one final entry?

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 21:06:52 -0500

This might be the last new entry you’ll see on this site...

It won’t be the last entry on ice carving secrets, but it might be the last for icecarvingsecrets.com, for this version of the website at least. You see, this site was built with iWeb, which is a piece of Apple software that is apparently not being updated anymore. Nothing official has been said, but Apple has made significant updates to related software while leaving iWeb almost untouched. It’s been at least a couple years since iWeb was updated, which is an eternity on the web. So we’ll move on to other software and see what happens. There is already a new ice carving secrets website up and going, although it’s not nearly as large as this one yet. But it will be, eventually. Until that point, however, this site will stay up, so that you can still get to all the info you’re looking for. But the new stuff, the good stuff, will be going to icecarvingsecrets.net.

Please check out the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

World Records in ice sculpture

Tue, 1 Feb 2011 17:44:17 -0600

A team including myself, Joe Rimer of Ice Pro in Florida, Max Zuleta of Art Below Zero (Milwaukee & Chicago), and Jim Ottens of Crystal Creations (Anaheim, CA) is going to Alaska to attempt to set world records for the longest ice bar and the largest ice luge (or drink luge, in case you think we’re talking about the Winter Olympic event). The record attempts will be in conjunction with the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks. Our project website is at www.worldrecordicesculpture.com and we also have a facebook page.
Aside from our hoped for records, there are a few existing records in the world of ice sculpture:

Tallest ice sculpture
Until 2009, Michel Amman of France held the record with his ice version of the Burj Al Alam skyscraper. His record of 40.28 feet was set at Ski Dubai, in Dubai, U.A.E. Then late in 2009, a team from Ice Bulb in California broke the record with a 48 foot tall sculpture of “Scrat,” the character from the Ice Age movies (see the picture above). Early in 2010, however, a new record was set, 53 feet 2.58 inches, by a group in Yichin City, China with a massive dinosaur sculpture.

The tallest piece that I’ve worked on was Ancestral Spirit, as part of a team captained by Junichi Nakamura at the 2004 championships. At about 24 feet tall, the sculpture was quite imposing and a little nerve-wracking to work on, especially near the top, given the ice covered scaffolding that we were using.  The record setting pieces, at around twice as tall as this, are truly impressive!

Largest ice maze
A group known as Roaming Buffaloes was responsible for the largest ice maze, which was created in Buffalo, NY in February 2010. The area the maze covered was 12,855.68 square feet, breaking the previous record of 8,280 square feet for the Pontiac Ice Maze, created in Toronto, Canada.

Fastest ice sculptor
Rich Bubin of Ice Creations holds this record, carving 61 sculptures in 4 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds back in 2002. Until 1996, Canadian Laurent Godon held the record. (No word so far on who held the record in the intervening years.)

Rich was nice enough to send me some photos from his world record efforts. I never knew much about this project, but from the pictures, you can see that the sculptures are all different. He didn’t just carve a bunch of swans. And if you do the math, it’s about 4 1/2 minutes per sculpture!

We’ve been informed by Guinness that the current record for the longest ice bar is 50 m. Follow us on facebook or check out our website as we build our massive piece of functional ice art! The building/sculpting will commence at the end of February and be done a few days later.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

there are no stupid questions?

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:03:05 -0600

UPDATED: 2/3/11

(Carver Jeff Kaiser inspired this entry with a question on his Facebook group, but the topic of questionable questions about ice sculptures has probably been around since the first ice sculpture. Years ago, I used to have a tongue-in-cheek set of “Answers” on my commercial website and the “faqs” page on this site has a less sarcastic version.)

They say there are no stupid questions. I’m not really sure who “they” are though, and maybe “they” haven’t been around long enough. I know as an ice sculptor, I’ve had more than a few questions of questionable wisdom sent my way. Much of this has to do with the unusual nature of my job and my art form, and many of those are good questions, but sometimes you get a doozy that really demonstrates the lack of thinking going on before the talking starts. Some of the questions I get (a few also with practiced answers) are listed below.

