By Constance E. Richards

An artist works for hours, perhaps days, planning, sketching, then creating the final piece, knowing that within the same day, his work of art will be destroyed. Tomorrow he, or she, will begin again. Madness? No, this is the world of ice carving.

Ice sculpture is nothing new. It dates back to the Renaissance, or earlier in some cultures. Around the United States, mostly in Alaska and northwestern states, ice carvers compete with elaborate creations in annual ice festivals. But here in the South, we're lucky to witness a dripping swan on the wedding buffet table every once and again. While open-air ice festivals won't likely be in Western North Carolina's future, young-gun ice sculptors are establishing themselves and their work as unique event decorating alternatives.

"Ice sculpture adds a kind of magic to an event," says Georgia Malki, President of Seven-Star, a new Asheville- based company of events and meeting planners, producers, and consultants. "And it's associated with elegance."

The medium itself is intriguing - ephemeral and fleeting - unable to compete with the solid, static materials of bronze, stone, or wood. But a piece of carved ice, exquisite in its angles, lucidity, and the play of light off this earthly element, is an art coming into its own. And who are these "sculptors" who don't mind seeing their works of art melt away at the end of the day? Well, most of them are chefs.