make snow sculptures! The weather was perfect on Saturday for the 4th Annual Chicago Snow Sculpting Competition in nearby Mount Prospect, Illinois. Fifteen professional 3-person teams and a dozen high school teams
entered the competition, including two foreign teams: one from Canada
and one from The Netherlands.
(If Yolanda Elizabet's weather is at all representative, I can't imagine that the Dutch team gets much practice at home.) Most of the teams are from Wisconsin.
This isn't like making a snowman, it's more like carving a stone statue. Each team creates a clay mockup of their proposed sculpture. A week before the event, large blocks of snow are made by using a snow machine to blow snow into large wooden boxes. The snow is then packed down. Each team starts with an identical 10-foot tall block of snow and begins carving on Wednesday. Many work through the night to have the sculpture finished for Saturday morning, when the event opens to the public and the judging begins. This year, the winner was decided by public vote. Deciding on a favorite was very difficult.
"The Fat Lady Swings"
The detailing on each one is incredible, even on the back. It's amazing all the hard work put into something that will melt away.
The team that created this sculpture,
The Starvin Carvists (love the name), won first place at a competition in Italy last month. I almost voted for "Flight of the Zephyr" because of its technical proficiency and its Chicago theme - sailing on Lake Michigan past the skyscrapers.
My son did, but my gardener's heart made me choose this one instead:
It reminds me of a garden pond in the middle of summer. Apparently, lots of other people feel the same: this took home the prize.
"The Fat Lady Swings"
The detailing on each one is incredible, even on the back. It's amazing all the hard work put into something that will melt away.
The team that created this sculpture,
The Starvin Carvists (love the name), won first place at a competition in Italy last month. I almost voted for "Flight of the Zephyr" because of its technical proficiency and its Chicago theme - sailing on Lake Michigan past the skyscrapers.
My son did, but my gardener's heart made me choose this one instead:
It reminds me of a garden pond in the middle of summer. Apparently, lots of other people feel the same: this took home the prize.I've decided to include this post in Jodi's Garden Blogger's Geography Project as it is not about gardening, but instead about a regional attraction. Finally, I promise that this is the last snow post for the near future. I'm out of here this week for my annual pilgrimage to Florida. If anybody wants me, I'll be at the beach.
36 comments:
What a wonderful art show in the snow! I agree with the concensus, the swan and reeds with the mirror image is imaginative and lovely. Have fun at the beach!
Frances at Faire Garden
MMD - that is so cool! I never knew about this event. It seems like something I'd like to check it provided its not below zero like today. YIKES - is it cold or what???
Brrrr. And breautiful. Very different from our landscape here. Thanks for sharing - I'm always amazed that people can do that!
Aren't they fantastic! I want the penguins...thanks for doing something really unique, MMD. You have a terrific time in Florida--travel safely, and have some sun for us snowbound lot.
That's what I love about winter! Very cool event to go to. Better than sand sculptures.
Wonderful photos. What a fantastic event! Makes my little snowman look kinda shoddy. ha. Have a great trip and don't stay down there! ;-)
Very cool. I am so impressed by anyone who can sculpt. And what a medium to work in--snow!
Impressive sculptures! I've never seen that much snow...
- Thanks for sharing! /Katarina
Frances - it's hard not to love anything with swans.
Gina - Great to hear from you again! With temperatures the way they are, those sculptures should last a while. They're in the parking lot at Randhurst Mall, on Route 83. It looks like they might have them illuminated at night, so you could go see them sometime this week after it warms up a bit.
Diana - this is 1 of the things that make it enjoyable to live in the Midwest. Although it's cold this year, last year the competition had to be postponed a week because it was too warm!
Jodi - you're not just saying that because the penguins were crafted by Canadians? :^) I voted for that 1 for 3d place. I was going to do the post anyway, but I thought I'd do the travelogue thing too. I really want the Olympics here!
Benjamin Vogt - I've never been to a sand sculpture competition, but they look pretty impressive too.
Shady Gardener - don't feel bad about your snowman - you'd have to go to art school to do anything like these. I think most (or all) of the competitors are sculptors. The guy behind the event, Fran Volz, started making snow sculptures in his yard in Arlington Heights, IL. It caused traffic jams, so he was asked to make 1 for the City of Arlington Heights & it went from there. He has been such an inspiration in this area that lots of people now try to make snow sculptures in their own yards. I stand in awe.
Chuck - snow is a difficult medium for sculpture. One of the sculptures at the competition collapsed because of the fluctuating temperatures & freezing rain during the sculpting phase.
