Pumpkins are transformed into glowing masterpieces by professional sculptors

Carving a pumpkin at Halloween can be tricky. But these masterpieces created by professional sculptors are enough to give anyone a fright. Ray Villafane and his team meticulously shaped the terrifying characters using spoons and scalpelsgh

Each one takes on average two hours to complete - with the horrifying results netting Villafane, plus colleagues Andy Bergholtz and Chris Vierra, numerous TV appearances each Halloween.

This year the team has gone global travelling to Germany, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Mr Villafane, 44, based in Bellaire, Michigan, U.S., said: 'You need to pick the meatiest pumpkin. Not all of them will look good. The most important aspect is the weight.

'I also like a pumpkin with character. one with nobly ridges is good, so that I can utilise that in the carving procedure, like sculpting noses.

'Sculpting has always been a passion of mine.'

Mr Villafane, who taught art at a school in his hometown, says he discovered his unique talents by chance.

He added: 'I was asked to do some pumpkin carvings at the school.l

'I thought why don't I try and carve a pumpkin like it is a piece of clay as opposed to a large vegetable.

'It came out alright but the most important result was that the kids at the school absolutely loved it.

'For days after that there would be a dozen pumpkins sitting on my desk waiting for me to carve them.'l

Having become a minor celebrity in the U.S. through his passion, Mr Villafane has now expanded his team.

They are exploring ways to pickle their creations in a bid to preserve them for more people to see.

Mr Villafane, who once worked for D.C. Comics, said: 'Now that everything has grown in popularity I am definitely feeling the pressure to deliver on the pumpkin front.'

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