For the first time in 30 years, Kelly Patterson invested in a pair of longjohns. It was one of his many layers as he worked in front of his Simpson Street home in December. He had to work in 15 minute bursts, retreating into his house to warm up for 30 minutes.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a real big fan of the cold,鈥� he said.
While most people in Yorkton cranked up their heat and bundled up in their blankets during the big chill in December, Patterson forced himself outside. It was cold enough before he started working with ice. He could feel the frigid temperature through his gloves.
But he kept going, working on his project for close to a week. Finally, he stepped back and admired his work. He was done.
Three massive ice sculptures stood on his lawn.
Patterson is an artist. His collection of paintings, 鈥淪urface and Seduction,鈥� was featured at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery last September. This year, he tried his hand at winter sculpting.
鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e done anything like [this] with ice,鈥� he said.
Patterson bought a series of plastic containers of varying shapes. He filled them with water and left them outside overnight. In the morning, he slid the plastic off and picked up his smooth ice blocks.
That鈥檚 when the real work started. Patterson stacked the blocks into a tower shape, delicately balancing them. He filled balloons with water and food colouring, froze them, and put them on top of the structures.
鈥淚t freezes like concrete,鈥� he said.
Patterson dosed the towers with water from a spray bottle, which froze and held them together, He hollowed them out and filled them with lights so they glowed in the night.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want it to look too Christmas-y,鈥� he said.
Patterson has seen dozens of people get out of their cars and snap photos of his icy installations.
鈥淢y favourite part has been seeing people鈥檚 reaction to it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the biggest kick for me.鈥�
Patterson calls his three towers a 鈥減roof of concept.鈥� Next year, he wants to take everything he learned about ice sculptures and create something even bigger.
鈥淣ext year, it鈥檚 going to be epic,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omething grand, like a castle.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited.鈥�
The sculptures will stay up for as long as the cold weather allows.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 going to be freezing after February, so [you鈥檝e got] lots of time to enjoy them,鈥� Patterson said.