1) Is that ICE?! (The best way to take this is as a compliment, because really, it is.)
2) How do you keep it from melting? (They’re not usually asking how you kept it from melting during transport; they want to know what you’re going to do to keep it from melting during the party. For most people, their frame of reference is probably an ice cube, so they don’t realize how long a sculpture will usually last. (see the next question))
3) How long will it last? (This is actually a good question, but I get it so much that it’s fun to play a little and say “Oh, at least 20 minutes or so,” before I tell them my real answer: 4-6 hours until the detail has faded, provided you keep temperatures under control, and likely until tomorrow for it to melt completely, if it’s left out and not broken up.)
4) Do you use a chainsaw? (Another reasonable question, but a frequent one. They seem to be impressed when you confirm that you do.)
5) Did you use to work on a cruise ship? (Some seem to think that ice sculptors all start out working on cruise ships; I’ve never been on a cruise.)
6) Sometimes about wrapped sculptures (in sleeping bags), trying to be funny, somebody will ask: Is that a dead body? (I tell them it’s a bunch of frozen kittens and then there’s an awkward silence, which is just what I’m looking for after hearing that question again.)
7) How much does it cost? (Another good question, but I generally decline to answer this question at an event out of respect for my client. Obviously, I’m happy to answer this question when somebody is considering an order at another time.)
8) Do you use a mold? (Certainly there are lots of molded ice sculptures out there, but if somebody is asking about a specialized custom piece, they’re clearly not putting much thought behind this question. How big of a warehouse would I have to have to store the thousands of molds that I would need? However, like the “Is that ice?” question, there is a complimentary aspect to this question.)
9) Don’t you get cold? (Um...yes.)
10) Is that your job? (I especially laugh at this one, mostly to myself, because my parents were pretty skeptical about my plans to work as an ice sculptor, back when I first was starting out. Can’t really blame them...)
11) What is it? (Saving the worst for last: this is likely the worst question to ask an ice sculptor. Fortunately, it usually comes less often as an ice sculptor gets better. Sometimes it says something about the quality of the sculpture, but sometimes it also indicates that the viewer is unwilling to really look at the piece and is taking a lazy, and maybe a little insulting, shortcut. This is usually a no-win question.)

I will update this entry as people come up with more questionable questions.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

football championship trophy design

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:43:30 -0600

UPDATED 1/27/11

This ice sculpture design works well at parties for the big game. It’s a super piece that will bowl the guests over! My team won’t be there this year and probably yours isn’t either, but there’s always next year!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

color fleur-de-lis design

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:06:09 -0600

The sculpture above was at a ball for the Mayor of New Orleans last year. The piece is still a little snowy, but it’s the best shot I was able to get. I’m getting ready to start up the “secrets” newsletter and this design will be featured in the first installment. I’ll update this entry and add more artwork this entry shortly, so check back. If you’d like to get the “secrets” email newsletter, sign up is easy!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

feathered mask design

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:56:43 -0600

This was actually used for a sweet 16 party, not a Mardi Gras event. I’m getting ready to start up the “secrets” newsletter and this design will be featured in the first installment. I’ll update this entry and add more artwork this entry shortly, so check back. If you’d like to get the “secrets” email newsletter, sign up is easy!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

