© Janet Davis

For Gene Kinoshita, Halloween night is S-H-O-W-T-I-M-E! Every October 31st, wide-eyed trick-or-treaters and their parents, neighbours with cameras and tripods, and old friends who long ago outgrew witches-on-broomsticks converge on Gene’s front lawn in Toronto to check out his Latest pumpkin art. One year, it might be a trio of finely-etched insects, like the delicate moth shown below; another year, a gaggle of familiar comic book heroes or fearsome jungle animals. Whatever the theme, there’s no mistaking Gene’s porch: it’s the one with the spectacular jack-o-lanterns.

A partner in an award-winning architectural firm and a mover-and-shaker in Toronto’s art’s community, Kinoshita started his moonlighting career as the Michelangelo of pumpkin-carving way back in university. "While studying at Yale in 1961," says Gene, "I was invited to a Halloween party where a few of us got involved in carving pumpkins. On my return to Toronto the next year, I got married and we moved into a rented duplex where I decided to host my own pumpkin-carving party for my architect and artist friends." Although the annual (and very messy) party ended when the Kinoshitas bought their own home, it nonetheless began a 4-decade tradition that has seen Gene sculpt his way through some 150 pumpkins.

"When my three children were young, I carved five -- one for every person in the family." These days – as a grandfather -- he carves three or four "for fun, for the children and the neighbourhood."

His early creations (shown at right) tended to sport angular, almost "Mayan" features. "They were rigid, geometric cuts because it was easier to carve straight and right-angle lines." He had not yet mastered the technique of using a very sharp paring knife to carve the intricate lines that are now his trademark.

"Every year," he says, "I browse through various animal and bird books, then I sketch my own cartoons for carving. I try to keep the theme consistent, drawing whatever I feel is appropriate for that particular year, and for the shape of the pumpkin." Recently, he has created beautiful insects and crustaceans, admitting that their fine features make it easy for him to turn a carving mistake into "another wrinkle, whisker or hair."

"I scrape the pulp out of the pumpkin until the shell is very thin, This is how I can make fine cuts, curvilinear cuts, and various textures on the shell. I try to take advantage of the longitudinal lines and blemishes in the pumpkin to emphasize certain features." Where the cuts stop just short of going through the flesh, the carved areas seem to glow white, while full cuts glow orange or red, depending on which colour of light bulb hangs inside. "I started using light bulbs from the start, mainly for fire safety, but also because candles blow out on rainy or windy Halloween nights." The increased intensity of the lights also show the pumpkins to better advantage.

As he anticipates yet another Halloween, Gene admits that it’s a challenge to come up with interesting pumpkins. "I’m running out of ideas. There’s only so much you can do with a pumpkin!"

Somehow, though, you just know that when the big day arrives, he’ll come up with something new and wonderful!

Adapted from an article that appeared originally at Chapters Online

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