West-of-Sebastopol residents Mark Szulgit and Brooke Erdman are back from Norway, where they created two grand pieces of art that take one’s breath away – and are made of snow and ice.

Oslo right now is celebrating both the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and the world-renowned works of native son artist Edvard Munch (“The Scream,” “Vampire,” “The Kiss.”)

Someone in Oslo conceived the inspired idea to treat ski-championship competitors and spectators to ice and snow sculptures inspired by Munch’s motifs.  Organizers of the “Munch in Snow & Ice” exhibit put out a call for proposals from sculptors around the world, then chose eight of the proposed pieces to be created and placed along Karl Johans Gate in downtown Oslo.

Dig this: Two of the eight accepted sculptures were conceived by Sonoma County’s Szulgit and Erdman. They were commissioned to create one snow-and-ice sculpture honoring “The Scream” and a second inspired by “The Girls on the Bridge.”

(See photos of the sculptures)

Both are stunning and “The Girls on the Bridge” is spectactular, with 13 icy figures ascending a bridge that’s nearly 50 feet long but seems to stretch forever. Erdman said it was great bonus that “The Girls on the Bridge” was given a place of honor on Palace Hill.

“It’s right in front of the Royal Palace,” she said.

She and Szulgit had a magical time in Oslo and decided they didn’t need to cool their heels there until the ski championships end on March 6 and the sculptures are bulldozed back into ordinary ice and snow.

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