( Cool-Pics )
Something happened this year that effected everybodies life, The United
States was unexpectedly attacted by terrorists.
I picked this sculpture to be on my home page because its important that
people remember the men, women, and children who lost their lives on that september morning.
Adding the World Trade Centers to this sculpture was a last minute
decision.
God Bless the U.S.A.
This was just a quicky I did after the demise of 9-11 sculpure. The red
wings did go on to win the stanly cup that year.
It was another patriotic year, with our troops fighting in Iraq,would you
believe this picture was taken in April ?
This idea came to me at a friends house. We finally had enough snow
for a sculpture. We knew we wanted to do something about the Iraq war, but no specific idea. That was until I seen a picture
of a U.S. soldier on the front page of the morning newspaper. Three days later the same soldier appeared on the front page,
but this one was made of snow. I wonder if anybody ever realized that similarity.
Not that I'm tired of looking at red, white, and blue, but it was time to
get back to what the kids wanted to see.
After doing my research, watching episodes of Sponge Bob Square pants, of
which, by the way I kind of enjoyed, I came up with this underwater scene for a sculpure.
A Father and his Son were in the fore-ground as the photographer
snapped the picture of this sculpture for the newspaper. I found out later that his boss at work, seen it, and ask him why
he called in sick that day. I hope he didn't get in too much trouble.
The last time I sculpted a Red Wing theme, they won the Stanley Cup. It
wasn't to be this year, as they lost to the Calgary Flames. The Tampa Bay Lightning eventually raised the Stanley Cup. ( Cool
Sculpture though )
One thing I lerned trought the years, is to build the snow hill big enough
to sculp two or three sculptures. Because of the short life expectancy of a single sculpture.
People around this part of the country can't get enough nascar.
This picture was taken just prior to the running of the 2004, Daytona
500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag.
When nascar visited "The Rock", ( Rockingham Speedway ) the next week, I
had this one displayed in the front yard.
This is a snow sculpters nightmare, and the first sculpture I have
ever done at a different location.
I am not use to carving into dirty snow hills like this, but it was for
a good cause, to raise money for the boys and girls club.
This was a contest in co-opperation with our local buisness owners, and Mcdonald
Resturants. Our team won by collecting the most money for ths orginazation, one of the prizes included, 3rd row seats at a
Detroit Pistons NBA Basetball game. That was worth the trip in it's self.
The snow blocks seem to just keep getting bigger every year, in 2005 we
gathered up a 130 square yards of snow.
I wanted to challenge myself, by attemping to do Mt. Rushmore. This
one by far was the most difficult sculpture I've ever tried to do. I didn't originally plan on coloring this one.
But what fun is a sculpture if you can't use colors. I could have spent
more time on the face detail, but I was on a collision coarse with 50 degree weather. I had to, " get - r - done ".
I used a small 3-D model, as I have sometimes done in the past, to sculp
this one. This time though, I needed to know exact measuring scales, to locate specific locations, most importantly the tips
of all their noses. Eventually though, I knew I would have rely on my instincts to pull it all together.
When I started this year I had two sculptures in mind. I just didn't know
what the second one was going to be. I was thinking, mabee, Scooby-Doo. My daughter suggested that I do the Care
Bears. I'm glad I listened to her, everybody loved them.
Because the Care Bears are all the same size and shape,
I was able to keep current with the holidays. (valentines and St. Patricks day)
This is how we begin a sculpture. It's almost more work building the block
than carving the sculpture itself. But it sure helps having handy dandy equipment like this.
This is the block of snow I began with, It's the same exact size as last
years.
The snow sitting in front of the sculpture is everything I carved off from
it, whitch must be removed before completing it.
This is me clearing the scene before coloring it.
"Hello" ...I'd get out of the way, I'm behind the wheel.
Believe it or not, this sculpture is all carved out, it don't look like
much does it ?
Once the color is added, they come to life.
South Park was not my first choise for a sculpture this year. Because of
the size of the block of snow I needed it was possible to do two sculptures from the same block. If I would have done the
one I planned on doing first, I only would have been able to do just that one. So I needed to design something to do first.
I've been thinking of doing South Park for a few years now, but decided
against it because of moral values. Finally this year, I decided to go with it, thinking their more socially accepted
now, then what they used to be. As for the one I planned to do originally, I don't know if i'm going to have time to do it
this year. O well, if not, theres always next year.
I want to take this time, to thank my Wife & Family, for their
encouragement, support, and patience, while constructing these sculptuures. And to the many friends, and people behind the
scenes, who took time out in their own lifes to help make these sculptures possible. I hope you have enjoyed," A Snow Sculptures
Story."
Don't stop now,"there's more" Click here to check out the..."Facts and Sketches"
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