These were at Lansdowne Park; a couple of inukshuks in snow. The concept started in the far north, where rocks would be piled by Inuit people as markers. They can often be found today in southern stretches of Canada as a garden feature.
To give you an idea of the effect sun has on ice sculptures, this is taken on the last weekend of the festival- this was the large scale map of Canada ice sculpture in Confederation Park that I showed early on in the series. The map has faded away as the ice has gone completely opaque.
The polar bear sculpture had stood up pretty well, but had also gone opaque.
And yet on that last weekend, ice carvers were working on fresh small scale sculptures around the fountain in the park. I also noticed the group that have often been at Winterlude- old fashioned toys and woodworking are their forte.
Nature has no mercy for the art, when the sun comes it will shine!
ReplyDeleteI guess you neve know just how long these works of art will last.
ReplyDeletei really enjoy the sun's rises coming through on that one shot. neat capture!! ( ;
ReplyDeleteit must be hard to see your work just disappear like that! :(
ReplyDeleteLooks like Canada has lost a few towns there William.. ice sculptures are so transient but they give a lot of pleasure for the time they are there!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see the changes in the sculptures from crystal clear to milky.
ReplyDeleteThe hard thing about ice and snow sculptures is that in order for them to last, the weather needs to be cold. We have had a good week of milder temperatures, definitely not good for snow and ice sculptures, skating or skiing.
ReplyDeleteThey look completely different now...
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing about ice is that it deteriorates rapidly and the sculpture is lost except for your photos. Winterlude is a long celebration.
ReplyDelete@Marianne: it can wreck havoc fast.
ReplyDelete@Janey: they are short lived!
@Beth: thanks!
@Tanya: the carvers know it won't last long, but it does bring enjoyment to those who see them.
@Grace: at that point, the map had faded completely, but the dots you see still there are the same dots that were on the map- ports of call for the voyage that'll be made this summer through the Northwest Passage.
@Sharon: and these big ones were exposed to sunlight through the whole festival. Not a problem for the ones that were sheltered.
@Linda: that particular final weekend, the temperatures went mild, and it even had an effect on the sheltered sculptures.
@Karl: very different from early on in the festival.
@Red: well, longer in this photoblog than it actually is, but three weekends in February are pretty good for a winter festival!
All good things must come to an end (or so I've been told) but that event is really quite fantastic!
ReplyDeleteEver-changing sculptures...amazing to see while they last.
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of the sculpture in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that they turn so opaque, William.
ReplyDeleteLike the snowman said, "I'm melting!".
ReplyDelete@Lowell: that it is.
ReplyDelete@Lauren: they certainly are.
@Marleen: it's a familiar sight in Canada.
@RedPat: it's quite a difference from what they start out as.
@Revrunner: indeed!
The polar bear with stood the elements. All good things must come to an end. A delightful show of carvings. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSad to see them melting. It's very interesting to see the comparison with the life stages of the map.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see them change. Reminds me of the Frosty the Snowman cartoon!
ReplyDeleteI learned from someone who corrected me that if it is a person, an inunnguag is a form of inuksuk!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame they have to melt!
ReplyDelete@Mari: you're welcome.
ReplyDelete@Kay: the sun does have quite an effect over three weeks.
@Linda: I can see that too.
@Jennifer: that I didn't know.
@Norma: alas, nothing lasts forever.