Leamington, Ont. man makes a gem of a snow sculpture on front lawn
Jeff Myer makes grand sculptures out of snow on his front lawn
On the front lawn of Jeff Myer's home you might spot some grand sculptures — at least when there is snow.
That's where the Leamington resident displays his detailed, and sometimes very large, snow sculptures.
"I live across from two public schools and I try to inspire the kids to be creative and use their imagination," said Myer.
He started making the sculptures in 1984, and has been steadily building them for the last ten years. Myer has made dozens — from logos of his favourite sports teams to orca whales, and even a CBC News Windsor logo.
"Usually, over the summertime, I'll just think of something," he said.
Every project is different, said Myer, and he usually will make a sketch ahead of time. The more intricate works can take him a couple of hours and he uses a bit of paint to give them life.
"I've used the same shovel the whole time. It's just a flat gardening shovel."
His works have been getting a lot of attention. After completing a sculpture of a Detroit Lions helmet, Myer got a response from the team.
"I made the Detroit Lions logo a few years ago and they sent me a signed helmet from Stafford for making that," he said.
His large orca whale sculpture was seen by the whale team at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. Myer said it inspired them and they made an ice sculpture which they gave to one of the whales.
This year, Myer approached the Leamington Flyers team and asked if he could use snow from their arena to make something in the parking lot.
"I couldn't wait until it snowed," he said. "And they gave me permission to use their logo."
Although he said he likes to draw and paint, Myer has never pursued a career in the arts. For him, the sculpting is just a bit of fun.
"It's neat. I don't like the attention too much but I enjoy people looking at it and getting their imagination going."