Reynoldsburg carving guru hosts class in advance of 'Halloween Wars,' 'Outrageous Pumpkins'
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For most of us, the time for carving pumpkins is still a few weeks in the future.
For professional pumpkin carvers, the season is already well underway.
A group of seven pumpkin enthusiasts gathered in an open garage in a Reynoldsburg neighborhood on the afternoon of Sept. 4, for an advanced workshop on carving pumpkin faces, under the leadership of master carver Deane Arnold.
Arnold almost didn't have the pumpkins he needed for the intricate carvings.
“Earlier this week, I got some crappy pumpkins from a farmers market, but I didn't have any good ones,” he said.
He called one of his usual sources, and even though they weren't open to the public yet, they let him onto the edges of one of their patches.
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“They said, just go along the edges, and don't damage the vines. I got the best pumpkins I've ever had,” he said.
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The pumpkins Arnold got belong to the variety “wolf pumpkins,” which are round, bright orange and thick.
The type of carving he teaches requires a thick pumpkin — and some finesse.
“Part of my job as the teacher is to slow them down,” Arnold said. “Stop them from going into their comfort zone.”
For this workshop, the students were all assigned the same face to carve, working as realistically as possible.
“Every year, in addition to public beginners' classes, I always try to do a couple of small, informal advanced classes, where intermediate to advanced people can work without having to start from scratch. This time, we're working on facial anatomy,” Arnold said.
Six of the seven participants have either appeared as pumpkin artists on Food Network's “Outrageous Pumpkins” or the network's “Halloween Wars,” or are about to do so this year.
Arnold, 60, knows a thing or two about pumpkin-carving. He was part of a team also featuring Michael Brown of Missouri and Brandy Davis of Idaho, who, in 2018, earned the bragging rights as being the largest jack-o'-lantern on record by Guinness World Records. He also has appeared on “Halloween Wars” and works behind the scenes on “Outrageous Pumpkins,” and has taught or worked with most of the class participants in the past.
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These carvers, unlike those at Arnold's beginner classes, all provide their own tools, and were working with them diligently and patiently, tossing jokes and questions across the table, and constructing piles of tiny bits of pumpkin skin and flesh as they worked and reworked their pumpkin faces.
Arnold moved around the garage stopping to consult and offer advice to each of the carvers, or demonstrating on his own pumpkin.
Among the carvers at the workshop was Titus Arensberg, 40, of Newark, who appeared on last year's edition of “Outrageous Pumpkins.” Arensberg made it to the finale last year but lost to Oregon carver Ryan Anderson.
“This is my first pumpkin of the year,” Arensberg said. “I'm happy to get back into carving. I was glad Deane invited me to the workshop — it's a good excuse to hang out with all these guys.” Arensberg is not competing in any TV shows this year.
Also appearing on last year's “Outrageous Pumpkins” and also due to appear on this year's “Halloween Wars” is Cincinnati's William Wilson, 47.
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“I love being able to geek out about pumpkins with other people who love carving,” Wilson said. “And I want to improve my realism.”
Being on the show, he said, expanded his range in pumpkin carving.
“I'm working on armature, putting arms and things on my sculptures, and I'm working on elaborate scenes. Being on the show made me do that. I thought, if I can do something in six hours, then I can really do it well if I have more time.”
Lincoln Bias, 60, will appear on “Outrageous Pumpkins” this year, and traveled from his home in Rockford, Illinois, to attend the workshop with Arnold. He started out working with intricately carved and detailed fruits and vegetables, and added pumpkins to his repertoire five years ago.
“I've been looking at Deane's work since I started, and I always wanted to work with him. His work is neat and smooth and not messy,” Bias said.
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A relative newcomer to the pumpkin-carving world is Anthony Pater, 20, a student at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Pater will also appear on “Halloween Wars” this fall. He has been carving pumpkins seriously for two years.
“I'm a student by day, and a pumpkin carver by night,” he joked. “I like to put my pumpkins around campus late at night. I've only had one smashed so far.”
Pater is an art major, with a concentration in animation.
“I think working with animation helps the exaggerated expressions on pumpkins,” he said.
Those inspired to craft pumpkin creations of their own in central Ohio this year should be encouraged by the quality of pumpkins available for those who grow or seek out the fruit.
“It's a good year for pumpkins, because there was rain early in the season, followed by hot weather,” Arnold said. “That means that pumpkins grow inwards. They grow thick rather than large, and that make them great for carving.”
At a glance
Season 12 of “Halloween Wars” premieres on Food Network and Discovery+ on Sunday. Season 3 of “Outrageous Pumpkins” will premiere on Food Network and Discovery+ on Sept. 30.
Tips for carving pumpkins
Deane Arnold offers these suggestions for successful pumpkin carving:
Don't use knives.
Use a pumpkin that has thick walls. It's best when it's heavy for its size: If you have two identical pumpkins, you should carve the heavier one.
Carve on either side of the flat area, because the walls tend to be thickest there.
Shave the dark rind off just enough to expose the more yellow pumpkin flesh. The outer flesh is the best for carving. As you go deeper, it will feel spongier. No one likes carving a kitchen sponge!
Use loop tools. These are sometimes called "ribbon loops." Many art supply stores carry these. I offer a basic starter kit for beginners on pumpkinstuff.com.
Start simple. An emoji face is a great starting point. Two eyes and a mouth!
Try not to dig too hard with your tool. You'll be more successful if you scrape and shave the flesh.
The largest loop tool is best for most of your carving. Medium-sized tools are good when you get to the smaller details. The little-bitty tool with the aluminum handle is only for final surface details (it will break if you use it to dig or shape).
Use a spray bottle to mist your carving with water as you work. Not too much, just keep it hydrated.
Don't be timid! Go deep! If you start with the eyes, you'll find that the tear duct areas are usually the deepest part of the face. If you think you're about to break through to the seed cavity, then stop digging; now you know how deep you can go everywhere else!
Remember that this is for fun! If you do break into the seed cavity, it's OK. Make it part of your design! But if you feel like your carving isn't going where you want, then spin your pumpkin around, and carve another face on the back!
Be patient and enjoy what you're doing: Don't rush to the finish! I can carve a pumpkin fairly quickly, but I love the process. So I take my time. Mine take an average of eight hours, but now and then, I've carved pumpkins that took more than two days.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Pumpkin carving ideas: Reynoldsburg expert offers master classes
