'I was being a big kid': Michigan man's 7-foot snow sculpture of orca draws visitors

A Michigan man didn't let freezing temperatures stop his fun. Instead, he made the most of a recent snowstorm by creating a sculpture of a killer whale.

Jeffrey Kosloski of Lansing built a 5-foot tall, 7-foot long snow sculpture of an orca whale inspired by the movie "Free Willy." Kosloski stayed up all night to make his masterpiece despite temperatures that were in the teens.

"I went outside and felt the snow was so soft like clay or Play-Doh," Kosloski, 41, told USA TODAY on Tuesday. "I never seen snow like that my entire life. I didn't have an idea until I thought of the movie 'Free Willy' and said, 'I am going to make a whale.'"

Art skills came in handy for a whale of a sculpture

Kosloski, who said he can draw anything as long as he has a picture to work from, said he used his art skills to make the sculpture using snow, spray paint and a 2-by-4. Plus, he has strong building skills, working at GM Lansing Delta Assembly and building GMCs, Buicks, and Chevys.

Kosloski began sculpting the orca at 10:30 p.m. Friday and finished nine hours later at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

"Everything is pure snow, even the teeth," Kosloski said. "I used the 2-by-4 to hold up the fin. I used a saw to make the teeth sharp. The spray paint I used ran out by 5 a.m., so I had to wait until 6 a.m. when the store opened."

He said the cold didn't bother him because he was wearing a parka made for sub-zero temperatures.

"I was actually sweating," Kosloski said. "I was moving around a lot, and plus, the coat has certain technology in it that is made for cold weather like the one we had that day."

Snow orca goes viral

Since Kosloski posted his snow art on Facebook on Saturday afternoon, he said has had multiple people come to his home in West Lansing to see it for themselves and take pictures. Kosloski invites visitors to take a picture with the orca until Jan. 24, citing the cold weather as a reason for the limited time.

"I was just having fun making this whale," Kosloski said. "I was being a big kid. I advise all parents to take the technology away from their children and have them go outside and have fun. There is so much to do other than staying on devices."

Many of his friends and family want him to make a Detroit Lions mascot scuplture since the team won their first playoff game in three decades over the weekend. But Kosloski has other ideas.

"If it ever snows like it did last week, I am going to attempt to make Mount Rushmore," Kosloski said. "Now that I know I can do this, it shouldn't be to hard to make it."