Category Archives: Ice Sculptures

Wedding Venue Spotlight: NorthStar Golf Club

May 29, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

The first in a multi-part series where Rock On Ice spotlights their favorite wedding venues in the Columbus area.

NorthStar Golf Club is a new club located on the north side of Columbus, in Sunbury, Ohio. The club offers beautiful views that include multiple ponds with fountains, and an outside gazebo— the perfect setting for a wedding ceremony! Move inside for an elegant reception area that can be catered by the full service facility.

Rock On Ice has set-up many ice sculptures for NorthStar. The staff are professional and easy to work with and they will make sure your event will be one that will leave a lasting impression!

Here are photos of the ice sculptures we provided for this beautiful bride’s wedding ceremony and reception.

This is our “Shared Hearts” ice sculpture which features an abstract Bride and Groom as their shared hearts become one.

This ice sculpture was placed on the gift table. The “LOVE” design is new for 2014.

We have had many positive experiences working with the NorthStar staff, so why don’t you add them to your list of wedding venues to check out this year! Visit NorthStar for information, and visit Rock On Ice to see more of our wedding ice sculptures.

Ice Sculptures, Wedding

6 ideas for personalizing your wedding with ice

April 12, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Your wedding day is one of the biggest events that you will plan
in your life. The guests you invite are your family and friends, and
you want to be able to show them a part of yourselves in your wedding details. Don’t let your wedding become as generic as all those other typical weddings. Incorporating ice can add a personal touch, something that will be forever memorable!

There are hundreds of ways these ideas can be customized for you. Take a look and get inspired!

1. Themed Weddings
Do you have a specific theme for your wedding? In this example, the bride had a city theme, so we carved an ice sculpture with a skyline. We also matched the font style used in the bride’s Save the Date cards to match the names in the sculpture.

Here’s what the bride had to say:

Since we were getting married downtown in the Ohio State House, we really wanted to incorporate special touches that showed off the city of Columbus. Our table numbers featured artistic photos of landmarks and our favorite restaurants in mirrored frames. What really brought it all together was the stunning and whimsical ice sculpture designed and crafted by Rock on Ice. It featured the downtown Columbus skyline at night, our names hanging in the stars and was lit up in our wedding colors. My husband and I truly loved it and so did all
of our guests!

2. Freeze in Photos
We can freeze just about anything into your sculpture—that includes a photograph. Why not have your engagement photo incorporated into the sculpture? This option is becoming more popular, as the bride and groom want to have more uses for their photos.

3. Incorporate the Seasons
Are you looking for a way to bring the outside in and into your wedding? In this example, the bride and groom had a Fall theme, so the ice bar displayed pumpkins within the ice. In addition to an ice bar, they had their last name carved out in stacked pumpkins. Very unique!

5. Name and Initials
Having an ice sculpture with both of your names is a classic idea, but can still be unique. For this wedding, we carved an old time car that says “Just Married” along with their names. You can see the silhouette of the couple in the car window.

6. Interests or Hobbies
If you have a hobby or something you are both interested in, we can take that idea an transform it into ice. This couple loved penguins, so we carved their names in a heart below two kissing penguins.

By incorporating your personal details—with ice, into your wedding, your family and friends will see a glimpse of who you are, and they will appreciate and remember your day just as much as you will!

Want to see more ice sculpture ideas? Check out our wedding and speciality ice sculptures. The possibilities are endless!

Company, Ice Sculptures

5 creative ways to display an ice sculpture at your event

March 9, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Are you are making plans for your next event—wedding, corporate function, or holiday party? Do you need something different and unique that will wow your guests? Then, ice is the answer!

Ice can be incorporated into many areas of your event. Rock On Ice will work with you and create an ice sculpture personalized for you. This article will showcase 5 creative ice ideas, and will really create a memorable experience for your guests.

1. Shrimp Dispenser
This is such a cool way to hold and dispense shrimp (customize with your own logo.) We can carve just about anything to hold the food you choose, and keep it cold at the same time. If you are looking for something other than shrimp for the dispenser, then you can put fresh fruit, or individually wrapped favors/candy for your guests.

This sculpture was created for Stacy at Milo’s Catering and here is what she said:

“I’ve used Rock On Ice many times for functions both corporate and private. Greg’s work is magnificent, and working with him is always simple and uncomplicated. One family loved the Ohio State Buckeye shrimp dispenser from their daughter’s wedding reception so much that they now order one every year for their Christmas party!”
Stacy Terman; Milo’s Catering

2. Liquor Display
If you are looking for a creative way to display your beverages and need to keep them on ice at the same time, then this is the perfect solution. We can create a sculpture to match the theme of your event and personalize it with logos, photos, or any wording that you provide for us. It doesn’t matter if you are serving liquor, soda or bottled water, we can make it special and memorable!

