Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Ice Carving @ Central Park Winter Jam

Ice carving is a form of art that produces temporary sculptures that will eventually disappear into a puddle of water. The ice sculpture begins its life as a special block of super clear ice made from pure, clean water to reduce the appearance of air bubbles in the ice, which can make it opaque. First, the carver uses chainsaws and chisels to create the shape of the sculpture. Then more precision chisels and grinders are used to carve the details and smooth out the surfaces. Once it is completed, it is stored in a temperature control room until it is ready to display or delivery.

This photo, taken at the Central Park Winter Jam this past weekend, shows a young artist demonstrating this ice carving skill. We are experiencing a bout of super cold weather this couple of weeks. Notice the ice on the floor is not melting and the family in the background are bundled up in their winter coats.

Are you an artist? Aside from the photography, what kind of art do you do?