The United States may have just had its warmest 12 months on record, but here's a guy who's been chilling out and doing some really cool work at the same time.
Puns aside, Simon Beck's giant snowfield etchings are impressive. Beck makes the elaborate designs by tracking footprints in fresh snowfall on the surface of a frozen lake at the French ski resort Les Arcs, where he spends his winters.
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The artist uses an orienteering compass and measuring tape to get his bearings and "lay out" the design, then uses a clothes line and a central anchor to achieve curves and circles, according to a Facebook page Beck devotes to his snow art.
Beck keeps meticulous records on each work in his gallery, noting the time (usually in the 8 to ten hour range), and whether the exposure has been manipulated with Photoshop to enhance contrast.
Beck notes that some have compared his work to crop circles, which are somewhat of a phenomenon in his native southern England. While he does cite them as an influence, Beck writes that he has never done one, nor does he condone their creation without permission from the crop owner.
"I would like to do some farm art WITH permission," Beck writes.
And as for climate change, Beck's biggest concerns seem to be the shortening of the winter season and the condition of the lake where he makes his art.
"It is annoying when the lakes become unsafe to walk on as one has to use off-lake sites that are not flat and prone to getting tracked by skiers, walkers and animals," he writes.
LOOK: Simon Beck's Snow Art
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