Orem pumpkin carver is a true artist

OREM — Joseph Billings doesn't consider himself an artist.

But when the 26-year-old takes small tools to the face of a pumpkin, he is able to turn an orange blob into a work of art.

Recently, the Utah Valley State College sophomore spent 19 hours carving the presidential mugs of Mount Rushmore into a Funkin — a Styrofoam pumpkin specially made for carvers.

His tedious work is worth it, however, when a small lamp is placed inside the pumpkin, turning his tiny etchings into a glowing homage to the famous leaders.

"We always have to put up barriers" around the display at the house, said his mother, Loy. "The pumpkins look 3-D so people want to touch them. They can't figure it out."

Learning to carve pumpkins didn't come easy for Billings, who decided to try something special one Halloween more than 10 years ago.

Using a Pumpkin Masters kit — available online at www.pumpkinmasters.com — Billings followed a simple pattern and carved a glowing "Jurassic Park" movie logo onto his pumpkin.

Since then, he's carved seven or more pumpkins each Halloween season. Each one takes a few hours, but the final product gets increasingly better as he perfects the art of shading.

"Right before Halloween, I take two or three days and that's all I do," Billings said. "I wake up and carve until I go to bed."

To create a detailed carving, Billings starts by downloading a pattern from pumpkin-carving Web sites or makes his own by using a computer program to manipulate the lighting contrast of a picture.

Once that's done, he tapes the printed pattern to the front of a pumpkin and uses a push pin to outline the entire image.

Areas marked black don't get carved. The rest is carved with small tools to various depths, depending on the degree of shading desired. Some parts are even cut all the way through.

If he's using a real pumpkin, which can easily deteriorate, Billings saves every removed piece and replaces it when he's finished. He then sprays the pumpkin with a matte craft shellac and covers it with a damp towel to preserve it for Halloween night.

"It requires a lot of patience and a steady hand," Billings said. "The actual carving is time-consuming and a little difficult but not hard."