When most people carve a pumpkin, they end up with a traditional jack-o-lantern consisting of three triangles and a big mouth.
When John Bradshaw carves a pumpkin, the end result is a work of art that delights the eyes and stirs the imagination.
Customers who visit Harvest Time Farm Market in Oxford between now and Halloween will have the opportunity to watch Bradshaw at work as he turns ordinary pumpkins into extraordinary relief carvings of everything from famous cartoon characters, like Homer Simpson and Wallace from ‘Wallace and Gromet,? to jolly old Saint Nick.
‘I had never carved a pumpkin in my life until last week,? said the 63-year-old Oxford resident, who’s used to expressing his artistic side on mediums other than vine-grown fruits.
Bradshaw started doing chainsaw carvings in the 1970s and later turned his attention to fine arts, sculpting with clay and doing bronze and cement castings.
‘I’ve probably carved 1,000 to 2,000 pieces of sculpture,? he said, noting he used to display some of his work at the Orion Art Center and the annual Art and Apples Festival in Rochester.
After he retired from working as a sales manager in the power equipment business, Bradshaw planned to combine his chainsaw carving and fine art sculpting talents and devote his Golden Years to creating large-scale pieces, what he called ‘monumental work.?
Unfortunately, due to a ladder accident two years ago, he suffered a severe break in his left arm, which required the implanting of a permanent metal plate.
‘It took 11 months to heal,? said Bradshaw, who wears a brace while he works.
In terms of what he wants to accomplish artistically, he noted that ‘breaking this arm set me back about 15 years.?
‘I’ve lost motor skills. It’s going to come back somewhat, but it’ll never be like it used to.?
Bradshaw contacted Paul Forte, owner of Harvest Time, about doing the pumpkin sculpting as a way to promote the market, put on fun demonstrations for the community and help speed his arm’s recovery.
‘This is part of my physical therapy, to get back in and do small stuff, something that’s soft and forgiving,? he explained.
Using a combination of woodcarving and clay-sculpting tools, Bradshaw spends an average of about two hours on each pumpkin.
‘It’s really fun,? he said.
Bradshaw starts by drawing the image of what he wants to carve on the face of the pumpkin.
He then removes the orange skin and uses his array of tools to carefully shave away portions of the rind until the desired image appears.
When he starts, he carves the image as if it’s out of focus. It then becomes more detailed and more clear as he continues to sculpt.
Because pumpkin is a softer material, the trick when sculpting it is to not carve too deep or overwork one area.
‘I’ve only messed up a couple of them,? he admitted.
Patience is also key.
‘You can’t be in a hurry,? Bradshaw said.
Many of Harvest Time’s customers, particularly kids, stop to watch Bradshaw while he’s working and ask questions. Folks are curious about it because they’ve seen pumpkin sculptures on television shows like Martha Stewart.
Harvest Time will be selling some of Bradshaw’s pumpkin masterpieces prior to Halloween. To make them last longer, he recommended spraying them daily with a biodegradable product called Pumpkin Fresh, which he will be selling.
‘It’s something I found on the internet and it really does work,? Bradshaw said. ‘If you don’t spray them, they’ll last about three days.?
Although it’s a safe bet that all of Bradshaw’s pumpkin sculptures will probably end up in the garbage after Halloween, he’s just happy to be utilizing his talents again.
‘Once you’re an artist ? a sculptor or a painter or whatever ? it’s in you and it’s hard to not let it come out,? he said.