Joe Montanino carves a pumpkin for Halloween. Photo by Marvin Pfeiffer

If you think carving a face out of a pumpkin for your kids is hard, you’ve never seen Joe Montanino’s work. Montanino can turn an ordinary watermelon into anything from a flower to one of the tour boats that floats down the River Walk.

“When I was 9, I saw a chef carving a flower out of an onion on TV,” Montanino said. “Since then I wanted to try it.”

Montanino began carving in 2003, teaching himself from books he ordered online in his spare time.

Once he learned the basics, he began to create his own designs and experiment with techniques. He said his studies are based on the Taiwanese ancient art of Kae Sa Luk.

Kae Sa Luk uses seven centuries of history and culture to create intricate and detailed sculptures of fruit and vegetables meant to add value and beauty to every dish. It is meant to be a melding of the body and mind to turn a simple food into art. Montanino admits it isn’t an average hobby.

Fruits carved by Joe Montanino make a colorful centerpiece. Courtesy photos

For Montanino, a Web designer at Digett Interactive Media in Boerne, the work and nature around him is all it takes to inspire him. He said his favorite fruit to work with is a watermelon because of the bright colors, but that he works with all fruits and vegetables.

“Whatever I do, I like to be good at it,” Montanino said. “I like to see how good I can get. (In my work,) I do a lot of flowers and animals, but mostly flowers.”

Montanino worked with an artist in Virginia to create American bald eagles carved from carrots for President Bush’s second inauguration. He even considered opening his own business to provide fruit art for catering companies before he decided there wasn’t a great enough need in San Antonio.

This Halloween, however, Montanino is focusing on pumpkins. He said he uses a special cutting technique that lets the knife cut into the skin without going all the way through. He said it allows him to do more intricate designs and the pumpkins last longer that way. Instead of a candle, he uses a light bulb for lighting. Montanino even creates his own patterns.

“Most of the time, I do whatever I feel,” Montanino said. “I’ll just pick it up and start. Sometimes I’ll draw bits and pieces on paper if I want to do a pattern, but I won’t draw the whole thing before I carve it.”

Interested parties can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (210) 843-6289 for more information.