Frozen flowers on full display on Winnipeg river trail

Source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News

One Winnipeg artist is blending elements from winter and summer with a new piece on the Assiniboine River Trail.

Kal Barteskiis showing her love of winter, ice and the river trail with a display of frozen flowers, located at Canora Street.

She noted the idea first came to her several years ago when she began experimenting with freezing flowers in ice.

Much to Barteski’s surprise and delight, it worked perfectly.

“It preserves the petals. Bubbles form in between the leaves and the flowers, and it’s really kind of magical,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.

So when she went out on the river recently, she wanted to add something “spectacular and whimsical and magical,” and the frozen flowers were the perfect piece.

“I hope people see it, enjoy it, and are delighted by it. Maybe inspired. Maybe create something of their own,” she said.

“Ice is a fantastic medium. Winter is a beautiful season. I think it’s part of what brings us together and makes us so special as Manitobans.”

Barteski said she’s happy to see people stopping to look at the frozen flowers, taking photos, asking questions and posting to social media.

“I think it’s maybe doing what it was supposed to do and just create a little moment of hope and interest and fun in the middle of a pandemic winter,” she said.

Barteski said she loves using ice in her projects because it is always changing.

“It’s different based on the light and the time, the temperature,” she said. “So I love it. It’s sort of a come see it while it’s here and then it will be gone.”

Barteski noted that the beauty of using flowers is that when everything melts, the flowers will fall into the river and become part of that ecosystem.