Out on the snowy plains of Yakutsk in Russia's Siberia, a gorgeous piece of art is hidden from view. But from above? An enormous dragon lies waiting.
The huge dragon, with its wings outstretched and surrounded by a spiraling halo, might actually be easily missed if you don't know where to look.
The dragon is actually a drawing made into the otherwise pristine snow.
It was created by artist Simon Beck for a film, called Drakony. It's impressive enough, but now consider how it was made: by snowshoe.
That's right. To create the shape of the dragon and the surrounding circle, the artist, who has been celebrated around the world for his snow and sand art, tramped about in the snow in snowshoes to create the textured design. When viewed from above, the massive design comes together.
But like anything made of snow or of sand, it's not designed to last forever. As the winds shift, as more snows come, and, finally, as the snow melts in spring, the design will be gone forever.
Luckily, we'll always have the photos!
(h/t: Twisted Sifter)
From the ground, the design looks strange, but abstract. It's hard to tell exactly what you're looking at.
To create the design, Simon Beck walked in circles and hundreds of precise lines to make a texture in the snow — all without disturbing the smooth parts.
He said that the first design had to be scrapped, as it didn't match the sketches he was given. Apparently, even snow artists have to make revisions!
But the second version came out as planned. And it makes you wonder — how did he ever get in and out without messing everything up?
It took a lot of work, but the end result is incredible!
From above, this snowy art is nothing short of majestic!
