Derrald Taylor has been carving everything from soapstone to snow since he was a young boy, growing up in Tuktoyaktuk.
“Carving is like a getaway for me. When I carve, I forget everything but the piece and let my mind go and my hands take over,” says Taylor on his official artist’s page.
But in order to compete in this year’s national ice carving contest, Taylor had to rediscover ice.
He says working with ice “is a lot harder and denser” compared to other mediums.
The Winterlude Bal De Neige festival theme was winter fun, something Taylor is all too familiar with living in the North.
But Taylor did something different, turning his sculpture into a cultural experience.
As Spirit Told represents Inuvialuit stories embodied in a little girl, polar bear and spirit drum dancer.
The characters are depicted playing with handmade toys made from natural materials — an ode to mother earth, he says.
His design was inspired by stories from long ago, listening to Elders, he said.
Taylor admits he’s new to ice sculpting, having done only a handful of pieces in his career.
“It’s no fun being out in the cold,” he says, “especially when your hands are wet.”
With little experience, Taylor says he was surprised to place as a finalist among professional ice carvers.
‘It didn’t come out exactly as I planned’
“I’ve been away from ice sculpting for so long,” says Taylor.
One of the greatest challenges, he says, when working with ice is how brittle it gets — working alone and having to hold it together.
Competitors were given a 28-hour time limit to complete their work; Taylor completed his piece in 24 hours.
“It didn’t come out exactly as I planned,” he says ” [the brittle ice] really, really really messed up my carving.”
He says his tools also “weren’t good enough” to do all the detailing in his design he wanted to.
“I’m just glad I finished off the piece,” he says.
Taylor says if there is a next time, he’ll be better prepared.
Taylor was recommended by the City of Yellowknife to represent the NWT in this year’s Winterlude ice carving contest.
“He definitely had a lot of challenges, overcame them and created a beautiful piece,” says Rebecca Alty, mayor of Yellowknife.
“He really captures the detail, the essence and brings the spirit out [in his work],” she adds.
Seven sculptors across Canada submitted their sculptures virtually for the contest back in February.
Taylor was placed among the top five finalists.
