The Amazing Adventures of an Ice Sculptor

 My husband constantly amazes me. He can create anything out of ice. He and his business partner Derek have created a business out of ice sculptures which seems amazing all by itself. How does one sell ice to people? Especially when you live in Michigan where is ice is all over the place in the winter.


















Randy, my husband, is constantly coming up with new ideas of what he can make and do with ice.  Derek helps make these ideas come to life with action. He has made ferris wheels, pinball machines, life size chess pieces, motor cycles, pool tables, and he freezes things in the ice as well, flowers, t-shirts, and even jello.

This last week I was lucky enough to attend an event with him here in Grand Rapids. His business partner Derek and his employees, Jake, Sachel, Ron, and Joel all put together blocks of ice and carved it into a full sized motorcycle for a crowed room. Derek sculpted the ice and it turned out amazing as usually. Randy and him make the design, get the blocks prepped and squared up, then the magic happens. The result is the picture below.

Randy has been able to do a lot of cool things because of this business that he has built up. He had a season of his own show on the Food Network, "Ice Brigade", he travels places like the super bowl last year, Mt. Rushmore, and he does a variety of concerts and gets to meet celebrities sometimes.

He has established a great deal of techniques ice carving, like the color method that he and his partner use. This method has them making gelatin and freezing it inside the ice. It's kind of neat with the sculptures melt because it leaves these "jello jigglers" that slide out. Just don't eat them. He also wrote the book on ice sculpture, literally a textbook,  he and his business partner Derek Maxfield wrote together.

He also does local projects and weddings. There are a great deal of small projects that he does around town. He does things for the local museums, local companies holiday parties, and many restaurants ask for sculptures and blocks of ice as well. Ice sculptures, although they melt, are a really good way to advertise. If you have ever been to a party with an ice sculpture I bet you've seen lots of people getting their pictures taken with it. An ice sculpture is kind of an anomaly.  You don't see them all the time, they are pretty, and if they are done properly they make a lasting impression on you.