This Halloween, it’s time to raise the stakes and create something different. Expert carver Clive Cooper is a self-taught sculptor from East Vancouver who works for the government by day and sculpts fruits and vegetables in his spare time. He began practicing on pumpkins but found that working with watermelons provides improved texture, colour and interest for his art. One of his more popular creations, a carving of an alligator, has received over 1.3 million likes on Facebook.
“I love to create watermelon carvings for Halloween! I get my inspiration from comics and Sci-Fi movies for the most part. I’ve also had numerous requests for wedding creations, but so far I’ve not done them. I prefer to create monsters and characters with a scary edge,” he says. He utilizes razor sharp knives and clay sculpting tools to carve his watermelons, and sometimes bamboo skewers to attach extra parts such as ears and arms. Although this technique isn’t recommended for children or amateurs, there are tips and tricks we can all use to create something interesting for this Halloween.
• Use all three layers of the watermelon; the outer green skin, the white pith layer, and the pink/red inside for creative effects.
• Select watermelons that are firm and have a suitable shape for the carving you have in mind.
• Use more than one watermelon in a single creation (i.e. adding on ears, hats, teeth, etc.) to create the look you want.
• Kid friendly! Watermelons are softer than pumpkins. To make it even easier for young children, adults should peel the outer hard skin first. The white pith and red interior can easily be carved with safer tools like spoons and melon ballers.
• Avoid food waste! Scoop out the inside of the watermelon before you start and then enjoy it in one of these delicious recipes!
Recipes you can make from the watermelon scooped out of your watermelon creation:
• Watermelon and Spicy Mayan Dark Chocolate Fondue
• Watermelon Cranberry Sauce, top on brie or enjoy with meat
• Kid’s Watermelon Strawberry Shake
