Pumpkin carving at Meijer Gardens

In May, four years ago, I was approached by the Horticulture Department at Meijer Gardens to explore the possibility of carving pumpkins for an October event. Until that point, my pumpkin carving experience was limited to traditional jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween, and I had never achieved particularly impressive results.

Hesitant at first, feeling inadequate for the task, I almost declined. However, I embraced the challenge and went ahead with it. Since pumpkins are not available in May, I carved a watermelon instead, treating it like a linocut plate. To my amazement, the result exceeded my expectations, leading to me securing the job.

Currently, I am in my fourth year of pumpkin carving, accompanied by my studio mate and friend, Rabecca Rodriguez, who joined our team this year. Together, we carve 16 pumpkins every week, resulting in a total of 40 pumpkins each. This means we create a remarkable 80 unique designs overall!

Every Tuesday in October, between 6 pm and 7 pm, we gather inside the barn at the Farm for a pumpkin carving demonstration. During this event, we have the opportunity to interact with the public and answer all their questions.

More info about this event here

To carve our pumpkins we use:

Speedball linocut carving tools

Pfeil wood carving gouges and knives

Potery hole punching tools

Pottery ribbon tools

Pumpkin carving tool set

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