last bite
snow man
How many years have you been sculpting
snow? On and off for 30 years.
What was the fi rst sculpture you made?
A hockey helmet! I'd been watching a game.
What advice do you have for someone
who would like to try sculpting snow?
Keep it simple, and don’t make anything too
small. A warm sunny day will melt the little
details.
How does one get started? You need
to pack some snow – a garbage can works
well – and let it sit there a couple days to
crystallize.
What tools are needed?
Saws, rasps, a spade, a level
to ensure angles are squared,
something for sanding. I use
gusset plates – the type used in
rafters.
What is the biggest project
you’ve done? Festival du
Voyageur each year – we start with
a block 12'x12'x10' high.
What is your favourite sculpture
you’ve built? It would have to be
last year’s (replica of Rome’s) colosseum.
It was fun working with a team and it
turned out as good as imagined.
What do you love about making snow
sculptures? I like that they are temporary,
and how they change as the weather affects
them.
What’s your favourite comfort food?
Potatoes – I’m Mennonite!
What other winter activities do you
enjoy? Watching my kids play hockey.
It's fun!
Best advice for staying warm?
Staying active. Keep moving! For me that
means detailing for a while, then shovelling.
That warms me up!
44
ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand nineteen
Lyle Peters, snow sculptor
extraordinaire carves beauty in
A Maze in Snow.
What are you going to sculpt next?
This year I’m doing the Notre Dame
Cathedral and the railing the gargoyles
sit upon.