Pumpkin Picasso carves out niche in personalized Halloween decor
1:24 p.m. Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Media, Penn. — There was a time when just a couple of triangles cut into the pumpkin for eyes and a mouth and your Jack o''lantern was done.
But today, it's a practice that's a little more involved, with more and more elaborate tableaus springing forth from the minds of pumpkin Picassos, whose blank canvases can be found in abundance at Linvilla Orchards in Media, Penn. where seasonal fare like cider and apples and, of course, their most famed offering, pumpkin pie, are available alongside weekend demonstrations of artistic pumpkin carving.
"What I do is I carve a bunch of pumpkins just to show people other options to carve a pumpkin verses the two triangles and the mouth," said the creator of StoneyKins.com, a Web site devoted to pumpkin art.
His Web site, Stoneykins.com has downloadable templates that anybody can use to trace a pattern that will make them a Van Gogh of the gourds.
"It is an art form. We took it to a higher level. It's good to share with kids. It's a family-type of craft. Some of the tools I use are actually used for clay art," the artist said.
It takes him about an hour to carve an intricate design on a pumpkin.
"I offer custom patterns on my site so folks can order patters of their pets, their business logos, their children. I've done portraits," he said.
That gives a personalized touch to your Halloween decor that is best enjoyed when illuminated from inside.
"When they are actually glowing, you get a 3-dimensional effect more like a portrait, a photograph," he said.
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