An artist spends four hours "drawing" a gigantic fox on a frozen lake

Pasi Widgren, a Finnish architect and designer, has been carrying out a unique winter custom for the past six years. Every winter, he travels to Lake Pitkajarvi, close of his hometown of Lahti, to produce an enormous snow drawing. He was motivated this year to “draw” a fox using nothing but his feet and a snow shovel. The ultimate product is a fleeting piece of snow sculpture that is astonishingly realistic.

When Widgren found he had the coordination to accomplish these sorts of patterns, he began making his snow drawings in 2016. In early December 2021, he completed his most recent artwork, which was inspired by the topic of a fox this year. The 295-foot design had taken shape in approximately four hours, and he was ready to photograph his work.

How can one sketch in the snow, though? Widgren drew the outline while strolling in this example. Then he used a snow shovel to “draw” the remainder. Of course, he had to test the ice first to make sure it was thick enough to sustain his weight. It was around four to six inches thick, but Widgren also brought ice awls as a safety precaution in case he fell through and needed to save himself.

Fortunately, none of this was required, and Widgren had no trouble producing his fox. He drank the hot coffee he’d taken with him and climbed up to a nearby bluff to shoot his sketch once it was finished. The design became less apparent a few days later owing to additional snowfall, but that’s all part of Widgren’s strategy since he wants to work in a way that doesn’t have a long-term environmental impact.

His annual custom has now become something that everyone in the community looks forward to. Many residents stop and inquire, “What is the snow drawing subject this year?” he tells My Modern Met. Part of what makes his work so unique is people’s interest about it. He says, “I want to make people happy and inspire them to go hiking in beautiful countryside.”

Pasi Widgren, an architect and designer, has been creating snow drawings on a lake in the Finnish town of Lahti since 2016.