The Making of Dolly Parton - On Ice
The Event: Megan’s 40th Birthday Bash
The Theme: Dolly’s Disco
Creating Dolly
We’re not playing when we say we’re only limited by the imagination!
With a combination of the finest ice, CNC machines, hand carving, and a little chain saw action, we can create just about anything! Including, a replica of the great Dolly Parton.
This request got all our creative juices flowing. Being the legend that she is, we were determined to get it just right!
With a playful touch (because she’s cool like that) Dolly was ready to wow at Megan’s 40th as a central display and a shot luge.
Sketch
First, we start with a sketch.
Every custom piece begins with a sketch of the layout and design, paying special attention to the details that will bring it to life.
For Dolly, we wanted to capture her personality, make sure her hair was red-carpet ready, and of course, bring attention to her most iconic feature.
Outline
With our sketch in hand, its time to take it to the blocks.
We begin with a blank block of ice and apply our sketch.
Many of our designs can be completed with the use of a CNC machine alone.
For Dolly, we needed a 3-D bust – so we had to get a little more hands on. No complaints here.
Etch
Once our layout is in place and the sketch is in position, we start with an etch of the design to show us our primary form.
The most common hand tools used for carving include hand saws, chisels, ice tongs, jigs, compasses and chippers.
Carve
Our favorite part – probably because we get to play with chainsaws – is carving the silhouette.
With the utmost care and precision, the ice is cut away the same way you might envision a stone sculptor to do with a chisel.
The edges are rounded, and finally, Dolly begins to emerge.
And for our final feature, we insert the shot luge piece, making Dolly a central display, and a functional shot luge.
Spit Shine
Just kidding. We don’t spit on it. But we do clean it to a perfect, glossy shine.
Well before we ever get to that point, it all starts with water frozen through a circulating tank method. The water circulates constantly, allowing the block to freeze from the bottom up and bringing all of the impurities to the surface to give sculpture that crystal clear finish.
Check out the video below of our final view of the finished product!
Have Some Fun With It
This was definitely one of our favorite projects so far this year! And a great reminder to have some fun with it!
If you’re looking for ideas for a birthday, corporate event, or celebration we can’t recommend Pearl Events in Austin enough. Not only do they have the best ideas and connections, they take care of the little details that make a big impact!
Check out our videos from TikTok below and be sure to follow us!
You can also find us on Instagram @full_spectrum_ice
@full_spectrum_ice_tx Dolly comin at ya! #dollyparton #queen #events #texas ♬ original sound - Ruby
Find us on TikTok @full_spectrum_ice_tx
Vendor Team
Full Spectrum Ice, Sculpture Artist