"Unfresh"

Ironically, this last jack of the year was a little pulpy by the time I got to it. It was like a race against time. I'm pretty disappointed with my jacks this year. Nothing stands out much, though I kind of like "Duplicitous" as a spontaneous sort of piece. This last one started out as Karloff's Frankenstein, but the forehead ended up being too normal so I felt I had to make him into a zombie in order to salvage it. It could have been worse. Unfortunately, this guy, among other pumpkin sculptors I've found online, sort of leave me in the dust. I don't know how this guy cranks so many of them out.

I really have to think about not sculpting jack-o-lanterns in any great quantity anymore. Pumpkins are getting more expensive and what's the point of spending so much time on art that's not going to be around in a couple weeks? It seems like all of my pumpkins were too soft and thin-shelled this year.

I'll be happy when they develop synthetic jack-o-lantern pumpkins that are suitable for 3D sculptures like these but it seems for now no synthetic material has the particular qualities that makes real pumpkin flesh so ideal for jack-o-lanterns. I don't know that for a fact but if there were I don't know why guys like this would go on carving their amazing creations out of such a fleeting perishable medium.

"Zombi"

"Duplicitous"

"Chompsky"

Here's the first of five for 2008. I kept this one crude so it didn't take much time. It's an okay warm-up but the rind was to thin and mushy to make it worth much effort. It sort of reminds me of a Madball. Anyway, I suppose I like it enough to show it off.