HELSINKI (AP) – A short-lived work of art created with thousands of footsteps in the snow has caught the eye near the Finnish capital Helsinki.
Guided by local resident and amateur artist Janne Pyykko, eleven snowshoe-clad volunteers stamped a series of complex geometric patterns on a golf course. Together the designs resemble a huge snowflake.
The artwork, which was completed in two days, is approximately 160 meters (525 feet) in diameter. Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said it could be the largest snow drawing ever made in the Scandinavian country.
“This was a way for me to develop as a person,” Pyykko, who is inspired by visual effects and has created smaller snow illustrations of his own, told the newspaper. “I wanted to learn how to inspire people and see if I could guide them.”
Pyykko says the drawing is best seen from the air, but he told Finnish media on Wednesday that mapping the patterns for snowshoe makers within a particular area of the Lofkulla golf course requires a lot of planning on the ground.
The work was intended to be temporary, and lasted only until the next snowfall or heavy wind cleared the footprints.