the fleur-de-lis is one of the symbols of New Orleans. Kind of like the American flag after 9/11, this symbol became a lot more popular after Katrina nearly wiped out Nola.
updated 8/21/23 just with some content tweaks
just a thank you post
This entry doesn’t necessarily fit into an ice sculpting techniques blog, because it’s not about ice sculpting per se, but it is about ice sculptors. One of them, me, had built his business on the Gulf Coast over a period of several years. Over a period of a few hours in late 2005, my business was wiped out because most of my clients got wiped out.
We were luckier than most. We were able to to get out the day before the storm and had a relatively easy drive to Arkansas. Get-outta-Dodge drives like this can last up to 24 hours or more if you go the wrong way at the wrong time, but we guessed correctly. As it turned out, Arkansas became our home for the next 7 or 8 months.
I was able to work in Memphis and wherever else I could find. When I finally was able to get back to New Orleans, I found that most of our possessions were okay and only my father-in-law’s apartment had been flooded. Our rented house and my studio were both in the 20% of New Orleans that was unflooded (about a 1 in 25 chance of that happening, as they weren’t in the same part of town). I found out months later that people I knew had lost loved ones, but compared to many we had done okay.
After a while, some of my old clients started ordering ice sculptures for events again, kind of on a here and there basis. Even though we lived in Little Rock, Arkansas (seven hours away), I would usually take the jobs, knowing that we would eventually return to the coast and that I would need as many clients as I could get. Eventually, we finally did return to the coast permanently and got to work on restarting our lives here.
I mentioned that this entry was about ice sculptors, not just me, and so it is. Along the way, we’ve gotten a lot of help from a lot of people. None of them asked for anything in return, they just helped us. I’ve listed some of the ice sculptors that helped us or offered help below. If I forgot someone, I’m sure I’ll remember to add them later, because I often think about the help that we’ve gotten. Thank you all for helping or offering to help me and my family. It means a lot to me!
Joe Rimer
Scott Delarme
Jeff and Michelle Stahl
Alice Connelly
Mike Vosburg
Robert Bifulco
Walter Odermatt
Jim Shields
Brad Green
David VanCamp
Dave Romines
Dean DeMaris
Michael Woodberry (not a sculptor, but still a big help!)
and finally, the members of the National Ice Carving Association (RIP, NICA 😞)
links and stuff
You could also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account or the facebook page. You can comment there as well as below. And if it won’t LET you comment below, since I’m having trouble with my comments on old posts, then definitely comment on fb and/or IG. Thanks!
