Today I start off my series on Winterlude, the annual celebration of the best season of them all in Ottawa and Gatineau. This event started at the beginning of the month and runs through to Monday. This year many of the ice sculptures have been located up at Sparks Street. The one drawback, which I don't understand why, is that they haven't used shelters for these, as they have in previous years. Those shelters do wonders in preserving ice sculptures.
I'm starting with this one that was in progress when I photographed it a few days before the festival started. This is a sculpture of the Metis leader Louis Riel, deemed the founder of Manitoba.
Other sculptures I photographed on the first weekend of the festival, as works in progress. The carvers come from around the world. I have noticed this year that there have been fewer of them.
...these ice sculptures are a wonderful part of Winterlude, they are just fabulous.
ReplyDeleteLovely ice sculptures!
ReplyDeleteFantásticas estas esculturas no gelo.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
You must love the cold weather! They are beautiful, but I long for a cuppa of hot tea right now!
ReplyDeleteO I love to see it.
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't responded to your blog lately. A time of flu and trouble here. But I do my best again. Ice sculptures are so beautiful. I would take the planes to come and see. Oh no, I don't I am afraid to do that. I am een "angsthaas".
That is always so clever done!
ReplyDeleteI have never visited my daughter during Winterlude. And we are meeting shortly to spend time in Algonquin Provincial Park so it's probably not going to happen this year.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the ice carvers at the job again.
ReplyDeleteHello, the Winterlude sounds like a fun event. The ice sculptures are all beautiful. Wishing you a happy day and week ahead!
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy your winterlude pictures!
ReplyDeleteAlways look forward to seeing the ice sculptures William, Sparks Street is the place to be ✨
ReplyDeleteThose sculptures in the second and eight, nine photos are quite something.
ReplyDeleteThey look wonderfully detailed!
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to your Winterlude series. They are more intricate this year.
ReplyDelete@Tom: that they are.
ReplyDelete@Lady Fi: very much so.
@Francisco: thank you.
@Iris: I do love the cold.
@Aritha: it's quite all right. I'm still trying to catch up with blog reading, and not getting ahead. I'm well over a week behind where I should be, and it's frustrating me that I've fallen that far behind.
@Marianne: there have been fewer this year, though I saw some fresh ones last evening and photographed them.
@David: you should try to come up next year. Ideally the second weekend is the best.
@Jan: they do such incredible work.
@Eileen: thank you!
@Tanya: I enjoy photographing them.
@Grace: this year that seems to be the case.
@Marie: that they are.
@RedPat: very much so.
@Red: they're well done.
These are fantastic. Such time and talent to make these.
ReplyDeleteSuper to see these lovely works of art, in ice! I like being able to look behind them, and seeing the city life right there.
ReplyDeleteSome pretty amazing carving going on here. I wonder what that red glove is doing on that one sculpture.
ReplyDeleteWe look forward to these posts all year, William!
ReplyDeleteAmazing festival and photos
ReplyDelete@Michelle: thank you.
ReplyDelete@Barbara: I do too.
@Sharon: I wonder too!
@Cloudia: I look forward to showing them.
@Maywyn: that it certainly is.
Jeepers! Everyone looks so cold.
ReplyDeleteThe ice sculptures never fail to fascinate me. Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteNot so many Chinese carvers this year?
ReplyDeleteAlways amazed by those ice sculptures!!
ReplyDeleteIt's here, It's here!
ReplyDelete@Revrunner: cold is good!
ReplyDelete@Mari: thank you.
@Karen: not this year!
@Happyone: so am I.
@Jennifer: and I've photographed a lot already.
Was there a monetary award currently lacking?
ReplyDeleteLet the frozen wonderful begin!
ReplyDeleteTime really flies. Winterlude begins and oh, the sculptures are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating post. I love seeing the "behind the scenes." I'll definitely enjoy this series.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos!
ReplyDeleteHappy Moments to You,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
@Joanne: not that I'm aware of. I know the carvers come from all over, and they're probably compensated for it via money set aside for the festival from the government and sponsors.
ReplyDelete@Kay: it is a wonder.
@Nancy: thank you!
@Jeanie: thanks!
@DJan: you're welcome.
@Carol: thank you!
What an absolutely amazing festival. So glad you are sharing this with us all.
ReplyDeleteA pleasure to do so.
DeleteI always enjoy your Winterfest photos:)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy showing them.
DeleteWe can see a lot of talent here!
ReplyDeleteVery much so.
DeleteFabulous ice sculptures.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thanks!
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