Vancouver pumpkin carver continuing to hone his craft with each seasonal masterpiece
By: Ian Holliday- CTV News (Canada Television News)
BUZZ NOTE: There is a relevant video as part of this article that may be accessed by clicking on the SEEDED CONTENT link just below this message that will take you to the original source article. You may have to watch a 15 second commercial first.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Vancouver pumpkin carver continuing to hone his craft with each seasonal masterpiece
A pumpkin Clive Cooper carved to look like a bear (sparksflydesign.com)
VANCOUVER -
The medium Clive Cooper chose for his art is, by nature, temporary. He likes it that way.
"There's no really good way to preserve a pumpkin," he told CTV News Vancouver in an interview on Halloween weekend.
"You never know, when you pick a pumpkin, how long it's going to last. Once you carve into it or you skin it, the time clock starts for it to rot. Just keeping it cold, you know, as cold as you can, is about the best you can do."
Cooper started carving pumpkins for a work contest, but it soon became a passion. He's sculpted hundreds of pumpkins, watermelons and other fruits into unique and highly detailed creatures.
He told CTV News he draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources.
"Sometimes I go to the sweet side, sometimes I go to the dark side, whatever happens to inspire me that week," he said.
Halloween is typically Cooper's busiest time of the year. He sells carved pumpkins on commission, and also donates some of his works to local organizations.
"Some years, I'm busier than a centipede in a toe-counting contest," he said.
A small carving can take just a few hours, while bigger pieces can take upwards of eight, Cooper said.
It's a lot of effort to put into something that can't be enjoyed for very long, but that's part of the beauty of the process for Cooper. Each carving is another chance to hone his craft and improve, and that's the advice he offers to others interested in teaching themselves to carve.
"Don't get discouraged," he said. "Keep on trying. You don't get good right away. In fact, I'm glad that they don't last, because if I were to go back and look at some of my first pumpkins, I'd be appalled."
To view a photo gallery of Cooper's work, visit his website .
BUZZ NOTE: Don't miss checking out the photo gallery of his carvings - click the "visit his website" link just above this message.
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You're going to get blown away when you see what this guy can do.
Very interesting, Buzz, and the carving is as amazing as it is beautiful.
Oops! I just posted the same thing ... I'll delete mine.
Thank you. I'm quite happy to see your posting of Canadian stories (and your common sense attitude towards politics generally).
If he has a wife, he cannot starve her
Because he is a pumpkin carver.
Cause if he did he'd be a felon
So then he'll carve a watermelon.
But, can he carve a PIE replica?
I guess no differently than carving this...
I used to sculpt like that. My hands are messed up so I had to give it up.
Sorry that you can no longer do that which probably brought you satisfaction and accomplishment.
All that remains of my art are some of the eggs I did.
Can you photograph them and post them on this coming weekend's Creative Arts group weekend article?
I have the pictures but have no idea how to create files to load here. I am a total puter dummy.
Paula, does your printer have scanner capability? If so, scan the photos to your hard drive as a jpg or png. Then you can upload them them from there.
Those are some amazing carvings.
LOL, gonna steal that line.
(I knew you would when I read it...
)
Yep, it is. Never heard of it before.
He is talented. Those are amazing.