Snow sculptures add character to our town during Trappers'.  Also, you have a chance to win $75, $50 or $25 plus a trophy for 1st or 2nd.

Snow Sculpturing

By Gene Germain

This hobby has been going on since snow started falling out of the heavens.  When we were younger, we made the snow into shapes resembling people and decorated them with coal for eyes and a carrot for the nose and perhaps a hat car on them to finalize the sculpture.

Snow sculpturing is really quite easy to do.  It just requires some basic preliminary hard work.  I will lay out the steps in point form from start to finish.  Since everyone is different-these are only guidelines-as long as the end result is what you had perceived in your mind’s eye.

• Pick you site-preferably near a large snowbank (saves shoveling)
• Clear the snow down to the frozen ground (if you are using a large form)
• Place the form in the spot (your form can be a large cardboard box with no ends in it or a larger plywood form with hinges at the edges-joined with nails dropped in like hinge pins)
• Fill the form with clean non-lumpy snow
• Pack and tamp it with your shovel as you fill it to avaoid air pockets
• Leave the form on for two full days to allow the snow to harden
• Remove the form
• You are now ready to carve the snow into whatever shape you desire
• Use a handsaw to rough shape it
• A long knife is suitable for finishing touches
• Shaping also can be done with your mitts-rubbing off snow where required to give detail to the sculpture

When you are happy with your results you can place a layer of ice on the finished product by spraying the sculpture on the “mist” setting of your garden hose.

·         Stand well back from the sculpture and use the wind to carry the mist onto your sculpture from 12-15 feet back.

·         Use “Hot” water line- you get better results and stand less chance of freezing your hose.

·         Allow first coat to harden (6-8 hours)

·         Apply 2 or 3 more layers

·         This will keep your sculpture in good shape for the rest of the winter.

·         Blue lights shining on the sculpture give a “Moonlight Effect”.

·         You may also choose to project an image on your block of snow using an overhead projector and trace out the image on the snow

·         Paint may also be used- but remember the sun will destroy your sculpture sooner

·         Trees and snow background help to finish off you snow sculpture

·         Remember to knock down your snow sculpture at the first sign of warm weather as they are quite heavy) an eight foot tall sculpture can weigh a much as 700-800 lbs.)

Good luck with your project large or small and have fun making it.

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