It was the final day of the sixth module, and this time our practical session took us outdoors for an ice-carving workshop. The instructors from icecarving.nl led the class and showed us the basics of creating sculptures from blocks of ice.
To begin, we watched a short demonstration in which the instructor carved a swan from a single ice block in about thirty minutes. It was fascinating to watch the specialist at work—the process looked effortless when he handled the tools and shaped the ice.
After the demo we each practiced on a small practice block to learn the basic techniques. Working with the smaller piece helped me understand how the ice responds to different tools and motions, and I picked up the techniques fairly quickly.
Once we felt comfortable with basic cuts and shaping, it was time for the main assignment: a large block of ice and the task to carve a basket. Peter demonstrated the sequence of steps we should follow, then gave us space to work independently. Since most of us were new to these methods, progress was slower than the demonstration, and the biggest challenge was working quickly enough before the ice began to soften.
By the end of the session my basket looked decent. Given more time I would have refined the details and smoothed some rough areas, but for a first attempt I was very satisfied with the result. The experience was enjoyable and engaging—definitely something I would do again.