There is a Season

Autumn has come to SoCal!


Work decided to host a "harvest festival" on Halloween, and have a jack-o-lantern carving contest. They even supplied the pumpkins! Check out some of these mondo stems.


I signed up for the contest, having left my unmolested natural pumpkins in my office as part of our group decoration scheme.


I happen to like those pumpkins a lot just as they are. Here's a zoom.


Swinging around to the side, we get a glimpse over my office and into cubicles that would otherwise be a boring grey color.


Cobweb alley.


And it looks like we get to involve a cauldron in our breakfast tomorrow.


I've been searching the web for jack-o-lantern inspiration. Yes We Carve has some good stuff, but given that work supplied the pumpkin, politics is out. I searched Pixolu for ideas too. Then I got my pumpkin and it had sunken sides making me think of Mvnch's The Scream. But I don't have lots of experience at this or a plethora of task specific tools so I decided to go with a puckered up face. I stood in front of the mirror trying to figure out what that would look like and think I did ok.


And here it is, astonished and lit up.


Could I leave well enough alone? No. I really wanted to carve a cat in front of a moon. The face took up only a small amount of real estate. There was a large flattish area on the back of the pumpkin. Even though I know that too much is too much and too little is just right when it comes to sculpture, I could not stop myself. It's a little hard to see in this photo because you can also see the face behind it, but I'm happy with it!


It's even better lit up! Partly because the eyes glow and partly because you can't see the strings as well.


I could swear I was carving a spaghetti squash. I do have a plastic pumpkin scooping spatula and serrated toy carving knife with a small turning radius. Note to self - get sharper scooper. And while it's probably easier to clean up the inside if you don't carve first, the carving went really easily with the pumpkin still whole.


And a crafty friend of mine and I swapped halloween crafts. I sent her a glass pumpkin and she sent me the motherlode of homemade cards including a selection of Halloween ones. We each think we got the better end of the deal so I call that a good trade. Eat, Drink, and be Scary!