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Greg and Keegan Courtney's January 2002 Emerald City Ice Sculptures |
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During the winter school break Keegan and I created this ice sculpture. There was no snow in the forcast whatsoever but temputures in the teens. This sculpture incorporated using bird feeder domes (put clay in the top hole to stop water draining out ). Sand box domes (the turtle shell type) and plastic storage bins as ice molds. Along with about a dozen large and a dozen extra large round balloons. About 10 large Squiggly Worm balloons (large cylinders with a bulbous end) where used. The ends where sawed off so they stood up like bowling pins. Medium dow rods where inserted in the ice hallow middles and into the ground to avoid topiling. Remember there was no snow to pack as support. The big innovation was inserting Christmas lights into the hallows of the large spherical balloons and under the base of the ice domes. This was an incredibly beautiful hypnotizing effect of the flashing lights through the ice. The pictures don't do this justice. Cars stoped regularly at night and strangers knocked on the door. We added several ice arches as an after thought.
Tips: Sit large bird feeder dome / plastic bin in bathtub water to melt outer layer for easy ice release and removal.
If you line an empty box with a plastic garbage can liner you can freeze large blocks of ice in that shape. But only after several days of extreme cold (northern latitudes ). You can hasten the icing time by adding ice cubes or smaller ice balloons or snow to the water.
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Keegan and I placed the ice balloons on wooden toy
blocks to avoid freezing to the cement or grass.
We had 30 balloons to assemble.
Connor Courtney is our 19 month old.
Conner is in Ice Sculpting training.
