This sculpture glitters with red stars! (which are actually pieces of red star glitter, which will stick temporarily to the surface of a melting sculpture)

Macy’s holds an annual event in which they celebrate some of their regional “star” employees at a “Star Academy” luncheon. Last year it was in Baton Rouge; this year it was in New Orleans at the Harrah’s Hotel. Each time, we were asked to provide the ice sculpture above, a “dynamic” scrollwork fleur de lis above the Macy’s logo.

Often, when we do a logo in ice, we’ll use a white-on-ice technique (also called snowfilled engraving). In this case, however, the logo was printed on a clear transparency and frozen inside the ice in front of a white snow field. The white snow gives the black-lettered logo the proper contrast and the snow also catches and diffuses the backlighting, further accentuating the printed logo. There are other ways to add color to the ice, but in certain situations, this can be the best way.

While this sculpture was being set up, one of the Macy’s reps made a point to ask that the sculpture be placed in a particular spot on the table, because it would be used for photos: some or all of the attendees apparently would get their photo taken with the ice. This is a great use for an ice carving, especially if the sculpture can be shot at a slight angle. (If you use a flash, shooting directly at a piece often results in flashback.) The ice becomes a great backdrop and helps create a memorable picture.

Looking forward to next year!

Tags: New Orleans, color logo, Macy's