Icicles delicately hanging from the eaves of a home in the winter can be a beautiful sight. These glistening formations remind us of the beauty and wonder of nature. Equally as impressive, perhaps even more so, are the handmade creations by Pennsylvania’s own Sculpted Ice Works. Ranging from delicate flowers and intricate fish to a functioning bar and a gigantic ship, the “cool” creations by Sculpted Ice Works are true works of art!
What is Sculpted Ice Works?
Since 1999, Sculpted Ice Works has been creating ice sculptures for weddings, seafood displays, ice luges, ice bars, live ice carving demonstrations for events, as well as offering team building courses, custom designs for photo shoots, fashion show backdrops, hanging sculptures and more. Examples of their work can be found on their website and Facebook page.
Using chain saws, die grinders, angle grinders, router bits, chisels, heat guns, torches and more, the ice carvers seemingly hack away in giant freezers at large blocks of ice with abandon. However, when the ice chips fall away and the fragments are brushed aside, the sculptures – and the talents of the carvers – are revealed.
Sculpted Ice Works is located in Lakeville (about 10 minutes from Hawley, PA.) and employs several talented Ice Carvers led by owner and award-winning ice carver Mark Crouthamel. Each ice carver is a member of the National Ice Carving Association.
Each design begins with clear ice manufactured in their own plant allowing them to maintain high quality, as well as further customize ice carvings with items that have been frozen into the ice itself! In addition, Sculptured Ice Works utilizes computerized technology to create detailed and specific designs.
A few interesting facts about Sculpted Ice Works and their creations include:
- A single-block ice sculpture is carved from a block of ice that is 40 inches tall, 20 inches wide and 10 inches deep.
- An ice sculpture will last up to 6 hours when kept indoors. They will melt about ¼ of an inch every hour if they are kept outside (depending on the temperature).
- An ice carving demonstration for an event can last about 2-3 hours.
- The largest display they have created is Crystal Cabin Fever, a 100-ton display held at The Ice House at Sculpted Ice Works.
See Them in Action!
If you’re curious about exactly how Sculpted Ice Works creates their icy works of art, you can tour their factory. In the Natural Ice Harvest Museum, you’ll learn about how ice was once a booming industry in the Poconos and discover how ice was made in the mountains before there was refrigeration! The museum itself is in a heated portion of the factory and the carving takes place in the freezers in a different part of the facility. Call the morning of your visit to find out the timeframe the carvers will be working on ice sculptures so you can time your visit and see them in action!
After a fun day exploring Sculpted Ice Works, be sure to stop by the Hawley Silk Mill to warm up with a cup of coffee at Cocoon Coffee House or grab some lunch items to go from the Mill Market. If you have a few minutes to browse, you are welcome to check out the inspiring art galleries and the charming shops located here at the Silk Mill.
Photo Credit: greenwatermelon / Thinkstock