3. Ice Bar
Most events serve drinks and have a bar of some sort. Why not make their drink service an experience they will remember. There is nothing more exciting than walking up to an ice bar and feeling the chill of the bar under your glass! Make your drink feel more like an experience with an ice bar.

4. Ice Vase
Display your flower arrangement in a new and exciting way…with ice! We can create a vase made to your specifications. You can incorporate vases on all the guests’ tables, or have just one ice vase as the main feature—so beautiful.

5. Ice Curtain
This is by far our most unique ice display available. Our ice curtain will be sure to draw the attention you want at your event.

“Rock on Ice Rocks! I have known Greg for a LONG time and he does amazing work. But my favorite piece of work he showcased at The Wedding Experience was the wall of Ice. This would look great at any wedding reception behind a head table, behind the cake table, or even behind the place card table.”
Jamie M Rapavy; Columbus Bride & Groom

We have hundreds of ideas on our website – view our galleries at Rock On Ice, or give us a call and we can create a customized ice sculpture—made to your unique specifications.

p.s. don’t forget to follow our blog because we will be giving you more ideas in the future of creative ways to display ice at your next event.

Competitions, Ice Sculptures

Ice Carving 2014 National Champion Greg Butauski

February 24, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Greg Butauski competed in the U.S. National Championships for Ice Carving in Perrysburg, OH, on February 21 & 22, and was the overall winner of the two day competition, earning the title of 2014 National Champion!

For 23 years, Greg’s dream was to be the National Champion. He has won the World Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska, and has competed in the Olympics (Vancouver and Salt Lake City). The National Championship completes two of three titles he has been working to accomplish in his life. The final achievement will be an
Olympic Gold.

For this competition, ice carvers had to qualify by placing first, second, or third in a NICA sanctioned event.

The weather played a role in this competition, with temperatures above freezing—always a challenge when sculpting ice. Carvers used tents to block out the sun.

The first day of competition, Greg carved a beautiful ice sculpture titled, “Miracle Grow,” which featured a woman sprouting from a flower. This sculpture used 1 block of ice and took 3 hours to complete. Greg won 1st place and a gold medal in the first of the two day competition!

On the second day, carvers had 4 hours and worked with 2 blocks of ice. Greg’s sculpture for the second day of competition was titled, “Big Bad Wolf,” which is the classic story of the wolf and the three little pigs, but this theme had an “under the sea” twist. He placed 2nd in this second round of competition.

With the two day scores combined, Greg earned the title of 2014 National Champion. Check out the image gallery below to view the initial sketches and final drawings of the two pieces, along with the completed ice sculptures.

"Miracle Grow" block layout and final sketch

Competitions, Ice Sculptures

Ice Carving in Green River: “Lured In” wins 1st place

February 19, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Greg Butauski of Rock On Ice, won 1st place and a Gold medal in the Crystal Classic Ice Carving competition in Green River, Wyoming.

The “Lured In” piece featured a bass about to get caught on a lure. This ice sculpture was carved from 2 blocks and was completed in 4 hours.

Greg will compete in the NICA US Nationals February 21-22, his final competition of the season. Check back with us to see the results!

Competitions, Ice Sculptures

Ice Carving in St. Joseph: “Swordfish Hunter” wins a gold medal

February 15, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

St. Joseph held their annual Magical Ice Festival on February 7th and 8th in Michigan, where Rock On Ice’s Greg Butauski and Jeff Petercsak competed in the team competition.

The ice sculpture, “Swordfish Hunter,” scored a gold medal! This sculpture used 8 blocks of ice (more than 1 ton) and took 8 hours to complete. Below are sketches of how it all came together.

Only two more competitions to go – the Green River Crystal Classic in Green River, WY, and the NICA US Nationals in Perrysburg, OH.

Company, Ice Sculptures

Ice Carving classes for your school: 10 Steps to 3D Carving

February 11, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Rock On Ice provides many services to our customers, among them is ice carving classes. Our Certified Master Ice Carver & Ice Carving Educator, Greg Butauski, has a credited school program that will teach students the basics of sculpting ice.

Below are some commonly asked questions about Rock On Ice’s ice carving classes. We hope this helps in your decision to add one of these informative classes to your curriculum.

How many students can you accommodate? One class, maximum 40 students. Up to 80 students per day, split into two classes of 40 is also allowed.

What tools will my school need to supply for this type of class? No tools are needed. We will supply a specialized tool bag for every two students, including: chisels, saws, chippers, (and other hand tools for ice), gloves, and goggles.

Will my school need to supply the ice? No, we will supply all ice needed for the class.

