Syracuse is known by many people for its lake effect snow. This snow falls in record numbers creating ice during the winter months. Some people view this as a beautiful scenic season change and others view the ice and snow as an inconvenience. However, Brenden Belge from Custom Sculptures looks at ice with an artist eye all year round.
Belge sculpts ice at the Holiday Ice cube factory on Vine Street. This facility has a large freezer with a temperature cold enough to store the sculptures before being delivered to the customer. Although Belge wasn’t sure of the exact temperature of the freezer where the sculptures are stored he simply said, “You don’t want to be stuck in there with out gloves. If your in that freezer without gloves for more than 30 seconds your gonna feel it.”
According to Belge, t
he winter months are actually slower in business for an ice sculptor than the warmer months. “As you kind of fade out of summer you fall into more weddings only, you know, your not doing the barbecues anymore.” The winter may bring the suitable weather for keeping an ice sculpture solid but the summer time brings more of the cold cash.
Belge uses many helping aids when sculpting ice. A chainsaw is used to carve away the larger pieces that need to be eliminated in order to bring shape to the overall image. A lightweight Excalibur drill bit specifically designed for ice sculpting is used as well. Belge says, “It takes to the ice and just removes it.” A chisel is used to fine tune the details and add texture within the sculpture. But the most beneficial helping aid used during an ice sculpture is an extra set of hands. Rob Loring cuts into the action adding his own vision of detail to the sculpture. There may be an “I” in Ice but there is no “I” in team.
According to Loring,“When its super, super cool or warm, I mean it cuts like that.” Naturally ice will melt in a warehouse when it’s not stored in the freezer. Puddles then form on the ground causing a potential slipping hazard. It's highly recommended to have an extra person on hand to make sure they clean up or clear away the extra ice and puddles that may form up on the ground.
This particular piece Belge and Loring are carving is a hatchet stuck in a block of wood for a party at Venue 658. The handle of the axe is beveled out so alcohol can
be funneled through the sculpture into a shot glass. Instead of using ice in the drink the sculpture will act as a cooling device as it’s filtered through the handle. The piece is stored after completion in a large freezer wrapped in plastic. The plastic is used to insure that the sculpture doesn’t freeze to the wooden palette it’s stored on.
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