Today we’d like to introduce you to Rex Covington. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Born and raised in La Jolla, California, a quiet and conservative city in the shadow of San Diego with lots of hills and even more beaches, Rex grew up with a keen interest in all things connected to the ocean, school sports, music and art. Having two parents that came from the entertainment industry, his early years were creatively inspired. So after college at San Diego State Univ., he moved north to Los Angeles to start a new life., He became a waiter at RJs, in Beverly Hills. Little did he know, that restaurant, with its Sunday brunch and flamboyant chef, would soon open a door to the rest of his life.
Los Angeles quickly became a permanent home for Rex as he began an artistic career sculpting ice, and working a few years as a decorative painter. As his sculpting skills improved, and his ice business grew, the hard work paid off, and LA Ice Art is now an industry leader in the Los Angeles area. He currently remains in Los Angeles, not far from the ocean that he loves. Rex now focuses mainly on running LA Ice Art, traveling abroad, and enjoying life in any number of interesting ways.
1978 Graduated LCDS with emphasis in music, art and athletics on a full scholarship.
1982 Graduated San Diego State Univ.: Major in Drama, minor in English. Also pursued various art classes for personal enrichment.
1983 Moved to Los Angeles and became employed as a waiter at RJ’s in Beverly Hills.
1985 Volunteered to sculpt ice for the restaurant brunch.
As his skills improved, his compensation increased from $15 to $25 to $50, and six months after his initial attempt, he was approached by an individual for a wedding sculpture. That day became the official commencement of his self-employment as an ice sculptor.
1990 Became self-supported by ice sculpting alone.
1995 Established LA Ice Art and launched the web page, which increased business significantly.
2003 Started an ice house with ice block manufacturing, sculpting studio, office and freezer.
2012 Expanded business to include CNC capable machining for perfect logo reproduction
2016 Brought his son, Barrett Covington, into the business as a talented apprentice, making LA Ice Art a family enterprise destined to carry on for decades to come.
2018 Rebuilt the web site with over 250 current photos, so as to be fully integrated in todays digitally advanced world of social media and mobile phones, making the search for your perfect ice sculpture easy and dependable.
2021 Redesigned website, brand and marketing featuring industry ice, film and TV.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, I’ve been fortunate. Both my parents were dancers, so I guess I got good genes. My Dad taught me the value of a dollar and hard work too. Creating the art with a chainsaw out of big blocks of ice was never the problem; finding ways to market your work and stay busy so you can survive was more of the battle. LA is a big city, which should be an advantage, but there’s also competition, and lots of ways to blow it. I remember smashing a 6′ ice Rockette statue in the middle of the Dorthy Chandler Pavillion, and all the event planner could say was, “Can you make another one?”.
Getting the word out was hard before the internet. In the 80s I spent hundreds a month on yellow page ads to get a few ice jobs, but ended up working on the side as a decorative painter because I wasn’t known or connected.
My first web page in the early 90s opened a lot of doors, and that burst of work initiated a few “Industry” jobs in film and TV. Looking back now, it seems like I was just a kid making giant ice panthers for a Janet Jackson music video, or fairy princesses for An Eye for an Eye with Sally Fields and Kiefer Sutherland. Those were exciting times for me, and really inspired what later became a theme for a social media drive like Facebook and Instagram when that all started to happen.
Soon after, an ice house with ice block machines and an office were created. The future was wide open.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I sculpt ice with various tools like a chainsaw, die grinders, chisels, hot plates, and ban-saw. We can graft together multiple blocks (300 lbs. each) to create pretty much anything like a life size Grizzly Bear, 7′ Cherub, or 4′ diameter Globe sphere that weighs 800 lbs. The ice house does have a forklift and a giant freezer the size of a single apartment, so that helps with big stuff. Most of the work, however, is smaller and done out of one block.
We also use a CNC machine to do logos and perfect text, and that has become essential for high end ice sculptures.
As for me, I’m happiest sculpting forms like animals, figures and objects. Over the years I’ve become more in tune with the shapes of things. I suppose my success stems from hard work, attention to detail, business ethics, and a willingness to go for it. I’m proud of my industry resume and established connections to prop masters, scenic designers and decorators, etc. It feels really good to have a solid reputation and to be respected as an artist.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happiest when I lose myself in my work. I’ll have my waterproof gear on, chainsaw in hand, music on loud, and just go at it, forgetting about time as I shape out something from memory, like a female torso or soaring eagle.
Pricing:
- 1 block sculpture $400
- Rentals $85
- Tax $10
- Total $495
Contact Info:
- Email: laiceart7@gmail.com
- Website: https://laiceart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laiceart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaIceArt
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rex_covington
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mIZA0EmHU_42v–x3MKHw
Image Credits:
Rex Covington
