Before I start talking about this sculpture project I must set the scene. Having just finished my Taj Mahal sculpture in the Netherlands I was supposed to return to Ireland for two days and then journey to Switzerland to work in the Iglu Hotel, Davos.
It was nice to get home for two days to see my beautiful wife and our son. Travel is always hard when you have a family but our financial situation meant that I had to take the work where I could. even if it was away. It may seem like I was always travelling but there were many months of the year that I was home all the time, uninterrupted and doing these seasonal jobs just before Christmas meant we had food for the first few months of the next year. Anyway if I did go away it was mostly for just one or two weeks.
RIP Nana Maureen
Sadly, when I was home for those two days Clodagh's mother died. She had been sick for a while but in the end, it was quite a sudden shock. I was glad I was with Clodagh when she needed me. We were in the car driving home from seeing my own mother when we got the news. She was such a nice mother in law and we got on like a house on fire with many discussions about politics and conspiracy theories, she was a bit crazy, just like myself so we got each other. Understandably it was a tough time for Clodagh and her brothers and sister. I rang the organisers in Davos and told them what had happened. It seemed my plans had to change.
Unfortunately, I am not someone who is easily replaced on the mountain. I need to get a visa months before and there are not many sculptors mad enough to do the job. After discussing it with Clodagh and my colleagues in Switzerland it was decided that I would make my way to Davos after the funeral and work every hour I could to try and make up for lost time. I was a week late when I finally got started.
It was unseasonably warm and that can actually make it feel colder because of the dampness in the air. Our walks to work were easy because there was hardly any skiers on the piste. They were probably at the beach. Global warming is becoming a right pain in the arse for my line of work.
It was only up here at the top of the world where there was snow. Down in the valleys, it was like summer. Luckily in a recent cold snap, the technical team had used their time wisely and were nearly finished building the igloos. The hotel looks like a little hobbit village in the centre of this photo. Actually, the whole landscape looks like something out of Tolkien's universe.
Let's get this show on the road
Martijn had already made a start on some of the rooms but the first job we needed to do together was the bar and restaurants. I got to work quickly and made this restaurant on my first day, staying late by myself to get it finished.
The theme was Under the Sea and as a diver I was happy. There was a lot of freedom and source materials to pick from. This first piece was just some divers exploring and phenorring*. The long chain runs through to another restaurant room where Martijn made a large Anchor.
- phen·or·ring (fen or ing) verb. ∥ 1 to saunter along while exploring ∥ 2 a made-up word
Bar
As you saw in the first image the bar was lots of abstracted seaweedy type forms and rock texture. Martijn was going to make lots of fish out of snow and ice when he stayed on after I would leave and guild the Lilly. Overall it looked pretty good. We were off to a good start.
In the corridor leading to the rooms, there was a big bulbous lump of snow where one of the forming balloons had burst. Rather than cut it away we decided to carve it into some sort of submarine that ran along the wall. I made a big sea door to show that this was the way to go through all the rocks.
I'll be back with the next post soon and show you where it led.
Ps
Thanks for reading. I use PeakD to document my work as an ephemeral Sculptor of sand, snow and ice, amongst other things. This will hopefully give it a new life on the Hive Blockchain. Below you will find some of my recent posts.
Taj Mahal - ice sculpture
Santa's supply chain (Part 7) - ice sculpture
Santa's supply chain (Part 6) - ice sculpture
I hope you'll join me again soon
@ammonite
If you would like to support me
Bitcoin: bc1qp4lfg0ttz66nesgff8fd5unglg9y0l2jy53j36
Ethereum: 0x6abaE039b9BDFB67495A0588cb90F9EAF5f7556c
Eos: ammonitearts
I am also starting to create NFTs of my sculptures and welcome you to my gallery where you can own a bit of ephemeral sculpture history.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 46.836378 lat 9.805020 long Iglu-Dorf Under The Sea - snow sculpture (part 1) 2015 d3scr)
I hope there are Lovecraftian easter eggs hidden in the undersea themes somewhere.
Not so many this year due to lack of time but, I do like to have some hidden messages in my work. Thanks for your visit.
This place is a wonder. This is art made by sculpting ice. Thank you for sharing. I have never seen anything like this before.
So time I have to pinch myself to remember that all this is made from fronzen water. It is a very special experience.
Sorry to hear about your mother in law.
Being needed is good, both in your personal and work life, and it's great that you can be there for both occasions, I'm sure they would have both appreciated it in different ways
Thank you. It was a difficult time but I think I was able to fulfil my commitments both at home and abroad.
The ice hotels look like fun (if slightly stressful) projects XD
Oof about the timing though x_x
And they're the kind of thing I think I would love looking at in person but I would be staying in the warmer hotel at the top of the hill.
We call this job 'frustrating fun' as it is like a mission where you really don't know where you will end up and although difficult it always produces some sort of satisfaction.
I have never slept in one myself. I also prepare a bed that is not so icy.
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