GREENFIELD — Rick Horton feels the tingle of inspiration as the first flakes of snow drift to the ground.
The Greenfield resident, whose 8-foot-tall snow sculpture of an eagle in his front yard on South State Street has garnered national attention, appearing on the likes of “Good Morning America” and the NBC “Nightly News,” has since 1993 made a tradition of creating art with winter’s first big snow.
That first year, he was building a regular snowman with his daughter, and got the idea to “do something funny.” He sculpted a large Homer Simpson statue and spray-painted it for extra impact.
People didn’t forget it. All year long, passers-by and acquaintances commented on how they had enjoyed the statue of the patriarch of animated TV comedy, “The Simpsons.”
“It’s just built up from there,” Horton said. He’s sculpted rattlesnakes; Minions; a cat in the image of his 18-year-old Maine Coon, Gary; and other creations. But nothing has received quite the attention his eagle did this week.
He was inspired this year by the mated pair of bald eagles living on Greenfield’s northeast side, he said. He’s a fan of watching for the endangered birds, and seeing them soar overhead is a thrill that hasn’t lost its novelty, he said.
“It’s amazing seeing them right here in Indiana,” he said.
A Facebook group created to keep admirers informed about the eagles, Greenfield Eagle Watch, shared Horton’s art to its
Article source: http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2019/01/18/snow_sculptor_gains_national_attention_for_snow_eagle/