ANAHEIM : Tackling a Monstrous Project at Disneyland

Sculptor Sam Gendusa usually works with wood and steel, but once a year his medium of choice becomes the pumpkin, which he elevates into elaborate but short-lived folk art.

“It’s like a sandcastle,” Gendusa said Tuesday as he carved a monster-like face on a monster-sized 500-pound pumpkin at Disneyland.

The Dayton, Ore., artist and art instructor has been hired by the theme park to create a series of pumpkin sculptures for its first Halloween party, scheduled for four evenings this month. Gendusa will be in the park on those nights fashioning fanciful faces on pumpkins weighing up to 716 pounds.

“I love to carve,” said Gendusa, who pointed out that working with pumpkin flesh is similar to working with wood. His tools include a mallet, a wood gouge, a knife and--most important--a serrated potato peeler to sculpt three-dimensional features on the giant gourds.

Gendusa, 56, began his pumpkin art career with little fanfare. A pumpkin he carved for his junior high school students drew such a positive response that he decided to explore the creative possibilities of the unusual art form.

His how-to book, “Carving Jack-O’-Lanterns,” was published in 1988, and that led to a series of TV appearances and invitations to demonstrate his talent across the nation.

“I go everywhere,” Gendusa said, adding that his biggest challenge so far was carving an 850-pound pumpkin last year in Las Vegas.

As for the secrets of successful pumpkin sculpting, Gendusa recommends that the artist first draw the face on the gourd, either freehand or using a stencil.

The next step, the cutting, should be done with a short, serrated knife, he said, and, of course, the potato peeler.

The Disneyland Halloween party will be held from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, 27, 30 and 31. A separate park admission fee will be charged.

The family-oriented party will feature trick-or-treating stations.