If you were to give me a compass and a map and tell me, “Track a route from A to B,” I’d follow this simple two-step procedure: first, put the compass and map down, then pull out my phone. If the follow-up to that was, “Now create amazing snow art,” I would lie on my back and start making snow angels. Artist Simon Beck has shown that he is my superior in these two things.

The video above uses time-lapse technology to show Beck creating BEAUTIFUL pieces of art in the snow, using nothing but a compass, a map with his goal drawn on it, and a pair of snow shoes. Each piece takes roughly 11 hours to complete, with Beck walking upwards of 30 miles total. In one instance, he links his creation to a set of LED lights, making for a beautiful night time spectacle.

Here is one of Beck’s pieces from a distance, where you can see the detail needed to create the perfect shape.

And here is one up close, showing that yes, it’s just him and his snowshoes making these fantastic creations. Who knew that getting exercise could be so artsy?

You can check out more of Simon Beck’s art on his Facebook page here.

So what do you think? Are you headed out to your front yard to try your hand at some snow art? Or is a snowman the ultimate effort you are willing to put forth? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

HT: Boing Boing; Banff Lake Luise Tourism

IMAGES: Simon Beck/Facebook; The Smithsonian