Winner of the 2018 Professional Category Doug Richards with his dog Gus pose with their "Bear in Mind" sculpture featuring the Seeley Lake Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program. The "Bear Facts" are 2,047 meals were delivered in 2017 by volunteers for those in need in the community. "That is commendable," said Richards.
Doug Richards did his first snow sculpture in 2008 called "Ice Pirates." Richards said visitors could go to the stern and look through the windows. He remembers there was also a parrot.
In 2010, Richards took back the title from Donna Love for the Professional Category with "Spirit of Seeley," a tribute to the Seeley-Swan Food Bank. The bear pulled a cart was all the essentials for a good meal headed to the Food Bank with a rabbit on the sign. The block lettering on the heart read "Love Thy Neighbor."
A totem that won Richards first place in the Professional Category in 2012. He thinks this was one of his most realistic sculptures.
After winning the Adult Amateur Category in 2008 he was forced to move to the Adult Professional. Richard's created his largest sculpture, the "Seeley Lake Express," for the 2009 competition but he couldn't beat Donna Love's cabin with a bear trying to steal a huckleberry pie in the window.
SEELEY LAKE – At nearly 84 years old, Doug Richards was the only professional artist to enter the Montana Winterfest in Seeley Lake Snow Sculpture competition this year. He participated from 2008-2012 trading wins with artist Donna Love and "loved the competition." He was back again this year after the competition was opened up to include any location in town and hopes to return again next year.
A trained commercial artist, Richards never thought snow sculptures would be as challenging as they are. He entered the competition in the Adult Amateur category for the first time in 2008.
"I thought how hard can a snow sculpture be," said Richards. "It proved to be very challenging because I didn't have any idea."
He won first place and won the People's Choice award taking home $500 for his efforts.
In 2009 Richards entered the Adult Professional Category and took on long-time sculptor Donna Love. He settled for second place the first year.
Richards said it took a couple of years to learn how he could make a snow sculpture work. He observed other people and "stole ideas just like every other artist does" to make things work. But his biggest secret is to make the snow into what it needs to be.
"If the snow is too dry you add water," said Richards. "As far as any hidden secrets, I would help anyone."
Richards packs water in five gallon buckets. He digs a hole in the snow bank making a basin that he uses to mix the snow from under the crust with water. If it is freezing he will leave it overnight and then use it to build with the next day.
While Richards will carve blocks of snow he makes, he primarily builds up his sculptures packing snowballs made using the mix from the basin. Then he sculpts them as need.
Richards won the Adult Professional category in 2010 with his sculpture "Spirit of Seeley" that was a tribute to the Seeley Swan Community Food Bank. He also received the Alpine Artisans Award that year.
Love took the title back again in 2011 with her stage coach out at the Seeley Lake Ranger District and then Richards won with his totem sculpture in 2012.
"I never had bad feelings about getting beat as long as I felt I was legitimately beat," said Richards. "When she won, she legitimately won. She was a good sculptor."
Richards quit competing after 2012 because of his wife's health and the rules of the competition changed requiring all the sculptures to be made along Highway 83. While he had many businesses that approached him to do a sculpture for them, Richards said he was getting too old to be out getting cold for too long.
"When I did it at my house, I could go in and have a cup of coffee," said Richards. "Doreen and I did things together. She was a very smart person and had great ideas. She wasn't really an artist to sit down and draw something but she was an artist in her own rights."
Richards, who will be 84 in March, wasn't sure if he would be able to complete one this year. He has missed doing it since they shifted to only allowing the sculptures along the highway in 2014.
Richards said he often gets his idea from whom he is going to support. Being trained as a commercial artist "Might as well take advantage of it. Four years of being pounded on to promote, promote, promote."
This year the Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program really struck Richards.
"The volunteers [that deliver meals] don't get paid for their time, their gas or their vehicle. I think that is pretty commendable," said Richards.
Richards said this year's snow conditions have been very difficult to deal with since it has changed so much from day to day.
"So much is dependent on the weather," said Richards. "You might gain a lot one day and lose a lot the next."
The bear and cart have around 20 gallons of water added to it and Richards has put more than 40 hours of time into building and maintaining it.
Richards said snowman took half the time. As he built it up, he used a watering can to solidify it. He dressed it up with red, white and blue and added the sign "God Bless America" because "we need to bring back a little pride to our country."
Richards again took the top spot winning first place in the Professional Category winning $85. No places were awarded in the Snow Men Category with both entries receiving $25.
"When your hands are like that," said Richards holding out his hands with knuckles swollen from arthritis, "You don't do it for the money, you do it because you want to do it. I really enjoyed the challenge and want to support the community."
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