snow. The snow must easily stick together when you try to form a ball. It is impossible to create this type of sculpture without the correct weather conditions for snow consistency. Once you have the correct type of snow, create a large pile. The size of the pile will directly relate the size of the sculpture you want to create. You can either use shovels or machinery, depending on how big you want your sculpture to be. After it is piled up, it needs to be heavily compressed. This is done by hitting it repeatedly with a flat object such as wooden boards, shovels, or any strong object with a flat surface. As you compress the snow, mould it into the general shape of what you want your sculpture to resemble. Once you have a very rough shape built out of compressed snow, you can start to carve. Using small items such as spoons and knives, carve and cut the detail needed into your sculpture. If you need to correct a mistake, just re-attach snow, compress it and carve again. Spray bottles of water often help to keep the snow at the consistency needed. After you have completed your masterpiece, if the weather permits, spray it with a fine mist of water. This will coat it with a thin layer of ice giving it some added protection and a shiny finish. Given the correct climate and some patience, snow carvings around your house can bring your own sense of enjoyment while amazing your neighbors at the same time. A snow sculpture can be decorated with colored water, lights and even decorative objects as part of the final finish.
Building a snow sculpture does not need to be a solo project. Winter can bring the best of towns together for fun and enjoyment. In Bethel, Maine, USA, the residents of this and surrounding towns decided to build the world’s largest snow women. This sculpture took them a month to complete and in February of 2008, she stood 122ft and 1 inch tall earning them a page in the Guinness World Records.
A snow sculpture, no matter the size or detail, is something that everyone loves to enjoy. Whether you are building it on your front lawn or are paid artists creating a display, your efforts will not go unnoticed. Get dressed and get outdoors and enjoy the winter season. There are so many ways to display hidden talents while building a snow sculpture.
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