“In the cool, white
fluorescent light
a scalpel rasps, whispers,
insisting on detail.
A chisel flicks,
deft and sure,
snicking, razing,
in the clean steam
of icebreath.
Formless, frosty
bulbous ice
has pattern
punched into it.
An awl starts clattering,
keen steel stabbing
shards of crystal free
to shower down
as glassy shrapnel.” Author unknown
There are nine hours left in the Multi-Block competition. Looking around at all the sites, it’s hard to imagine everything getting done on time. There are still fragmented pieces of , birds, body parts and some unknowns, lying around. I saw many carvers brushing off their carvings. I watched another carver reach down, put some snow on her fingertips and add it as caulk to smooth out a rough spot on an ice fence. Other artists have used a blow torch to bring crystal clarity to their sculptures. All lastminute busy work. The excitement is growing. During these next nine hours great transformations are expected.
Once the horn is sounded tonight, signifying the end of the competitions, the team has one hour to clean their site. They will need to rake their site, remove all trash and tools, and adjust the white light shining on their structure. They are not allowed to touch their sculpture or any of their tools. After one hour the judging will commence. No team member may be present during judging.
There are at least five judges; the lead judge must be a respected sculptor with judging experience. There are several types of Awards: Jurists’ Choice Award, Peoples’ Choice Award, the On-line Viewers’ Award and the Volunteers’ Award.
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting two of the judges for this year’s event. I asked them what was the number one thing they look for when they first see a sculpture. They both replied, “The Wow Factor”! Each sculpture has a name. Is the finished product obviously depicting its name? If the name has to be explained then it doesn’t have the Wow Factor. Since these are multi-block structures, they are viewed from further away so the detail can’t be as busy as it can be on a single block. Is everything proportional? Is a bird flying or a fish swimming? These criteria are called “Ice Attitudes”. What is the overall Ice Attitude of each finished sculpture? What is the emotion and chemistry of each piece? Does it flow or is it choppy? For instance, where are the seam lines located; do they fit in to the overall picture or are they obvious. You do not want a seam line going through a sculpture’s face. All of these contribute to the overall Wow Factor.
The judges view the sculptures individually and then confer together to discuss and determine the winners. After the judging, the carvers can ask questions of the judges and ask for tips and constructive criticism as well.
As soon as the judging is complete, the teams add colored lights to their masterpieces. Two distinct perspectives and experiences are seeing these finished pieces in sunlight and then under colored lights. For sure, this is magic to behold.
