I went to a number of different parties on Halloween day. This sketch is of the back yard of Jared and Lesley Silvia. When I arrived they had just started carving pumpkins. Lesley was still reaching in and grabbing out the guts and seeds. No one was attempting a simple pumpkin face. Andrew Fritta was trying to carve his pumpkin to look like the Death Star from Star Wars. When I started this sketch he was in the foreground sitting at the table gutting his pumpkin. Unfortunately before I sketched him, he decided to carve his pumpkin on the lawn, that is why the center of interest, the table is strangely deserted. The intricate carving involved in the Death Star was mind boggling. Lesley was carving a hang man’s pumpkin which is really sinister when lit up.
At the opposite end of the backyard there was an above ground pool. Some people started to gather around it and I wandered over. It was half full and after looking in the greenish murky water for a while I noticed movement. There were tadpoles swimming around everywhere. One guest was scooping them up with a skimmer net. Someone else shouted out “Leave them alone!” I wondered if they all were doomed. How would they get out once they turned into frogs? I am thinking the Silvia’s need some water lilies for their new Eco-system.
As the sun started to set I got ready to head to my next destination. The little girls in costume were excited because they were going to trick or treat in two neighborhoods and they expected some sweet pickings. I thanked my hosts and hit the road to get to another Halloween party I needed to sketch.
