Oak Lawn Man Turns Snow Into Viking Long Boat

OAK LAWN, IL — There’s nothing like a good snowfall to bring out the inner artist. Oak Lawn resident Sean O’Shea and his 6-year-old son Reid both turned last weekend’s snow into a work of art.

Hearing there was snow in the forecast, Sean started building a wooden block from which to craft a snow sculpture. Confronted by a blank canvas of snow, someone suggested a pirate ship, which morphed into a Viking long boat. It was Sean’s wife, Meaghan, who suggested turning it into a snow slide.

“The neighbors are enjoying it,” Sean said. “People are coming by walking their dogs.”

It’s not the first time Sean and his children have done something magical with snow. Seven years ago, Sean sent us pictures of his daughter, Rory, now a Richards High School sophomore, who took the last of the yucky, melting snow in 2014 and made a snow dragon.

Sean is a financial planner, who does woodwork as a hobby. It looks like the viking long boat will be around for a while with the weekend’s forecast of snow and single-digit temperatures. You can see this wonder at 10516 S. Kolin Ave., Oak Lawn.

Rory O'Shea in 2014 in her snow dragon.