If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that people have LOTS of questions about ice sculptures. So here’s a little bit about ice dragon ice sculptures and some more about the what, how, and why we do what we do!
about us
all the basics about ice dragon ice sculptures
what does ice dragon ice sculptures do?
ice dragon ice sculptures offers the finest quality ice sculptures for New Orleans and Baton Rouge as well as throughout much of the Gulf South (and sometimes beyond!). Take a look at our service area for more details on where we can typically deliver our ice art for your special event. But if you have a question about a special event someplace else, don’t hesitate to contact us!
And yes, I know that EVERYBODY (almost, anyway) says they have the best ice sculptures around. Later, that’s why we’ll have a page that explains why we REALLY have the most experience and offer the finest ice sculptures you can get, at least in this area. If artistry, quality, and experience are things that matter to you, check back here soon for more.
who makes the ice sculptures?
Most ice dragon ice sculptures are created by Dawson List. (That’s me!) Thus, I am the primary sculpture designer and ice sculptor for ice dragon ice. Some of them I sculpt by hand and some of them I design to be run on specialized CNC machines that are just for carving ice. As for achievements, I am a gold medal ice sculptor (NICA and ACF) and very nearly a World Champion! (SO close!) Ice sculpting has taken me all over the U.S. and I’ve travelled as far away as Europe, Asia, Alaska, and the Caribbean to create frosty ice art. Because of these experiences, I’ve learned a lot from other ice sculptors throughout the country and around the world!
Typically, at least once a year, I go someplace well outside of New Orleans to work on ice art. I’ve worked as a professional ice sculptor for more than 20 years and competed at five national championships (finishing as high as 4th). As for world championships, I’ve competed in four (finishing as high as 2nd & 6th in team events). And in 2002, I sculpted at the Olympic ice carving competition held in conjunction with the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. For other special projects, we created the world’s longest ice bar, the world’s tallest ice luge (2x), and a giant ice sculpture of Drew Brees! Also, I’ve been called on to judge ice sculpting competitions, most notably at international events in China (2x) and Canada. For more on what it’s like to be an ice sculptor, take a look at this post.
what kinds of ice sculptures can you get?
Over the years, ice sculptors, chefs, and event planners have come up with an astonishing variety of ways to use ice sculptures at your special event. Examples include a variety of food and drink related favorites such as buffet ice sculptures, ice vases, seafood displays, and ice luges. Then there are ice designs that take food and drink service to a higher level, like ice bars, sorbet servers, and shrimp luges. But in recent years, ice has been moving further and further away from the food and drink and out into the rest of the event space. Ice curtains, ice furniture, ice pool tables, and ice bongs 😱 are just a few examples of more exotic ice sculptures. Take a look at our galleries for even more ideas!
At ice dragon ice, we specialize in several kinds of ice sculpture designs that you might have a tough time finding just about anywhere else. To start with, the locally available fresh seafood provides lots of opportunities to create shrimp luges for special events. Another one of our specialties is the ice portrait, which can be a rather difficult type of ice sculpture to pull off. And we could be considered world authorities on both ice luges and ice bars. That’s because we’ve helped set world records for both of these types of ice art. Finally, we’ve also tried a few borderline crazy things with ice art: how about combining ice and neon? We only got shocked a few times 😱
how do you make the ice sculptures?
Finally, ice carving techniques and technology are quickly advancing as ice artists adapt computer aided machinery to carving ice. More and more often, our logo and graphic sculptures, as well as many ice serving pieces, are carved on some of the most modern CNC ice machinery available. This sophisticated equipment enables multiple color effects and high precision graphics and sizing that cannot be efficiently or affordably carved by hand.
We combine this forward looking technology with decades of ice sculpting expertise. Thus, many of our sculptures end up a combination of machine precision and hand-sculpted detailing. Accordingly, we strive to take the best of both to create the best ice sculptures for your event. Right now, our galleries are a mix of hand sculpted and machined ice sculptures. See if you can figure out which is which!