Mike Pickett is a PGA Golf Professional by day and an expert pumpkin carver by night.
Working out of his home in Columbus, Ohio, Mike creates unbelievably intricate designs that range from famous celebrities, to beloved movie scenes, to personalized depictions of family and friends. In fact, Mike says he can carve just about anything, as long as you give him a picture.
“The majority of my business is custom," Mike wrote to Country Living in an email. “People can send me an image of anything (kids, adults, toys, cars, dogs, boats, logos, anything) and then I can hand carve it from the image.”
Other than peoples’ kids, the most popular requests are sports teams, John Wayne, and Marilyn Monroe, along with Mike’s personal favorite of all time: The Joker.
It all began six years ago with a little male ego. Mike, who was and still is a PGA Golf Professional, was challenged to a pumpkin carving contest by his friend, Neil Ingle.
Of course Neil, who was a proficient pumpkin-carver, won that day, spurring Mike to keep practicing and perfecting his craft as they competed to outdo one another over the next few years.
When Neil suddenly passed away in the summer of 2011, Mike found himself even more motivated to carry on the tradition in his memory.
Once he truly perfected his skills, Mike set up a website, where he now takes requests, hoping to bring a little bit of the magic of jack-'o-lanterns to other families across the US.
All photos courtesy of Mike Pickett
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