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| Orange Harmony: Yin | Yang Koi by Chuck Dobbs & Associates Oscar Enderica & Mark Reynolds |
Oh My Gourd! The 2014 Great Pumpkin Carve at Chadds Ford Historical Society!
The Great Pumpkin Carve at the Chadds Ford Historical Society was fantastic!
Over 60 carvers, mostly amateur, began carving at 4:30 on Thursday, October 23, 2014. Not knowing what our pumpkin would look like, made this feel like a reality show challenge. (Participants arrive at their stations at meet their pumpkins for the first time at 4:30)
In true "Chuck the Architect" style, he came with a study model. The piece was named Orange Harmony: Yin|Yang Koi. Yin-Yang is an ancient Eastern philosophy that is based on the belief that that all things in the universe are interdependent. Opposites are necessary to achieve harmony. Orange is Chuck's favorite color. That's how we started...
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| Study pumpkin, meet real pumpkin [Relieved to get the study out of my refrigerator. It is really huge, although hard to see next to the GIANT 175+ pounder] |
Chuck and his architect buddies Oscar & Mark arrive on the scene, a little late. To our left is an amazing sculptor who appears to be gently unwrapping a present, as she effortlessly releases the being within her pumpkin. Fascinating to be in the company of such an artist! She is a veteran at this event who shares tips with our our newbie team. {bring something to sit on & dollar store candles.)
To our right is an another interesting take on how to carve a pumpkin. This group is carving a lizard that appears to be hatching from the pumpkin.
The highlight of the evening is being a part of a Chadds Ford tradition. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people pass by watching the carvers and holding their "people's choice" voting ticket. They will have the impossible task of choosing the bucket that they will drop their ticket into. I caught this sweet little guy walking towards our bucket, with his Mother's soft voice saying, "Do you want to vote for the fish? Go ahead and drop your ticket." My heart was melting as I snapped this picture.
Okay, I felt a little creepy taking this picture, so I introduced myself to the mom and asked if it would be okay to post this. She agreed and I then took this picture of the two of them. #TooCUTE
Music playing, folks taking pictures and cheering on the carvers... what a night! Felt like a Rock Star publicist, when I was asked if these ladies could come behind the rope to take a picture with Orange Harmony. {Turns out they are both Pisces}
At 8pm, everyone drops their tools. The carve is officially over and the judges come by with clipboards in hand. I run and get some memorial tee-shirts for my guys and snap this "victory" shot.
We decide to walk around and visit the other carvers. I quickly realize that OMG really means "Oh My Gourd" at this popular annual event in Chadds Ford!!! Crowds were thick, but I managed to take some pictures of my favorites to share.
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| How''d they do this? I'll call this "Alone in the Patch" |
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| I'm not LION -- this was Gorgeous! |
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| I call this "Monday Morning" [Need to print and hang on my office door] |
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| I call this "Don't Bug Me Lady" |
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| Enjoyed chatting with this carver who shared her passion of glitter and paint in this "Day of the Dead" Beauty! |
The judges post the award winners on the Chadds Ford Historical Society website the next day. We see a few of our favorites on the list! Congratulations to them, and the rest of our fellow carvers for putting on a truly spectacular show! I am already looking forward to being a part of this creative community next year. How lucky we are to live in the Beautiful Brandywine Valley?
To learn MORE about The Great Pumkin Carve, Co-Sponsored by the Chadds Ford Historical Society & the Concordville Chadds Ford Rotary, click here.
Check back to see MORE images/videos of the transformation of #21 Pumpkin into Orange Harmony: Yin | Yang Koi along with a picture of our Koi pond. Enjoy! ~Madeline
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| Final Favorite: Stunningly Simple yet Complex {YinYang} |
