Chain saw gassed up, chisels at his side, popular and award-winning ice sculpter Tim Carmon comes to Chester’s Chilly Chili Cook-Off at Chester Park. From Carson City, Nevada Tim is ready to turn 1,000 lbs of ice into a piece of art. Carmon began a career in the food industry at age 19 taking him from Seattle, to working dinner cruises, and on to Toronto and Lake Louise. It was while working in Lake Louise that he began a year and a half apprenticeship in visual food art. “Never thought of myself as being an artist. It was through the training and learning certain skills that he discovered he had good eye for shape, proportion, balance and color; just as important as knowing how to design and sculpt.
How the Sculpting Works
Part of the training and ending up with a beautiful work of art is having the right “raw product” – the ice. The ice is prepared in special molds that can push the gas bubbles out of the water so the ice is completely clear. Single blocks of ice are generally 350lbs — 40” long, 20” wide and 11” thick – with three being welded together to create a single block to make the sculpture. Tools of the trade vary as well. Carmon is what he calls old school using a chain saw and chisel for the fine details. Today he explains carvers use C&C three-dimensional machines that program the images and lasers.
Award Winning
Through his career, Carmon has participated in many ice carving competitions both nationally and internationally. He attributes some of his wins to a great imagination. “Sometimes all it takes is a good idea.” It was at the 2000 Ice Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska, with a four-man team competing amongst the best of the best that his team placed 2nd and 3rd in the realistic category. “A physically challenging event, we worked for four days transforming 42,000 lbs. of ice into a 22’ sculpture called the Fountain of Fortune.”
Sculpting for a Cause
Tim’s sculpture at Chester’s 2011 Chilly Chili cook-off.
Carmon retired seven years ago as the pastry chef at the El Dorado in Reno, a position he held for the past 22 years. At this time he is retiring from ice carving with one last event to raise monies as an ice sculpter at the Chilli Chili Cook-off at Chester Park, raising funds for the Ice-Skating Rink at Chester Park on the outskirts of Lake Almanor.