Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Day 18 :: Ice Sculpture

Kid Friendly: yes
Pet Friendly: yes

Cost: $0
Total Budget: $33/$50


I had no vehicle, so it was a 'stay at home' event.

I have a block of ice that's been slowly melting these past few days, so I thought I'd give a go at ice sculpting. My first day of the 30-days allowed me to get inspired by some of the local talent in the snow-sculpting, ice-sculpting arena, so I was ready to take a stab at it myself.

And a stab, I did take. Right into my left thumb.

Really, it's more of a 'flesh wound.' And, I didn't even notice it until I realized that my ice sculpture was starting to take on a reddish hue. It seemed odd, but oddly appropriate, as the sculpture I was working on was a weak rendition of a heart.

I chose a heart, because like any warm-blooded American male, I waited until two days after Valentine's Day to show my recognition of the holiday. Truth be said, Valentine's Day in our household was me patting Addie's back as she leaned over the puke bucket, and Laura as far away from the house as possible. It was a very romantic ambiance for sure.

So... the ice sculpture. A heart. Sort of. I had this grandiose concept of an ornate heart with flames dancing out of the top of it. The concept became less and less grandiose as the evening progressed, and the blood floweth.

Ultimately, I realized that two or three hours is simply not enough time. Also, there apparently is 'good ice' and 'bad ice.' How novel. I thought ice is ice. I grabbed a bucket a week or two ago, filled it with water, and let God do his think. 'Kazaam,' (that's what God says)... there was ice. Unfortunately, the ice had multiple personalities. It's first personality was to be a people pleaser - that section of the ice was crystal clear and, I imagine, an ice-sculptor's dream. The second personality was timid and neurotic. I just touched that section with the chisel, and it shattered. The third, and final, section was just plain moody. It was solid, but a pasty white... cloudy and non-transparent.

So, after I finished my chiseling, axing and fillet-knifing, I had... something. I contest that it is a heart with flames coming out of it, but, you be the judge...



Block of ice



Mid-way



Almost there



Done!



Detail


No comments: