Millie Simpson, 11, holds an ice carving created in Suguru Kanbayashi’s family- friendly ice carving class. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
This past year, Ottawa-based world ice-carving champion Suguru Kanbayashi was trying to think of ways to introduce his art form to his young children.
“It’s a 100 per cent easily recycled medium with very little impact environmentally,” says Kanbayashi, 47. “And that makes it a great medium to practice with.”
Suguru Kanbayashi cuts ice with a chainsaw at the Canadian Ice Carver’s Society’s clubhouse in Ottawa’s south end. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
At the same time, Kanbayashi acknowledges that “ice carving is perceived as very niche and has a reputation as being difficult to get into (there are limitless tools and gadgets that you can purchase and they are quite expensive).”
Through trial and error – and by adopting methods used by competitive ice sculptors — Kanbayashi devised an easier method for ice carving to make it safe and fun. His ice-carving workshops for beginners were born. By the end of this month, Kanbayashi will have already run several sold-out sessions at the Canadian Ice Carver’s Society’s clubhouse.
The club has called an industrial condo on Antares Dr. home for the past 20 years. Primarily used for training and practice, the clubhouse has everything ice carvers might need, including two Clinebell ice-block making machines, each capable of producing two 300-pound, crystal clear ice blocks in two-and-a-half days. As large sculptures, such as the ones used for pieces exhibited at Winterlude, can require hundreds of blocks, the clubhouse also has a large walk-in freezer to store the ice until needed.
Kanbayashi’s classes are designed so that anyone can take part, although he remarks that “children might find this class easier than adults since being creative and working with their hands comes far more naturally to them.” Instead of using power tools or sharp chisels to sculpt the ice, participants use competitive ice carving techniques (thermal conduction) to shape the ice with speed and little force.
An ice carving class participant shapes ice with specialized tools. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
Ice sculpting tools. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
Ottawa’s Kraemer family, father Remi and daughters Emilie, 20, and Elena, 11, recently took part in one of Kanbayashi’s workshops. Although they are all already artistic – Remi has tried ink-stamp carving, Emilie plays the cello and Elena draws, paints and dabbles in polymer clay creation as well as music – they enjoyed trying out a new art form over the holidays.
Remi Kraemer of Ottawa carves a sculpture as his daughter Elena, 11, watches. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
With the hope of introducing 300 people to the art this year, Kanbayashi would like to see ice-carving class participants challenge themselves, as well as to promote the art form. “I hope to deconstruct previous notions of how they may believe that ice carving is difficult. Some people have an innate talent, but for most, it’s just practice, practice.”
Eventually, he wants to make his introductory ice sculpting workshops available to people around the world.
“It should be an art form that is accessible to everyone and there is no reason why it has to be such a niche art form,” he says. “I would love to see more people try small ice sculptures and share the images and videos through the major social media platforms.”
For now, he’s taking pleasure in the small joys. “Watching kids become so focused that they learn as they go and sculpt for over an hour is some of the best work that I have seen.”
Elena Kraemer, 11 (right) is focused on her ice carving work, as is her sister Emilie (in the background). Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
Ellie Simpson, 7, shows off her ice carving. Photo Credit: Tracey Tong
Register for an ice-carving workshop: tinyurl.com/anyice
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