using glitter in ice

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:48:32 -0600

Sand is bland, sometimes. Black sands are especially bland, but other colors can be lacking as well. So if you’re using sand to color your ice sculptures, you might sometimes wish that the colors could be a little more vibrant.
This is where glitter comes in. In New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast, where I’m at, Mardi Gras is a big deal. Purple, green, and gold are important colors and gaudy is good, in many cases. Most of the Mardi Gras decorations have glitter glued all over them, so it’s natural for me to incorporate it into my ice, especially at this time of year. However, glitter is very light and doesn’t like to stay put long enough to be easily frozen into place, so I’ve come up with a few helpful methods to deal with the problems it presents.
The basic concept of adding controlled color to ice sculptures, whether your using gelatin, paints, or sand is that you’re engraving in from the back of the piece, creating an inset flat surface or surfaces to accept the color(s), then laying down your color and freezing it into place. Freezing it into place generally involves some combination of snow and cold water, which without careful application might shift the color(s) out of place. Because glitter is so light, it’s especially likely to be dislodged.
So:
1) It’s especially important to work in a freezer if you’re using glitter for color. Using sand outside the freezer is very difficult; glitter is next to impossible.
2) Color is applied to your ice with the piece lying down flat. After you’ve put down a layer of glitter, back it with a layer of similarly colored sand to hold the glitter in place
3) After the glitter/sand has been applied, use a spray bottle to mist water over the color and allow it to freeze
4) Back your color with light, dry snow. (No chunks of ice!) The best way to apply this snow is to let it fall on the color like flour would from a sifter. Think snowflakes. Another option is to gently spray snow onto the color by cutting into scrap ice with a burr bit or grinder.
5) Once you’ve added the snow, gently pack it into place by patting it down. Don’t poke; you want the snow to be packed evenly so that it holds the color in place without coming through.
6) After the snow is in place, first carefully check to see if the color is properly applied by lifting the piece and looking at the front of the ice. (The snow must be packed tightly enough so that none will fall out at this point!) If you’re satisfied, add cold water and allow it to freeze, later adding more snow/water to any low spots. If the coloring isn’t right, it’s easier to fix it before much water has been added to the snow.

This is off the topic a little, but if you’re doing a multi-color application and white is one of the colors, put down a layer of white sand/glitter instead of snow. Sometimes snow can be grayed somewhat when you’re adding water, but white snow or glitter will not. Questions or comments? Use the section below.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Mardi Gras designs and more

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:33:24 -0600

In addition to the new Mardi Gras ice sculpture designs that are being added to the site, there are a few others already here:

comedy & tragedy  fleur-de-lis (large) fleur-de-lis (smaller) “Happy Mardi Gras” mask Mardi Gras mask Mardi Gras Mask (beaded)
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is on March 8, but the Mardi Gras season is a lot longer than that, especially this year. Check back for a likely update to this entry soon. Happy early Mardi Gras!
If you have any questions about these pieces, email me or comment below. If you would like to use these ice sculpture designs or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

shrimp boat design

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 23:14:36 -0600

Ice sculptures are very popular as vessels to display shrimp on a buffet, so a shrimp boat ice sculpture is a natural fit. In fact, the second ice sculpture that I ever did was a stylized shrimp boat. In this design, the block is turned on it’s side so that a lot more shrimp can go into the boat. Technically, this design requires a little bit more than a single block of ice, but you could probably squeeze the boat’s cabin out of the unused ice from the back end of the boat. Use the aluminum welding technique to get a nice strong weld between the cabin and the boat.
A few things to keep in mind: 1) Make sure that you put a hole in the bottom of the boat unless you want shrimp soup. 2) You only need to cut out a shallow depression to hold the shrimp; think ice tray, not bowl. 3) Make sure that your boat will fit in your tray. Many ice trays only measure about 17 inches front to back, so you’ll likely have to cut down the size of the boat a bit. Also, you’ll notice that there are no waves shown in the template. You can certainly carve them if you wish, but the last time I did this piece, we just packed a lot of ice around the boat and the waves would have been covered by the cubes.
Obviously, the shrimp nets would be tough to carve out of ice. However, you could make some using light netting and plastic rods, inserting the assembly into a hole near the back of the cabin. This is something that I’ve seen done before and I might try this at a later date. I’ll attach a photo if it works well. Finally, if you want to go all Forrest Gump on this sculpture, you can engrave “Jenny” into the boat’s prow. (Don’t worry much about making the letters perfect; Forrest didn’t.)

