“I made the decision to take it seriously and make it my primary form of winter exercise.”

Outdoor enthusiast and cartographer Simon Beck has carved his own path in the art world—literally. For over a decade, he has been a snow artist who walks soccer ball-sized fields and creates striking geometric designs in the untouched powder. The mandala-esque circles and tumbling triangles unfold slowly with each step—his version of a brushstroke on a white canvas. The entire design is only revealed when viewed from far above with the sun casting a shadow on all of the meticulous moves he’s just made.

Beck’s ephemeral snow art is an exercise of the body and mind. It begins with careful planning; he will map out a design on paper using one millimeter as the scale for one step on the ground. Once the design is finalized, Beck grabs his snowshoes, a ski pole, and other tools to get to the long task of walking his sketch. A day’s work can be 12 hours of trudging through the snow, but the results of his efforts are awe-inspiring.[…]

Read More: Artist Walks in Snow All Day to Create Giant Geometric Patterns by Foot