Ice sculptors from around the world descend on festival
Little by little the feathers on the owl’s head came into view. David Wilkins filigreed the block of snow with a carving tool, and dusted the snow, showing the details. On a sea of rocky waves, the owl and the pussycat in a tilted boat from Edward Lear’s poem were brought to life.
“This poem is about love between two very different characters,” said Oliver Annaly, who was working with Wilkins. “So, it’s a very important message for kids and adults alike. We’re carving a message of warmth and love from a block of snow.”
On a frigid Sunday, Annaly was atop a ladder chiselling details on the pussycat’s face. Wilkins and Annaly, from Great Britain, were two of the snow sculptors at the Silver Skate Festival at Hawrelak Park.
The annual festival, which began last Friday and runs until Feb. 19, drew about 85,000 visitors last year for such attractions as a heritage village, a Red Bull Crashed Ice obstacle course, a fire sculpture and skating.
Snow sculptors from Edmonton, Red Deer, Belgium, France and Mexico are transforming eight cubes of snow measuring 2.4 metres by 2.4 metres by 2.4 metres into art.
Wilkins’ beard was frosted and he was wearing at least five layers, but he said it was worth it.
A stone sculptor, Wilkins said snow is easier to work with and more forgiving. There are techniques to correct mistakes one doesn’t get with stone.
As the pair worked, visitors to the festival stopped to watch.
“Most of them instantly recognize the poem, and that’s fun,” Wilkins said as he used a tool like a cheese grater to create some of the effects. “Kids are fascinated by the owl.”
Maxime Van Besien of Belgium and Gauthier Gauthiez of France are working on a sculpture nearby that has three fish, an octopus and coral reef.
It’s called Aquarium. Water is home, said Van Besien, as he took a break from sculpting. His yellow gloves and red-andblack plaid shirt match the colours of the Belgian flag.
The sculpture grew from a bout of creativity, Van Besien said. From one fish and a coral reef, it grew to three fishes, an octopus and a coral reef. The eyes of these creatures are made from frozen coffee. “It was just in the moment … inspiration,” he said.
Getting back to work, he roared the chainsaw to life and sliced up a loaf of snow to add finishing touches to his sculpture. Some of that represented trash that now resides in the oceans.