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Holiday ice sculptors take the cake BY MARIE MCGOVERN DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, December 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

Bates for NewsSculptor Henry Wallace of Empire Ice Carving in Long Island City puts the finishing touches on a swan.

"You'd be amazed at how flexible and delicate a chain saw can be," Shintaro Okamoto mused in a cavernous warehouse in Long Island City, Queens.

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Page 1 of 3Holiday ice sculptors take the cake

9/8/2008http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/30/2007-12-30_holiday_ice_sculptors_take_the_cake.html

He doesn't mean that in a bad way.

Okamoto is one of many ice sculptors across the city working around the clock to create works of art that will disappear not long after the last New Year's Eve party straggler walks out the door.

The holiday party season is one of the busiest times of the year for ice sculptors. Warehouses, including Okamoto Studios in Long Island City, and other nondescript garages are filled with sculptors whose roaring chain saws chew into hunks of ice with the voracity of a Great White.

Ice sculptors are traditionally typecast as chain saw-wielding artists who create stately swans that swim along buffet tables of boiled shrimp and cheese cubes.

But like a black tie or a ball gown, an ice sculpture signals a special event.

"People still like the swans, even though I try to get them to be a bit more creative," said Henry Wallace of Empire Ice Carving in Long Island City.

"My goal is to get people to think of ice as a part of an event, just like the flowers," added Dawn Rella of Ice Sculpture Designs.

Rella, along with her brother Scott, have been running Ice Sculpture Designs, one of the area's oldest ice sculpting businesses, for 15 years. They still carve flocks of swans for weddings, but they also sculpt life-sized statues for movie premieres like "Ice Age" and have created menageries of animals for the Bronx Zoo.

Ice sculptors must be creative and pragmatic. They need the skills of an artist, the mind of an architect, an understanding of chemistry and a little knowledge of physics.

John Melton of Ice Miracles in Deer Park said the sculptors must know the properties of ice (including how quickly it melts), the setting of the sculpture, the length of the event and whether it will be indoors or outside.

Even the process of freezing water isn't as simple as it sounds. "You want to make sure the ice is clear for the sculpture," Okamoto said. "Cloudy ice weakens the structure."

Air bubbles in the water make ice cloudy. Professional ice machines slowly circulate water while it freezes, allowing trapped gases to escape.

And the ice must be warmed up before it can be carved. "If you go into it before it's acclimated, it will crack and implode," Okamoto said. "It's like pouring warm cola on ice cubes - they crack."

Slattery for NewsIce Sculpture Design's Dan Bergin with a hippo hecarved for display at the Bronx Zoo.

Page 2 of 3Holiday ice sculptors take the cake

9/8/2008http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/30/2007-12-30_holiday_ice_sculptors_take_the_cake.html

The best sculptors see beauty and potential in the medium of ice and speak of it with an almost mystical reverence.

"Just think about it: We're working with these very tough, masculine tools - chain saws, chisels, sanders and drills - and creating something that is inherently romantic," Okamoto said. "An ice sculpture is the perfect metaphor for special occasions. They're fleeting like those evenings - they last for one night only."

mmcgovern@nydailynews.com

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1 comments so far. Add your comment below!. [Discussion Guidelines]

digbigdog2006 Jan 3, 2008 12:39:44 PM Report Offensive Post I run a moderate sized party planning firm in New York City. I've executed events from the Jersey Shore to Westchester to the Hamptons. Each time I've used Ice Sculpture Designs services I'm impressed with their quality and quantity of offerings as well as the superior customer service I receive from Dawn Rella. Dawn is a class act, running a huge business as if it's a small shop dedicating customized attention to each of her clients. She's always ensured MY clients are happy and as part of my arsenal it's integral to chose such vendors to keep my business live and thriving. Nice coverage Ice Sculpture Designs and Dawn Rella. Thanks for all your hard work! Check 'em out at www.icesculpturedesigns.com

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Page 3 of 3Holiday ice sculptors take the cake

9/8/2008http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/30/2007-12-30_holiday_ice_sculptors_take_the_cake.html