Pumpkin Carving Art Class

My friend Bushy the Squirrel has been taking art classes. This isn't your traditional art class either. The art teacher is big on expressing oneself creatively. For their very first class, she made them put their paint brushes away, and use their tails as brushes instead. (I did mention this was a critter art class, didn't I?) It took a few classes, but the students got rather good at tail brushes.

October's classes have focused on studying post-modernist paintings and three dimensional artwork. Bushy has found this genera of art absolutely fascinating. (Personally, I find it totally baffling and way too abstract). Since it is Halloween month, the teacher has come up with a fun project. The students have to "carve" a pumpkin in the post-modern style as their project. Bushy found a perfect pumpkin just "lying" around uncarved on Mom's porch. Why would anyone leave a pumpkin uncarved?

Bushy moved the pumpkin from the porch to the ground littered with fall leaves for better inspiration.  He started to chew a hole through the pumpkin to create a pumpkin burrow. He realized that was too simple. He wanted a bold piece of art.

When I arrived to check on his progress, I found him deep in thought.

All that thinking about his art project made him hungry. He devoured the secret stash of sunflower seeds hidden in the leaves.

 
Bushy started to carefully remove the dark orange skin of the pumpkin to reveal the yellow interior.

Apparently all of this creative effort required a second round of snacks.

In the middle of snacking, he had another inspiration and went to work.

Claws and teeth were carving away at a furious pace.

When he was finished, he stood back to made a final assessment and was pleased with his effort.

Bushy pumpkin “carving” started to attract attention almost immediately. It evoked strong emotions with each critter. 

 
This Mourning Dove thought this was the most impressive piece of art since the Mona Lisa was painted. 

Here is the pumpkin installed at the “Porch Gallery.” Mom, dropped by and asked if anyone had seen her pumpkin she was saving for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.