The last pumpkin of my big theme group for the year, which was inspired by my trip to Kyoto this spring. The experience changed my life, so I knew I had to carve some pumpkins based off it.
Temples and shrines were everywhere in Kyoto. I managed to visit a lot of them, but there were so many that I simply didn't have time to see. So I carved one on a pumpkin.
This is based off a picture of Toji Temple. I got to visit it on one of the flea market days, but didn't get to really see much of the temple grounds or the pagoda here. My camera actually sucked for good pictures, so I based the pattern on a stock image I found on google.
I did more experimental carving on this one. I wanted to try for some actual pumpkin sculpting to create the sunset effect. It was interesting, mostly because the pumpkin had started rotting by the time I had gotten to carving it. But I was able to find a great technique for getting a really smooth shaded surface, so that will come in handy for future carves.