An architect and designer from southern Finland has returned to a frozen lake with a snow shovel to paint an animal on the ice for the sixth year in a row, creating artwork he hopes will “make people happy and encourage them to get outside and around for a walk in beautiful nature.”
On December 4, Bassi Widgren painted a fox about 90 meters (295 feet) high in Lake Petkajärvi, north of Helsinki. In previous years, he used a trowel to draw a bear and an owl, always using the same lake as a canvas.
Widgren has been attracting animals at local lakes every winter since 2016 near his home in a town not far from Lahti, a city of 120,000 people. The graphics disappear when more snow falls or when the snow melts.
The idea for trans art came “suddenly two years ago when I realized I had a knack for orchestration to do this kind of thing,” the 40-year-old told The Associated Press.
When he arrived at Lake Pitkajarvi this month, he tested the thickness of the ice to make sure it was thick enough to walk and work. It was 4 to 6 inches thick.
“Of course, he had me carrying ice punches around his neck,” Widgren said in case the ice broke and he had to save himself.
He explained, “I drew the contours of the figure by walking and thinking they matched my fox, then I started ‘drawing’ with a snow shovel.”
Four hours later, it was over.
“I walked to the top of the cliffs” 150 feet (45 meters) above the lake “to see the end result, drank coffee from a thermos and took some photos and videos as a souvenir.”
Wedgren said the fox was less visible on Monday because it fell a little bit of snow.
“It is also very important to me that this kind of art does not leave any (mark) on nature,” he said.