Before the mid-February snowfalls, a striking art installation was painted on Abraham Lake using its famous frozen methane bubbles.

Artist David Popa spent 10 days in the Nordegg area creating three large-scale portraits across rugged landscapes.

Known for creating art around the world using ice, the Finland-based artist said Travel Alberta reached out to him to create the pieces.

“I’d never really spent time in Canada before, and being out on Abraham Lake was incredible,” Popa said. “To have that much space on the ice was just unreal — there were almost too many choices of what to do.”

The piece he created on the lake is called New Beginnings and intentionally makes use of Abraham Lake’s world-famous ice bubbles.

“These methane bubbles are a symbol for new beginnings — a first breath after a long time of potential friction or a difficult period,” he said. “Themes of rebirth are spread throughout my work.”

David Popa speaking about New Beginnings

Popa said he enjoyed his time in the Nordegg area and was taken aback by the natural beauty and friendliness of locals.

However, he and his crew faced challenges, including high winds on the lake. Despite that, Popa said the team was extremely pleased with how the art turned out.

“Every single piece seemed like a miracle,” he said. “We’d go to see the pieces the next day, and every single one of them was gone.”

New Beginnings was one of three projects completed in the West Country. The other two included a piece painted near the Cline River called Release, and another titled Between Us, featuring two individuals painted on Abraham Lake.

The three installations are part of a series called Renewal. So far, only New Beginnings has been released.

While he has painted large-scale portraits around the world in short time frames before, Popa said the Renewal trilogy is among the most ambitious projects he has undertaken.

“The stars really aligned for this project,” he said.

Originally from New York City, Popa has created large outdoor art installations in England, the Baltic Sea, Saudi Arabia, and many other locations.

Popa added he is looking forward to sharing the rest of the series with the public.