Tried an experiment this year with the pumpkins. Previously, we’d only cut holes (varying the size and shape as necessary) in the pumpkin. This lead to a somewhat mono-chromatic image consisting of just light and dark. This year, we tried using a grey-scale image as a template, and cutting part-way through the pumpkin (variable depth) depending on the shade of grey. I wasn’t sure it would work, even after we’d finished carving, but once we got the candles lit, they actually came alive. It was a surprising lesson in how we perceive a negative image, as well as gradient.

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