Pumpkin 'Picasso' Celebrates 40 Years of Carving Spooky Creations

Mike Valladao, known as "Farmer Mike" and the "Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers," is celebrating 40 years of creating intricate designs on pumpkins. Valladao, who works as a systems engineer in cybersecurity, has dedicated four decades to carving pumpkins into a variety of characters and scenes, ranging from ghoulish faces and mythical creatures to pop culture icons.

Valladao's artistic journey began in the mid-1980s when he started growing large pumpkins at his home in San Jose, California. Faced with an abundance of large gourds, he began experimenting with carving them. He approaches his art with an engineer's mindset, describing the process as "building something the same way I would build a piece of hardware, one layer at a time."

His unique talent led to an invitation in 1986 from organizers of the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, an event renowned for its giant pumpkin weigh-off. Valladao, whose family has a long history in Half Moon Bay, has been a featured carver at the festival ever since, often working on stage to allow attendees to witness his process. While he once grew an 800-pound pumpkin, he now focuses on the carving aspect rather than competing in the weigh-off.

Valladao primarily uses Atlantic pumpkins, which can range from 100 to 1,000 pounds. He notes that their thick skins are ideal for creating depth and dimension in his carvings. "It’s really about the illusion of depth," Valladao explained. "I can make it so that it’s three-dimensional, such that the eyes are inset and the nose sticks out."

Over the years, Valladao's pumpkin artistry has gained national recognition, including an appearance on "The Tonight Show." He has been commissioned for carving projects at various venues across the country, such as the San Diego Zoo, the California Academy of Sciences, and the State Fair of Texas.

Despite the temporary nature of his creations, which typically last only a few days before aging, Valladao finds joy and fulfillment in his craft. He embraces the transient aspect of his art, stating, "It never really bothers me when a pumpkin starts to age because in some cases they’ll build character."

After 40 years of carving, Valladao has no plans to stop. He views his passion as a significant part of his identity, saying, "It’s fun, it’s enjoyable and, quite frankly, it’s a piece of me."