To make a broad generalization, there are two kinds of people. Those who grasp on to the last gasps of summer and those who think sweater weather starts the minute after Labor Day.
For that second group, there are those who love the fall leaves and everything crisp and cool and then there are the snow-lovers.
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Snow is not for everyone. Especially if you have to shovel it or drive in it. Thatโs totally understandable. But for those who can still find a way to appreciate its beauty, we found a person you may truly enjoy.
His name is Simon Beck, and heโs a โsnow artist.โ
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Snow as a medium of art? We had no idea!
If youโve never heard of a snow artist, then join the club. But we have the feeling that since heโs started, Beck has inspired many more people to use the snow to create art.
Just take a look at what he managed to do on his own:
While we love the look of a fresh, untouched first blanket of snow covering a field or open space, weโll forever see it as a blank canvas from now on.
And the amazing part is how Beck does it. With his own two feet!
Thatโs right. He clomps through the snow in his snowshoes, carefully trodding these beautiful patterns while getting some fresh air and exercise.
Itโs just amazing to think that people come up with these ideas off the tops of their heads. Youโve got to love the creative spirit.
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All of Beckโs designs are created by walking in the snow โ the patterns made with just his own 2 feet!
Beck starts by mapping out the space and figuring out the design. Some are patterns. Some are simply shapes.
But no matter what the final product ends up being, the process is complicated and calculated โ although we imagine itโs enjoyable as well.
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After he has the logistics worked out, Beck walks the paths with measured snowshoe steps to make each shape, never veering off track.
From ground level, it might not look like much, but even the slightest birdโs eye view shows you how incredible each piece really is.
A piece of snow art can take anywhere between two and six hours to complete.
Thatโs quite a long walk! Just think about how many steps youโd have to take to create something like this:
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Frankly, it looks like some of these take much longer.
And then he has the wind to contend with!
โThere were two drawings that took a day and a half to make and the first was blown away,โ Simon says of some of his creations.โAnd all the drawings were damaged to an extent by the wind. A quarter of my time was spent reinstating work I had done earlier.โ
It sounds like it could be frustrating, but being in the fresh mountain air and enjoying the winter sun is likely a reward in itself.
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Though the task may sound daunting to most, itโs just another day for Simon Beck.
The 60-something-year-old from Taunton, Somerset, enjoys making these works of art whether theyโre for a commission or not.
In fact, heโs created hundreds of designs on mountaintops, lakes, and yesโฆeven sandy beaches (so summer-lovers can rejoice!). Beckโs Facebook page is full of some of his more recent โshore art.โ
After all, if snow can be a medium, why not sand?
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Beck fully admits he makes mistakes, but he usually just accepts there may be a wrong line somewhere or that can alter the design slightly so that anyone looking at it wonโt even notice.
And he says that while falling down is unusual, making an accidental snow angel does occasionally happen.
It looks like a lot of fun too!
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The only sad part about Beckโs work is that itโs never permanent โ or maybe thatโs what makes it so special.
Snow art only lasts as long as the cold weather or until a big gust of wind comes by (or a skier heads straight through it).
But Beck doesnโt mind, and the fact that theyโre temporary is what makes his artwork so unique and hard to replicate.
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As long as he gets his photo at the end, heโs happy. But sometimes itโs hard to get those just right as well. If the light is wrong or itโs a cloudy day, the design doesnโt look as good as it would in direct sun.
When youโre an artist like Simon, the whole world is your canvas.
His artwork is proof that there is potential for creativity everywhere. In fact, we feel inspired to try a little something in our own backyard this year (before the squirrels make one of their own!).
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If you want to hear from Beck and get a sense of just how amazing his feats (and feet) are, scroll down below to the video.
And if youโd like to look through his Facebook page, you can find photos from Beck and others who have enjoyed his art by clicking here.
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