Superb sculptures
Kinkora man finds passion in making creations from ice
When strolling through the old-fashioned Victorian Christmas Market this past weekend it was impossible for many onlookers not to stop and marvel at one particular attraction.
Ice chips fell from a 1-metre block of ice as Ian Drummond of Kinkora chipped and sawed to transform it into an elaborate snowflake design.
Onlookers asked to take pictures with the ice sculpting creations Drummond made at the market, which also included a penguin and a nutcracker.
“I love it,” said Drummond. “Everyone wants to take pictures. It’s a great time.”
Drummond’s ice sculpting displays at the market were amongst free sleigh rides, classic Christmas movies at City Cinema, historical walking tours and more as part of The Victorian Christmas Weekend. While Drummond’s creativity shows in his sculptures, he hasn’t always had a creative side.
Ice sculpting is Drummond’s first foray into the art world.
“Honestly, I can’t even draw a house,” he said.
It started when Drummond spent three years working at the Jack Frost Winterfest in Charlottetown, where he learned some tips and tricks about ice sculpting from professionals.
“Basically, the professionals last year gave me a chance to do a little bit of ice sculpting at the very end of the day and I just sculpted a motorcycle and kind of went from there,” said Drummond.
Since then, Drummond established his ice sculpting business called Drummond Designs.
Drummond, who is also a construction foreman, creates an ice sculpture every month, often for local festivals and events.
This past summer, he sculpted a lobster for the Charlottetown Shellfish Festival.
“It’s not a high demand but there’s enough demand out there,” he said.
In the warmer months, he stores the ice sculptures in a freezer at the Iceman, which is also where he gets his ice blocks.
A crane is used to lift the ice and a forklift is used to transport it. Before carving, a one-metre block of ice is 300 pounds.
To carve, he uses an old-fashioned barber sheer tip welded onto a handle, a sheep sheer and a small saw.