Ray explains how his artistic method works. "Not all pumpkins will look good and the most important thing about a pumpkin is its weight. You need to pick the meatiest pumpkin. Sometimes I pick up a beautifully shaped pumpkin but when I do I realise that it is not heavy enough. Its wall is just not thick enough for the carving rigours. I also like a pumpkin with character. One with knobbly ridges is good, so that I can utilise that in the carving procedure, like with sculpting noses."

Credit : Ray Villafane / Barcroft Media