Anyone can forge funny faces in pumpkins using cut-out circles and triangles. But it takes a steady hand and diligent trial-and-error to elevate the standard jack-o’-lantern to a piece of carved food art.
With the heated general election happening just days after All Hallows’ Eve on Friday, some of this year’s trendiest jack-o’-lanterns sport the faces of Sarah Palin or Barack Obama. But the creative carvers who sent in pictures of their pumpkin handiwork for a chance to win a selection of seasonal gourmet treats were slightly more traditional.
What follows are a few words about their artistic inspirations, along with these carvers’ top jack-o’-lantern tips. Vote for your favorite of the bunch by sending e-mail to living@denverpost.com by midnight on Halloween.
1. Jack Hwang of Greenwood Village prefers a pumpkin face that looks three sheets to the wind.
His tips: Interesting pumpkin shapes can be used to make interesting carvings. Draw a pattern with washable ink so that you can easily remove it after carving. Be creative but not too ambitious, especially with designs that require small or precise cutting. Forget about add-ons like googly eyes because they won’t show up at night. Be patient and flexible, and don’t carve too early in October as jack-o’-lanterns are not known for their staying power.
2. Salena Anthony of Denver refers to her pumpkin as a “jack-o’-tiger.”
Her tip: Keep the pumpkin cool for carving, and have plenty of toothpicks on hand.
3. Kurt Suppes of Englewood carved the Black Pearl to go along with his “Pirates of the Caribbean” jack-o’-lanterns, which include portraits of Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones.
His tip: For drama, remove only the top layer of pumpkin skin instead of going all the way through the flesh. Then, use a stronger light to illuminate the image. Suppes uses the Dept. 56 brand auxilliary cord and 25-watt bulb, which he says is safer than a candle.
4. Heather Heumann of Brighton uses her pumpkins to showcase her favorite pop-culture images including Betty Boop and the evil stepmother from Snow White.
Her tip: Use toothpicks as supports to keep the image from collapsing or caving in.
5. Sherry Parrish of Westminster always carves the faces of one of the Fab Four into her pumpkins. This year, a John Lennon jack-o’-lantern will round out her Beatles brood.
Her tip: Pick a pumpkin that has a smooth surface as those with deep crevices are harder to carve.
6. Dave Simpkins of Denver carves jack-o’-lanterns to pay homage to classic musicians including Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa (pictured above), and Dizzy Gillespie.
His tip: Find a highly contrasted black-and-white picture of your subject, then go over it with a marker to make a stencil that no one else has.
7. John Quade of Denver drew on inspiration from his niece, Karah, to create the face of a lovely young woman in his jack-o’-lantern.
His tip: Make sure you scrape the wall of the pumpkin thin on the side you are carving. It makes your work easier and more accurate.