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Christmas stocking design

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 23:09:51 -0600

The holidays offer a plethora of ice sculpture possibilities and here’s another: a Christmas stocking design. This design is pretty straightforward, no welds required. However, the stocking stuffers can be a challenge, so feel free to change the contents, or, as shown below, go without. Either explain that Santa hasn’t made it to that stocking yet or cut a shallow hole into the top and fill it with whatever you want, even coal!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Hanukkah menorah design

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 08:37:43 -0600

You’ll notice that this ice sculpture design is very similar to another recent addition, the large Hanukkah menorah design. This is a scaled down version that might find more use than the large freestanding piece. This design can be cut from a single block if ice, with ice left over.
Again, the piece is designed to fit shorter candles that are 3 inches in diameter. When smaller diameter candles are used, cut appropriate size holes. Taller candles require deeper holes. In this case, the holes are only about an inch deep and appropriate for short candles. If very tall and large candles are used, the ice section can be made thicker to accommodate deeper holes. Make sure that no snow is left in the holes that would hinder placement of the candles.
Finally, whenever fire is involved, common sense precautions should be taken. Nothing flammable should be placed near the sculpture and the ceiling must be high enough for safety. Be sure that the menorah is standing straight and that the candles are sitting securely. Check periodically through the event that the candles are staying in place. If there’s any question at all about the safety of the piece, put out the candles or even take down the sculpture if necessary. Happy Hanukkah!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

candle design

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:02:42 -0600

The old-style candle holder is associated with a traditional Christmas, so it works well as a holiday ice sculpture. The “melted” wax on the candle offers an interesting opportunity for white-on-ice contrast. Rather than sculpting the melted wax, make snow and slush from the large quantities of extra ice that this piece generates, and pack it around the top of the candle so that it looks like the melted wax. Then let it freeze, and do some finishing sculpting on the frozen slush if necessary.
Finally, if you have trouble with the finger loop on the back of the sculpture, you can always carve it separately and then weld it to the main piece. Happy holidays!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

elftini luge design

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:52:05 -0600

One of my customers decided to have an “elftini” holiday party and wanted an ice luge for the party. This design and sculpture was the result. The martinis were either red or green and came with a small candy cane stir stick. It was a great and unusual idea for a party; I was glad to help with my ideas for the ice luge. 

This elf seems to be channeling either John Travolta or Bono; either way he’s having a good time! The luge tubing is added to the sculpture via a channel cut in the back. (Check this entry for details on adding luge tubing to a sculpture.) In this case, because his right hand fingers are sculpted, it’s probably best to put the funnel on the back side of his arm (see where the tubing ends in the diagram below). This necessitates either cutting or adding a small shelf for the funnel to pass through.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

large Hanukkah menorah design

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:41:02 -0600

UPDATED: 1/27/11

This ice sculpture design was the result of a request, but it worked out rather well as I’d been planning to add a menorah design. This particular menorah is freestanding at about 5 feet tall, not including the candles. I may add a smaller version at a later date, something that’s intended to be carved from a single block. Note that the stabilizing base slab that goes at the very bottom of the sculpture is not shown in the design above.
The piece is designed to fit shorter candles that are 3 inches in diameter. If you’re using smaller diameter candles, cut appropriate size holes. The taller the candles, the deeper the holes need to be cut. In this case, the holes are only about an inch deep and appropriate for short candles. If very tall and large candles are used, the ice section can be made thicker to accommodate deeper holes. Make sure that no snow is left in the holes that would hinder placement of the candles.
Finally, whenever fire is involved, common sense precautions should be taken. Nothing flammable should be placed near the sculpture and the ceiling must be high enough for safety. Ensure the quality of the center weld and be sure that the menorah is standing straight and that the candles are sitting securely. Check periodically through the event that the candles are staying in place. If there’s any question at all about the safety of the piece, put out the candles or even take down the sculpture if necessary..