How long is a an ice carving class? 3 hours is typical for one class.

What will be covered in the class? 10 Steps to 3D Carving. Please visit our website page for more information on 3D Carving.

What are the benefits for my students taking this class? Greg stresses the importance of learning the process of sculpting, as opposed to teaching them how to carve a basket. Your students will walk away with the basic understanding of the different types of ice, safety procedures dealing with ice, handling tools, and of course, sculpting in 3D. This class also breaks students up into groups, in order to stress teamwork and create a fun environment.

Why should I hire Rock On Ice to teach an ice carving class at my school? Greg Butauski is a Certified Ice Carving Educator, and a Certified Master Ice Carver and has taught classes at many schools including, Columbus State, Columbus Culinary Institute, and Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical School. Greg has also traveled all over the country, teaching seminars to other professional and amatuer carvers. And, he has organized educational symposiums for the National Ice Carving Association (NICA) and the American Culinary Federation.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions about our ice carving classes.

Ice Carving Class with Instructor Greg Butauski

Company, Ice Sculptures

Ice Sculpting a 20 ton display for Zehnder’s Snowfest

February 2, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Rock On Ice was recently in Frankenmuth, Michigan, for the annual Zehnder’s Snowfest, where we carved a news desk out of ice for the Channel 5 News team.

The ice news desk was created using 20 blocks of ice and was used over two days for their shows. Nothing creates a bigger impact than large functional ice sculptures. It shows up great on TV and has a great WOW factor!

Rock On Ice was also contracted to carve 134 blocks of ice for the event. The massive display was carved over four days and took eight carvers to complete. Imagine carving this massive ice display where the average temperatures ranged from -8 to 10 degrees. This main display was a “Pure Michigan” theme. We carved the Mackinac Bridge, Detroit Tigers logo, Ford Model T car, and then incorporated some Michigan wildlife with a Bear, White Tail deer, elk, owl, heron, ducks, frogs, bass and much more. All things native to the state of Michigan.

We also carved “Kids names in Ice”—this is always a fan favorite interactive activity. Each child was given their very own personalized ice sculpture to take home and enjoy. We carved over 800 kids’ names!

In all, when the entire project was completed, we carved over 20 tons of ice for the public to view!

Let’s give some props to all the ice carvers that helped out with this event—you guys ROCK! Additional artists on this project were: Chad Hartson, Ryan Roth, Maryse Richards, Trent Mason, Titus Arensberg, Jeff Petercsak, and Michael Stoddard.

Ice Sculpture Scene with Bear Catching a Fish

Competitions, Ice Sculptures

Ice Carving in Bay Harbor: “The Reptilian” earns a Gold Medal

January 23, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Greg Butauski, Master Ice Carver, competed in the Ice and Spice Festival in Bay Harbor, MI, on January 17 & 18th and scored a gold medal!

The festival, sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association, consisted of both professional and amateur competitions.

For the professional competition, Greg carved “The Reptilian”—half man, half lizard warrior—out of 10 blocks of ice. He earned a gold medal with this sculpture. Greg carved a total of 12 hours, over two days, in freezing temperatures!

The next competition Greg will compete in on the winter circuit will be held in St. Joseph, MI. The season wraps up with the big US Nationals competition in Perrysburg, OH. Be sure to check back for the results of all the competitions!

For more ice sculptures, check out Rock On Ice.

Ice Sculptures, Wedding

An Ice Sculpture For Your Wedding: A Unique Idea

Gallery January 4, 2014 Rock On Ice Leave a comment

Looking for something unique and memorable for your wedding—and that’s cheaper than flowers—try an ice sculpture!

The average cost for flowers is $2,000*, but can increase dramatically if it’s off-season, or if you are choosing exotic flowers.

Why not try ice? The average cost for an ice sculpture is $350, and will provide a much more dramatic effect than flowers. Can you remember the flowers at the last wedding you attended? Besides the bridal gown, an ice sculpture will be the most talked about item at your wedding—guaranteed!

Here are some unique ideas for incorporating ice into your wedding:

an ice sculpture as the main centerpiece for your wedding.
individual mini ice sculptures at each table—a true
conversation piece.
an ice bar—drinks served to you…on ice!
an ice luge – guests will love having their favorite
drink poured down the luge.
food displays—keep food chilled and fresh for your
guest by displaying it on ice.
beverage towers or ice bowls—keep your drinks
cold all night.

Only ice can give you that dramatic impact! Choosing a unique ice sculpture for your wedding will create a lasting impression for you and your guests.

Below is a gallery of cool ideas that you can incorporate into your wedding. Rock On Ice can customize a beautiful ice sculpture just for your wedding.