Scottish sculptor heads to the World Ice Art Championships

“The cold here is definitely an experience. Its effects are extensive,” he says, and viewers of his Instagram feed @JohnnyChainsaw can see from his ice-caked eyebrows.

Awaiting him at his final destination in Fairbanks were temperatures of -40C to -60C but everyone is happy about it because the World Ice Art Championships begins there on Saturday.

Stableford, a sculptor from Falkirk, made the journey early in order to improve his ice carving skills, and volunteered for the “boot camp”, which he describes as “basically on-the-job training, teaching everything from reading ice, the construction of multi-block structures and then putting as much fun and creativity into the park construction as possible”.

The boot camp takes place after the Ice Harvest, where huge square blocks of ice are cut and lifted from local waterways in preparation for the competitions, and to create the huge children’s park. “The company I work for in Edinburgh manufacturers ice blocks something like 100 x 60 x 30cm but this is on a very different scale,” Stableford says.

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The 41-year-old was born and raised in Linlithgow and moved to Falkirk four years ago. He first became interested in sculpting at Barony College in Dumfries, when he was pursuing a career in the Ranger Service.

“There was a two-week block in chainsaws and one of the instructors was involved with a competition called the UK Loggers. He had some of us doing exercises like making little chairs and it wasn’t long before the dark side dragged me under!” he laughs.

“When I left college, I became involved in pole climbing. With spikes on your feet and a harness, you climb up the 80ft as fast as you can. My best time was 12.8 seconds, and I often did it in fancy dress! Between climbs, there was usually a chainsaw carver to watch and after I was given a book on how to carve, the touchpaper had really been lit.”

Stableford carved in the evenings and at weekends for nearly 20 years before looking to enter competitions and work for himself. “I’m quite well known for putting on a show, particularly at speed carves,” he said. We get 30 minutes to make a carving, which is then auctioned off, and it’s not unusual for me to be running round the arena with no boots on and a carving on my shoulder!

“I won second place at the Scottish Carving Competition last year, which was pretty special on home turf, and I’ve just been granted use of the Scottish Working Wood label, which is a recognised seal of quality assurance.”

Stableford’s workshop is in the Muiravonside Country Park. He says he has carved “loads of random stuff including a Lego man, an Xbox controller, scissors coming out of a football, and an old-fashioned diving bell”.

The ice carving he does tends to be very different, as it’s often for corporate clients. “I’ve carved the Cruachan Dam twice now,” he says. “I really like the unusual stuff, as it gets me thinking much more.”

Apart from the obvious wet factor, Stableford notes: “you can push and shove wood about loads and it doesn’t complain too much. Ice doesn’t like that. The other big difference is that you lose perception of depth when working with ice, so getting it to look right can be a huge challenge.”

The same tools are used for both materials. Stableford says he has only taken “my hands and my brain” to Fairbanks, although it is possible to take chainsaws on certain airlines.

“Cordless saws are relatively easy to transport these days too, and I’m really interested in seeing what tools, powered and manual, the sculptors use,” he said.

The World Ice Art Championships are perhaps the biggest event of their kind and attract competitors and visitors from around the world.

Stableford said: “For me, the most special thing is the carving community. Everything from weddings, funerals and wild nights round the fire. Broken-down vans in the middle of Denmark, to boxing up lifesize elephants – there’s not much we won’t do for each other.”

Stableford’s decision to apply to the WIAC was prompted by years of getting to know people within the industry, and a social media post from Ice Alaska, the people behind the event.

“I applied not actually knowing what I was letting myself in for, and other than my stunning looks and charm I’m not sure what made me stand out to them,” he laughs, adding that he had to shop for thermals as soon as he arrived in Fairbanks.

His first ice sculpture was of astronaut “Scotty McMoony”, who has a thistle on his chest, carries the Scottish flag, is labelled Made in Scotland, and “has a half bottle of Bucky in his back pocket. I’m fairly chuffed with it”.

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Working in exchange for accommodation, Stableford is hoping that this will see him return to Fairbanks to work on the build and to compete. On his return to Scotland, he plans to do less manual work in order to manage joint pain.

“Working a saw can be the cause of many problems, and so to relax I go stand-up paddle boarding as much as I can. I also do a bit of hunting, which ties in with the woodland management theme, as well as putting food in the freezer.”

He is also keen to get involved with visual strength grading in timber, which is becoming more in demand, and helps to promote Scottish quality timbers.

“And like most carvers,” he adds, “I dream of a small house with a workshop in the woods. If anyone happens to know of one at a good price, I’d love to hear about it!”