About Me.
Extremely Self-Indulgent Corner of the Web below.
Introducing myself at parties as "a professional pumpkin carver" is challenging. Here's some background:
Early Years
When I was little I wanted to grow up and be a bunny rabbit.
I tend to set unrealistic goals to this day. I spent most of my childhood watching cartoons, peering over my grandfather's shoulder while he painted watercolor masterpieces and flipping through my Uncle's comic book collection. With all of these influences surrounding me, I gravitated towards art as a kid.
Flash forward to high school, and while I loved art class, I found that in the musical, you get applause for your work...and alas, my new creative outlet exploded. I attended Point Park University and studied Musical Theatre.
The not-so-natural next step was when I landed a job in asphalt. What else do you do with training in Musical Theatre?!
Adulting + Art-ing
My reintroduction to art came as holidays and birthdays popped up - I would make my then girlfriend, now wife, Tara a card or a crafty gift. Either she was genuinely impressed or trying to win me over (I was already won), but she started telling everyone we knew that I could make art for them. I began to be flooded with Pinterest inspiration from family + friends and in my spare time I was painting on canvas, painting murals, building things out of wood, sculpting clay ornaments and cake toppers and...carving pumpkins.
In 2013 I saw pumpkins carved in an innovative way by Ray Villafane (the Godfather of pumpkin carving) on Facebook. Instead of cutting in, he shaves away layers bit by bit. I watched a couple YouTube clips, ordered some tools, and went full speed ahead at my first pumpkin. Every year, I would look forward to Halloween season when I could grab a pumpkin on the way home from work and spend 6+ hours covering the kitchen floor with pumpkin guts for fun.
Pittsburgh Pumpkin Guy
Now, I carve professionally everyday from the end of September through Halloween. The other 11 months of the year I am the Pittsburgh Painter Guy. I specialize in luxury interior paint and finishing work and cannot believe I'm living my dream as my "job."
I think little me dreaming to be a bunny rabbit would be proud.
Introducing myself at parties as "a professional pumpkin carver" is challenging. Here's some background:
Early Years
When I was little I wanted to grow up and be a bunny rabbit.
I tend to set unrealistic goals to this day. I spent most of my childhood watching cartoons, peering over my grandfather's shoulder while he painted watercolor masterpieces and flipping through my Uncle's comic book collection. With all of these influences surrounding me, I gravitated towards art as a kid.
Flash forward to high school, and while I loved art class, I found that in the musical, you get applause for your work...and alas, my new creative outlet exploded. I attended Point Park University and studied Musical Theatre.
The not-so-natural next step was when I landed a job in asphalt. What else do you do with training in Musical Theatre?!
Adulting + Art-ing
My reintroduction to art came as holidays and birthdays popped up - I would make my then girlfriend, now wife, Tara a card or a crafty gift. Either she was genuinely impressed or trying to win me over (I was already won), but she started telling everyone we knew that I could make art for them. I began to be flooded with Pinterest inspiration from family + friends and in my spare time I was painting on canvas, painting murals, building things out of wood, sculpting clay ornaments and cake toppers and...carving pumpkins.
In 2013 I saw pumpkins carved in an innovative way by Ray Villafane (the Godfather of pumpkin carving) on Facebook. Instead of cutting in, he shaves away layers bit by bit. I watched a couple YouTube clips, ordered some tools, and went full speed ahead at my first pumpkin. Every year, I would look forward to Halloween season when I could grab a pumpkin on the way home from work and spend 6+ hours covering the kitchen floor with pumpkin guts for fun.
Pittsburgh Pumpkin Guy
Now, I carve professionally everyday from the end of September through Halloween. The other 11 months of the year I am the Pittsburgh Painter Guy. I specialize in luxury interior paint and finishing work and cannot believe I'm living my dream as my "job."
I think little me dreaming to be a bunny rabbit would be proud.