REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Deane Arnold, 58, carves pumpkins not just for Halloween, but all year round.
The commercial designer and fine artist’s passion started eight years ago when he was inspired by the work of famed sculptor Ray Villafane.
“That’s when it really kicked in was when I started sharing things publicly and then when Ray picked up on it and said, ‘Hey look at that guy,’” says Arnold.
Arnold says even if you’re a novice at pumpkin carving, there’s no pressure to get it right.
“If you screw up the front—really hate the front—flip it around and do the back. My pumpkins take me anywhere from three to eight hours on average. Almost anything I do, I kind of obsess about it. I dial into it to a point where I kind of shut out everything else,” says Arnold.
Arnold has taught classes across the country, but recently, he’s taken his talents to the Food Network during this seasons’s “Halloween Wars.”
The show pairs five teams made up of cake sculptors, sugar artists and pumpkin carvers together to create the ultimate Halloween-themed display.
“I’m not a particularly competitive person, so I didn’t pursue this. I was kind of encouraged to do it.” But when he was asked if he was glad he did it, he said, “Oh yeah, I had a great time”
Unfortunately, Arnold’s jack o’ lantern creations are short lived; they have a shelf life of less than a week. But he’s experimented and come up with a few ways to preserve some of his favorites.
From scary faces, silly faces or complicated faces with add on props, Arnold says he always gets a kick out of what the kids or neighbors’ interpretation of his work.
“Are you seeing a devil? Are you seeing a gorilla? Are you seeing a dog or werewolf face? Are you seeing a sympathetic face? He’s scary or grotesque, but you see what you want to see. I like overhearing people explain to me what I’m doing, haha, you know,” says Arnold.
And when it comes to the competition, well Arnold is sworn to secrecy, but for now, he’ll continue to perfect his craft at home in his back yard in Central Ohio.
You can watch Arnold on “Halloween Wars” on the Food Network Sunday at 9 p.m.
And you can view some of his creations here: instagram.com/deanearnold