Katarina - I thought you lived in Sweden - "the land of the ice and snow with the Midnight Sun" as Led Zepplin put it. I can't believe the American Midwest gets more snow than you do! Ugh!
Hi!
Yellow variegated Dogwood is absolutely beautiful, so do buy it.. :)
Did you know that in Finland we have snowcastle that includes hotel,restaurant and even a chapel, if you like to get marriend - and all are made of snow. I have never visited that place, but in the pics it looks unreal!
WWW-site: http://www.snowcastle.net/
Best wishes,
quu
Amazing sculptures1
Wow, those are some amazing pictures. You can make art with just about anything. Can't beleive the detail in those sculptures all made with snow. Truly impressive!
Great blog!
Sincerely,
Jamie Boyle
Hypertufa Gardener
I have never seen anything like those! I'm so glad you shared it with us. I had all the kids come look- even the teenagers were amazed.
I hate to say it but sometimes it's a shame when the snow melts.
These are great sculptures. I like your choice the best, too.
Enjoy your time in Florida, you've certainly earned it putting up with all that snow.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Awesome! I've seen snow sculptures one at a time, but never so many all at once. For some reason, I'm partial to "The Fat Lady Swings".
Have a great time at the beach - maybe there will be sand sculptures.
How fun! And I too love the perspective of the swan one. Have a great trip to the beach! I'm jealous!
That is impressive! No such competitions like that down here in Tennessee!
Absolutely amazing... what detail!
Just read "Winter Games" and several other of your postings... very enjoyable - gorgeous photos. I'll be back often.....Deb
Quu - I saw a TV program about the snowcastle. It was beautiful, but it looks way too cold for me!
Topveg - thanks for visiting!
Hypertufa gardener - welcome & thanks!
Christine - you should see them in person.
Wiseacre - I think that's why the organizers hold this event in February when we're all sick of snow.
Carol - the only thing keeping me going right now is the thought of feeling sand between my toes. Actually, just the thought of seeing my bare toes again.
Entangled - I should have taken a photo of the back of the "Fat Lady" - it had a skinny guy pushing her!
Kylee - with all the snow around here this winter, I've earned a break! (I just threw the snow shovel onto the pile in disgust.)
Dave - I'd be happy to trade snow sculptures for being able to see Snowdrops & Crocus.
Gardenauthor - thanks & thanks for visiting!
Good show! Come on down to the Florida beaches. The weather as you know is awesome.
Ha, a Dutch team? I agree that they can't have had much practice with snow over here but perhaps they work with sand. During the summer season I see gorgeous sculptures like you are showing but they are made of sand.
Have a great time in Florida and soak up all that lovely sunshine!
Wow, those are some impressive sculptures. Very talented bunch.
Carolyn Gail - my bags are packed and I'm ready to go. (Hey, isn't that part of lyrics to a song?)
Yolanda Elizabet - you've got to wonder how hard it is to go from sculpting sand to sculpting snow. Sculpting sand's got to be more comfortable!
Nicole - thanks for visiting! I'm glad you enjoyed the pics of the sculptures.
Oh my-these are so wonderful.
That would be so interesting to watch. I hope you enjoy your time at the beach. It would certainly feel wonderful to have warm sunshine about now.
Threadspider - thanks for visiting! These sculptures truly are amazing.
Robin - I've never watched the sculpting process, but it is open to the public. (Maybe next year.) And yes, it feels wonderful.
THese are wonderful, a great example of making lemonade out of lemons! We have too much snow at our place, too.
Wow, how amazing. The swan one is lovely, love the "reflection in the water" effect. That's a brilliant idea.
Sculptures like this would never last here in Ireland, it's never cold enough.
Wow, we don't have nearly enough snow for anything like this in Buffalo.
Muum - yeah, I hear you!
Salix Tree - I could do with some Irish climate about now. Brrr!
Eal - Ohmigosh! Someone from Buffalo impressed with the amount of snow we've gotten - it's worse than I thought. :^) I remember how badly you got socked with snow last year. I don't think this is quite that bad.
Wow, that is making some icy lemonade. Thanks for sharing them with us.~~Dee
Dee - I'm glad you enjoyed them. I'd guess that your area would be more likely to host an ice sculpting contest. :^)
I think I would've voted for the swan too, but they're all fantastic. Amazing what some people can do, isn't it? Thanks for sharing these pics.
I hope you had a wonderful time in FL, soaking up enough warmth to get you through the rest of our northern winters.
Kerri - I just saw in the newspaper that the organizer of this event, Fran Volz, has recreated Rodin's "The Thinker" out of snow in his front yard. This has been a great year for snow sculptors. Not a good year for us gardeners anxious for spring.
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