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FARMINGTON -- A Farmington man has been carving his way through the Halloween season pumpkin by pumpkin. This year's are spectacular but have a fewer pumpkin seeds.
Ken Klinker's carved pumpkins have decorated his doorstep each October for 12 years, but he got tired of seeing all of his hard work go to waste.
"I've done some that were very intricate on real pumpkins, and then I have to throw them away after carving for five or six hours," Klinker says.
So he added a new twist, using foam pumpkins and power tools.
"I like to cut out the parts that you cut out first, because then you can see how deep you have to shade," Klinker explains.
Klinker carves everything from Mona Lisa to his ghastly take on Mount Rushmore, and he's even created a few patterns of his own.
He still carves several real pumpkins but says the foam is more precise and is something that people will enjoy long after this year's All Hallows' Eve has passed.
"I used to play the trumpet, and I guess when people applaud you when you're done with your performance, you feel good about that," Klinker says. "And carving pumpkins is kind of the same way. You put a lot of time and preparation into it. Then when Halloween gets here, and it's the actual performance, that makes me feel good to have people look at it."
His goal this year is 60 pumpkins, both foam and real, and ready in time for Halloween. The entire selection of pumpkins will be on display at Farmington City Hall on Friday, Oct. 30.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
