A Very Twilighty Halloween

Hope everyone had a very fun and exciting (perhaps Twilighty-fresh?) Halloween!

You may or may not have carved yo'self some jack-o'-lanterns this Halloween, but I think it's safe to say that if you did, they didn't look this hot:

(click pumpkins for full size!)

These beauties were carved by pumpkin artist extraordinaire, Tom Ziemann. He put them up for display in one of Portland, Oregon's most popular restaurants- Oba Restaurant. They let me know about this artist's amazing talent.

Here are more of his beauties:

Gollum

Nosferatu

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Howling

Jacob Black (wolf form!)

And here are a few tips on preserving your pumpkins from Tom, for future reference:

"Keep your pumpkin cold and out of the sun.

Two things happen to pumpkins once they are carved:
1) They dry out and shrivel,
2) And/or they mold.

To protect against dryness and mold, cover your carving with plastic wrap.
Keep it in the refrigerator or someplace dark & cold when it's not on display.
Be sure to mist it each and every time you light it up. Do this before putting it away.
Your carving has been treated with a light coating of 'Pam' to help reduce
shriveling and stop it from bleeding.

You can revive a shriveled pumpkin by soaking it in cold water for 1 to 8 hours.
In the bathtub, be sure to put it on its non carved side, or use a large bucket.
After removing it from the water, let it drain for ½ an hour and then
dry it carefully.
If your pumpkin molds (turns soft) there's really nothing you can do.

Important note:
I DO NOT recommend burning a candle to illuminate your pumpkin.
Use an electric light bulb or a battery powered source. If you choose to use
a candle, be sure to put the candle flame directly under the chimney
(on the top of your pumpkin) and only burn it for a few hours at a time.
Mist your pumpkin inside & out with a fine spray of water after each use."

Email Tom with any questions about his art here.