extreme-weird & wonderful things

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Incredible Pumpkin Carvings by Ray Villafane

American sculptor Ray Villafane carves incredibly intricate and detailed faces on pumpkins, from the gruesome Predator to the friendly Barack Obama. Villafane was born on March 5, 1969 in Queens, New York and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and Education from the School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Villafane is a toy sculptor by trade working with companies such as Bowan Designs, DC Direct, McFarlane Toys, and Sideshow Toys. In his spare time he likes to carve pumpkins and in 2008, Villafane won the Food Network Pumpkin Carving Contest’s top prize of $10,000. His work has been featured in numerous publications as well as having pieces shown at the New York Art Directors Club, Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, Spaces Gallery, and Jordan River Arts Gallery.
Villafane works and lives in Northern Michigan with his wife and six children. To see more of his pumpkin sculptures and other work, visit his site http://www.villafanestudios.com/