You may kiss the bride - ice sculpture
The day of my wedding I could hardly stand at the altar. I was in sever pain from sciatic nerve darts shooting all the way down my leg. I did stand as best I could but the pain was so big and my emotions for the day were so much I was in tears. @clodaghdowning really thought I was having second thoughts but no, I had never been so sure of anything in my life. However, I could not wait till it was all over and that moment when the priest would say the immortal words 'you may kiss the bride' so I could sit my arse down. I know 'very romantic'.
I made this sculpture may years before Claodagh was even on my radar. It was for the 2006 Jelgava, Latvia ice sculpture contest and was the smaller of two sculptures which i worked on. We had one day to make a sculpture based on 'Weddings' not the most interesting of theme but it did get me warmed up for the bigger piece and allowed me to try out some ideas I was percolating in my gray matter.
Tackyless
Usually wedding ice sculptures are of a swan or a big heart with the names of the victims written on them but I wanted something a bit more classy. Thinking, this could be an idea if I was ever to get myself shackled to another person and wanted to make a sculpture for the occasion.
Ice is an amazing material. I always think I am looking at a block of solid space that inside and out can be a sculpture. The transparency gives so many possibilities and even after working with it for twenty years I am still finding new techniques and visual effects to play with.
Like a miner
My approach this time was to work inside the ice block and play with the way the outside refracted the light coming through.
Working from both sides I tunneled my way in to make the faces of the bribe and groom just as they were reaching in for that first kiss. It was a slow and delicate job to bring the forms together in negative. One mistake and the ice block would be ruined, there is no adding the ice back on. My technique was to divide the heads into simple balls making the eyes, checks, chins and noses which I could hollow out creating the positive image within the block.
These primitive forms gave the basic structure of human heads and then they were joined and detailed with some small chisels for lips, eyes and hair. You get the idea?
Easy does it
Making sure the noses didn't touch and yet lining up the lips was a painstaking game as I switched between the two faces. It was like I had never kissed before and needed some of the beautiful Latvian girls to show me how it was done. I got it to work in the end and with the crystal clear ice the heads looked like they were floating inside the block.
For the outside I kept it simple enough making a diamond like form with the different facets giving different viewing angles of the action going on within. A simple stand from the ice I had left over finished the piece.
The whole thing got me thinking. It would be a nice idea to create this a a commercial product for weddings here in Ireland but trying to create a positive likeness is difficult enough but in negative near impossible. Maybe I could carve the couples faces in Styrofoam. These would then be frozen into a block of ice and broken out afterwards leaving a hollow impression. Now of course we can 3D scan faces and machine or 3D print them out. This would make each sculpture a one off personalized sculpture. One day I may do this when I get a client willing to pay for the idea and my services.
I was very happy with the piece and as it melted the faces grew and reached each other so they could kiss. Unfortunately I have no images of this. You have to take my word for it..It didn't last long as the temperature rose over the days left of the project and the sculpture melted away pretty quickly.
For me I already had my sights set on the next sculpture, a piece I would make with my friend Alan MaGee. Tune in next time for that.
Every time I see this image I think of the work of @nonameslefttouse. I hope he doesn't mind me using his name in vain.
Ps
Thanks for reading. I use Steem to document my work as an ephemeral Sculptor of sand, snow and ice, among other things. This will hopefully give it a new life on the Steem blockchain. Below you will find some of my recent posts.
Loop De Loop - snow sculpture
Toy Nativity - sand sculpture
The Nightwatch - ice sculpture
I hope you'll join me again soon
@ammonite
That's incredible work. I don't know how you have the patience to work with ice. I think I'd melt before the ice ever did. Sometimes just for fun I like to work with sand and I've made some awesome looking heads and faces using that. I'll often carve them into the packed beach rather than digging sand up and attempting to form it that way.
Anyway, thanks for the mention and guiding me over here.
Usually I have to work so fact the only part of me that is cold is my toes. Nearly lost them a few times to frostbite.
Great idea to work down into the compacted beach sand. I usually use lots of water and compact it into wooden or plastic forms so that I can make a block to carve out of and not have to kneel down but very good idea.
Thanks for your visit, I am really enjoying you stream of consciousness posts and artwork.
I'm happy to hear you enjoy.. whatever the heck it is I do here. I'm following you now as well; I'll help out when I can.
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Thanks guys.
Very beautiful and romantic piece, Daniel :) I love this one very much!
Your wedding day sounds painful... I hope you no longer feel the brunt of sciatica too often these days? It is so lovely to hear that you had not even a single thought of doubt though <3 What a gorgeous feeling ! :D
The process of creating this piece sounds very meticulous... but the result is wonderful. The transparency of the ice, the pose of the couple, the detailing of the sculpt.... they all create an absolutely gorgeous finish <3 I think many weddings would love to have a personalized sculpt like this if 3D printing technology could deliver.... Hmm... What an interesting thought !
I can only imagine how they finally did 'kiss' as the ice melt! It must be magical! WOW ! :D :D :D
Thanks @veryspider. I had that Sciatica for around a half a year and it was becoming a new normal in my life. I could not stand for more than 30 seconds without having to sit down for 30. Many doctors and physio but no help. Then on my honeymoon I did a course in deep sea scuba diving and when I came up from my deepest dive of over 40 meters the pain was gone. I haven't had a pain since (touch wood). I must make a post about it some day as I am sure there is some possible cure to be investigated.
I've always liked this sculpture idea and hope some day to develop it further.
Their final kiss was more of a slobber that a tender moment. The temperature shot up to +5c in the day time/
OMG that's amazing, I mean, that a deep dive scuba actually 'cured' you of your sciatica that many doctors and physio couldnt :O You should totally write about it some days, maybe it can help others that are also suffering from sciatica :O :O :O
Slobbery kiss, hahaha, not very romantic but kinda cute :D
Thanks @veryspider. It was really amazing. I think the pressure must have clicked something back into place. When you have pain for such a long time and for it to just disappear like that was like magic.
Ooh wow that’s a gorgeous piece, agonisingly saccharine 😆 the carving part sounds agonising but definitely paid off, it looks fantastic.
And that idea you had to create similar pieces is pretty cool, there will be someone somewhere that wants something like that 🙃
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It was difficult but I really enjoy these kind of challenges. I take it very slow till I know I'm getting close then slow down some more.
I will develop the idea further when I get a chance to.
Excellent, as usual
Shucks! Thanks @nikv
Just the freaking WOW!!! That's a sure C²... Thanks man for this story and art work
Thanks very much. Since I started documenting my work on steem I realised I really enjoy the writing of the posts and its like a walk down memory lane.
It is a more than impressive artwork with high symbolic value:) I cannot imagine how hard but also intersting is to make an artwork out of ice. Also the ephemeral nature of the art inspires me a lot. When the melting starts it is not of destructive nature but more of the inevitable coming. Not death but more of a transformation to the basic formless shape.
I have to pinch myself every now and again to think i am making something out of water. It is a fascinating element. The creative energy I put into the piece is gone from me and I don't mind the fact that my work disappears. Maybe that energy in still in the water as it flows down the drain.
Thanks for stopping by.
Yes i think that your ephemeral artworks create a lot of deep thoughts that stay for a long time:)
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