There are few things more captivating than witness a magical ice sculpture come to life, especially in the hot climate of South Africa. Not many people can say that they have had this memorable opportunity to watch one of the top ice artists in the country perform a live ice carving, let alone the chance to learn how to sculpt works of art from ice themselves! The sculpting process is extremely challenging, especially in South Africa where the climate does not lend itself to snow and other icy pursuits. Nevertheless, with the right tools, plenty of patience and extensive experience working with the medium of ice, a work of art can be created from a raw, untouched block of ice.
Showing just how much skill it takes to perform such a feat, Ice Art recently assisted Fish Eagle Brandy and Distell to offer an unforgettable corporate ice sculpture experience – allowing staff from Distell to have the chance to create an ice replica of the famous Fish Eagle Brandy bottle from a solid block of clear ice that weighed an impressive 150kg. Before the Distell team were able to get started, Ice Art’s Matthew first conducted a live carving of the iconic Fish Eagle in order to demonstrate all of the techniques and methods that are used during the carving process. As the team watched to see how these techniques were applied to ice, they were also taught more about the ice carving process. It can take many years for an ice artist to perfect their skills, but with an understanding of the basics, even beginners can learn how to get started.
Working in teams of five, Distell staff were soon able to get started on creating their own masterpieces. Chipping and carving away at their frozen canvases, the teams worked hard to see who could create the best sculpture. Daryl Dixon, who is Brand manager for Fish Eagle Brandy at Distell summed up the event’s success, saying, “It went down really well with the guys, thanks a bunch, everything was fantastic!”
The Fish Eagle sessions proved yet again that the art of ice creation is something that everyone can enjoy, and enjoying a unique chance to learn the art of ice sculpting is an excellent team building exercise – helping teams work together to produce amazing ice replicas as they learn more about this fascinating art form.