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Asian dragon design

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:42:57 -0600

This ice sculpture was initially designed for an outdoor demo at a Japanese cultural fest at Florida State University. (See the photo below.) The general look of the dragon was based on a design by master Japanese ice sculptor Mitsuo Shimizu, but the pose and other aspects are quite different. This piece requires two full blocks and the right front claw of the dragon is intended to hold something if you wish.

I attempted this piece for the first time in front of a crowd, in less than ideal conditions, and with a bit of cloudy ice. The students and staff at Florida State were great hosts and the dragon turned out to be a Seminoles fan too!

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

simple cornucopia design

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:01:54 -0600

It’s generally a bit of a struggle to get a decent cornucopia ice sculpture from a single block of ice without doing any welding. The problem is the hole. If you simply carve it in profile, you’re left with little space to cut a sizable hole, meaning that your cornucopia could hardly be called a horn of plenty. If you cut the hole into the front face of the block, you have plenty of space, but you don’t have enough ice behind it to continue the horn shape. This design is my best effort so far, and it relies upon turning the cornucopia at an angle between the two block faces. In the end, the back of the horn is a little flatter than I’d like, but I’ll take that without complaint.
Notice in the photo above that the cornucopia is in a rather small display tray. This works out well, because you can start arranging fruits and vegetables at the corner of the display tray and stack them into the horn’s hole. In this way, the fruit display is a bit more stable. Also, make sure that the horn won’t slide around. A white cloth napkin under one of the edges will stop sliding, but don’t block any underlighting.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

pilgrim design

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:31:22 -0600

This ice sculpture design is based on the stereotypical pilgrim, complete with tall hat, buckles, and blunderbuss. My research told me that pilgrims probably didn’t dress this way, but an ice sculpture should be recognizable to the viewer, so this design incorporates the expected elements. His head is turned to his left because a profile view makes for a much better silhouette and I’ve eliminated the structural dangers of the figure’s knees and ankles by placing a “Happy Thanksgiving!” emblem at the sculpture’s base.
The design requires a block and a quarter, with the smaller piece of ice used for the head and hat. The head is attached with a simple horizontal weld. Make sure to leave enough thickness in the brim of the hat so that it doesn’t fade away quickly.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Mayflower design

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 13:27:49 -0600

Obviously, there are no photos of the Mayflower available as photography was still two centuries away. There aren’t any drawings or plans for the ship either, so modern depictions are educated guesses. I’ve done this ice sculpture in the past, but similarly, I can’t find any drawings or photos of what I did before, so this is a new ice sculpture design, based somewhat on what I vaguely remember.
A ship’s masts and sails are tough to carve and some compromises have to be made for structural stability and durability. Make the sails as thin as you dare, but remember that you’re really trying to create a fantastic visual and this means getting the silhouette right. Find out where the sculpture will primarily be seen from and then sculpt and position it accordingly.
This design requires a block and a half. A full block is used for the ship and the water, while a half block slab will be enough for the sails. I’d likely attach the front and back sail assemblies during carving, while I’d wait to attach the two large masts at set up.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

wedding doves with monogram design

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 07:19:44 -0600

This ice sculpture design is a different version of the popular heart and doves motif. Rather than engraving then names or monogram in the heart, however, the space for engraving is part of the base. The sculpture requires at least a block and a half and 3 quality welds (see aluminum welding for more info). The doves don’t have to be full block thickness unless that’s your preference. The template suggests getting the base from the same half block as the upper part of the first dove. In this case, the dove would be about 6 inches thick while the base would be about 3.5 inches thick.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

21st anniversary/birthday design

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 20:21:10 -0500

Not surprisingly, this ice sculpture design wins the award for “Most Likely to be Turned into an Ice Luge.” (Look for that as a possible future design.) Other number designs previously added to the site include 10, 15, 16, 20, 25, 30, 50, and 60.

Don’t forget a slab for the base to give the piece stability.

If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!