Out of my Gourd(s)
Mesa, Az (2025)
It's already mid-October; there's a chill in the air (even for Phoenix) and a pesky little feeling that the holidays are approaching. I've been very busy these past few weeks, working on a soon-to-be-announced project, as well as taking a much-needed vacation out of state for a week. I'm finally back and I'm excited to share a few paintings I've done recently.
As a sign artist for Trader Joe's, the holidays are always a little wacky and fast-paced. I painted at least thirty orange pumpkins using our acrylic-like paint pens, and I really found a stylistic knack for how they work. I decided what better way to bring in the Halloween season than try my hand at a few using oils!
“The Mini Pumpkins” - 11”x 14”
Here's a small, darker-toned pumpkin piece that wraps around the canvas and gives true spooky, shadowy vibes. I've always loved mini pumpkins, even as a child; handheld versions of the carvable creatures were as mysterious as they were adorable, and they always seemed to be an exciting tease of the grand spectacular: the pumpkin carving! This oil painting reminds me of those days, buying the little orange serrated knife set at the grocery store and anticipating the goopy mess, and the mystery of what we'd create and bring to life to decorate our front porch with.
“The Fruits Of October” - 11”x 14”
This next painting was an exercise in timing, as I filmed the entire process to edit down to a one-minute reel for Instagram! This oil painting was based on a photo I took at work in October of 2024, and I really loved how the shadows played on each pumpkin, and where the light reflected differently on each one. It was especially interesting figuring out how to bring all the little details to life, literally warts and all. The bottom gourd was especially challenging, and I had to find a balance between the contrasts, and make a few shadows seemingly glow. I'm calling this piece "The Fruits of October," for its literal sense and the celebration of the hard work I've been putting in for all I have planned in the coming months.
I love how both of these paintings turned out, and I'm especially excited to have these moody gourds in my personal art archives and in my online store soon. I hope this October is especially moody, chilly, and filled with pumpkins aplenty for all lovers of this time of year.
