TheBlaze has featured myriad stories on strange designs in the Earth like crop circles and China’s mysterious desert formations (seen only by satellites). Today we offer you something much less mysterious, but still filled with wonder and magic.

Some call them ‘Snow Circles.’ Others have referred to them as ‘Snow Quilts.’ We just think they’re amazing.

Artist Simon Beck Creates Perfect Snow Circles

The patterns in the snow are the work of just one man, artist Simon Beck. Using snow shoes, Beck will trod about in the snow for hours, stomping out the designs. He has been doing this in Savoie, France near a the Les Arcs ski resort.

Artist Simon Beck Creates Perfect Snow Circles

The designs are typically larger than three soccer fields, requiring between 5-9 hours of very physical work. And they rarely last longer than a day. These works of art are truly ephemeral, disappearing with each new snowfall or taken away by the wind that blows through the valley beneath Mont Blanc.

Thanks to the Internet, Simon Beck’s work has been recognized around the world. He was even named the #1 Breakout Artist of 2012 by MyModernMet.com.

Artist Simon Beck Creates Perfect Snow Circles

Why does Simon Beck spend his days stomping perfect geometric patterns in the snow?  He explained it on Facebook:

“The main reason for making them was because I can no longer run properly due to problems with my feet, so plodding about on level snow is the least painful way of getting exercise. Gradually, the reason has become photographing them, and I am considering buying a better camera”.

Talk about finding the door that opened when another one closed…

To see more of Simon’s work, visit his Facebook page or MyModernMet.