Ligonier PA Icefest Scupture Highlights 2012!

The ice storm which hit Pennsylvania on Friday Jan 20, 2012, left a thick layer of ice underneath at least 3 - 4 inches of snow our way! Couldn't even get into my husband's Toyota on Saturday morn for my commute to work! The truck doors were frozen solid. Luckily we were able to open my car doors, and start to defrost my windows. Much rather drive a 4 wheel drive on snowy days like this, but had no choice to drive my car. Roads were hazardous to say the least, snow covered and icey, yet I made it to work very close to on time!

Fitting the ice storm led the way for the 21st Annual Icefest held in Ligonier PA. Since I had to work Saturday, we headed toward the mountain on Sunday Jan 22, 2012. Temps hadn't rose out of the 20's all night so the icey snow was still hard and everywhere! I wore my boots with a good bit of tread, for fear I'd take a tumble on the icey sidewalks and roadways. The air in Ligonier was blowing when we arrived there, colder than back down the mountain at home! Sidewalks were very icey at the Diamond where the professional sculpters were busy at work. Be sure to click on photos to see in larger detail!! All ice scuptures are done by the awesome professional ice carvers of Demartino Ice ~ http://www.dimartinoice.com/

The first ice sculpture to catch my eye was this beautiful butterfly! In Japan, a butterfly represents a person's soul, living dying, or already dead. And if a butterfly lands near you, it means the person you love most is visiting you!



I was so impressed by these adorable replicas of Dora and her sidekick monkey Boots, that I decided to use them for my winter header. Aren't they just too cute and lovable?



Another very impressive ice scupture piece was this clown, with his open see through eyes! I couldn't believe how big, he was massive!! :)



One of the handsome Ice Carvers took a moment out to give me a smile. How much work and detail goes into every ice scupture they carve!



Another favorite of mine,was this cool giraffe, which stood taller than I! I'm close to 5' 5 inches so gives you an idea how tall this boy is!!



The grande finale was the galant Pegasus, which towered in the Gazabo and glistened in the sunlight. Oh such devine beauty against the blue sky and barren trees!



On the way out we caught one last glimpse of these 3 fish, displayed along a storefront wall! Aren't they just amazing! The Ligonier Icefest is always worth the trip, even in the ice and snow! I don't know how the Professional Ice Carvers come up with all the different displays every year!
I can't wait to see the ice scuptures Demartino Ice http://www.dimartinoice.com/ create for their displays next year!! If you need ice sculptures for any occasion, this is the place to order them!!



On our way out from Ligonier Diamond we headed across the highway to the top of Ligonier Valley cemetary. I took this shot of Laurel Mountains in the backround, where it looks as if the clouds are resting right on the icy white mountain tops. We headed up the road to Linn Run, where, I thought my life was flashing before me. The roads there were too icey for my car, but we slowly and finally made it back down!!

We then drove over to the museum, which I'll post some highlights of that exhibition soon! Hope all is well with you all. Wishing you a Happy New Year and stay right here Literally In The Moment.

Ligonier PA Icefest 2010 ~ Photo Featured Ice Sculptures!

Once again the professional ice carvers from DiMartino Ice displayed their awesome ice sculptures, in the 19th Annual Ligonier Icefest 2010. Today was an unusually warm 40 plus degree and sunny day, which was causing the beautiful art pieces to slowly melt!

I call these two birds above "lovebirds," as my hubby and I posed behind them! The lovebirds were displayed outside a restaurant Casa Chapala. Click on any photo to see them even larger!


We started our tour on the town diamond, and the skier caught my eye immediately. There were so many people visiting the ice sculptures, I couldn't get a shot without the public walking into them!



The alligator was so gorgeous, with his raised head and immaculate jaw reaching upward. The scales on his body were so defined. One of my favorites!

The dolphin riding the wave was a big hit with the children. A towel was placed on his back so the kids could sit and pose for photos! The reason for the black snow surrounding the scuplture! Another one of my favorites!

Woody the woodpecker made quite an entrance here at the ice show, even though he was on meltdown! A few other sculptures were hit by the sun, but managed to stay in tact!

I captured one of the professional ice carvers here, adding his final touches to the Stanley Cup. It's amazing the amount of ice which is carved away, you can see discarded on the left side!

The finished carved Stanley Cup is displayed with pride for our Pittsburgh Penguins! In the backround you can see the back of the huge unique piece displayed inside the gazabo!

I call this one "The Guardian Angel." The sunset in the backround just adds a touch of beauty and glow to the whole sculpture. The definition of fine lines and detail outstanding!

We took a walk and there were a couple sculptures displayed along the storefronts. The one above represents our Pittsburgh Penguin hockey team. Go Penguins!

Last was a "Sunman," who was just adorable. His cute face and sunrays just automatically bring you a smile. You can see he was melting a bit from the days sun, yet still managed to keep his main composure.

Well this ends our ice sculpture tour for the year! I hope you enjoyed my photos as much as we enjoyed the icefest. If you're in the Pennsylvania area, the icefest is worth the trip to Ligonier, and will continue through January 24, 2009!

The talented professional ice carvers never fail to impress with their wonderful ice sculptures. Can't wait to see what they'll create next year!

You can view my last years photos of the 2009 Icefest Here: Ice Sculptures Ligonier PA Icefest Phots 2009.

Ice Sculptures ~ Ligonier, PA Icefest Photos 2009!

We took a ride up to the mountain again over the weekend, to see some amazing ice scuptures. It was a balmy 15 degrees last evening when we arrived at the Icefest, located in the diamond of Ligonier. I almost dropped my camera taking a couple shots, because my fingertips were frozen. It was approaching dusk , so I had to use my night flash the photos didn't turn out too bad! The bird above was just finished when we first arrived.

My husband bending down by the eagle in the shot! The ice sculptures are done by professional ice carvers from a company called Dimartino Ice in Jeannette. They have been doing the Ice Fest here in Ligonier for 18 years. Aren't they excellent?

The dragon was so much more detailed but due to the darkening sky the reflections didn't show.

I felt like a queen sitting in the bear chair, fitting for my love of animals! Cool how they made the chair so folks could be seated! My face seemed blurred, but at least the bear chair turned out!

This guy just makes you smile!

The bear was poised looking to the sky!

Could you imagine cutting the corners so perfectly on the ship!

They always do a huge piece in the gazebo, and this year it was Elvis Presley! He was my last photo, so the lighting was not perfect. The detail here was awesome!

Thanks to all the wonderful artists for displaying their fantastic art! My photos were only a small sampling of all the gorgeous sculptures displayed in the Icefest! With all the cold weather we've had here, the sculptures could remain for a good while.