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The American artist Marilyn Sunderland covers her pumpkin sculptures with the plexus of leaves, flowers and berries, figures of fantastic fish, birds and butterflies, turning a regular vegetable grown in the garden into a masterpiece. These amazing carved exhibits are undoubtedly works of art, they delight and delight the audience with the delicate painstaking handwork of the craftswoman.
American artist Marilyn Sunderland is a native of Columbia, Missouri, but has been living and working in Utah for more than thirty years, known for its picturesque places surrounded by mountains, juicy vibrant colors of the natural landscape, plenty of rivers and fresh air. Marilyn loved drawing as a child. And at one time she graduated from the art department of the University of Missouri-Columbia and received a bachelor’s degree. And after years, two-year Art Instruction courses on vegetable carving and wood carving.
And it should be noted that Marilyn did not immediately find her place in art. For many years, they were devoted to the search for the author’s style and personality in portraiture and landscape painting. The artist also tried herself in various techniques, experimenting with watercolors and acrylics, oil, charcoal and ink. And when she was seriously interested in woodcarving and engraving on glass, she realized that this was her skate. It was in carving that her talent as an artist and sculptor was fully revealed.
For her unique works, the craftswoman uses inedible varieties of pumpkins, which, when dried, become quite hard and durable. This fruit serves as an excellent material as a canvas and base, because in processing, namely in cutting, burning, painting and other methods of transformation, they are quite light. And according to the technology developed by the craftswoman, carvings are done first, after which the pumpkin is dried, decorated and covered with a special varnish as necessary.
According to Marilyn, the pumpkin base can be decorated with anything: beads, ribbons, pebbles, plant elements and much more, you just have to show your imagination. And thanks to such a variety of decor, this fruit is really an excellent material for the embodiment of the most unusual and original ideas and fantasies of the artist.
In his work uses a set of special electric tools for carving and engraving, which greatly facilitates the time-consuming process of creativity. When the process of forming and cutting the composition on a pumpkin basis is over, the craftswoman uses various painting techniques, using acrylic, sometimes oil. And in her pumpkin sculptures, she sometimes introduces details carved from other fruits that can hold their shape long enough and, when dried, do not change their structure.
In an interview, Marilyn said that pumpkin is “a universal canvas for the embodiment of creative fantasies.” Therefore, each individual fruit is unique, in each craftswoman sees in advance what will look best on it, as well as which decor to use and what colors to apply.
Marilyn’s favorite theme is autumn foliage, which she depicts directly on a pumpkin, and sometimes cuts it separately from the peel and attaches it to the finished composition to create volume and relief.
And it was this type of creativity that brought Marilyn several awards of international importance, and among the owners of her carved pumpkin sculptures were famous businessmen, artists, and politicians.
Inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape of her native land and investing a piece of her soul in each work, the artist continues to create amazing works covered with lace carved patterns, elaborate ornaments and openwork, leading the enthusiastic audience into amazement.
In the hands of Marilyn Sunderland, an ordinary pumpkin turns into a unique work of art. Landscapes of nature, images of birds and animals, blooming flowers and bizarre patterns are carved so masterfully that it is far from immediately obvious to the viewer that he is just a pumpkin.
Sculptor Marilyn Sunderland has extensive experience working with glass and wood. And so, in her creative search, she turned her attention to pumpkins. Pumpkin sculptures created by a modern American artist brought her great fame. Interestingly, during the celebration of the popular Halloween holiday in America, the original pumpkin works of the artist could be seen even in the White House.
