For more than 30 years, Jeanette Paras has been creating giant celebrity pumpkins in the studio (aka ‘garage’) of her Dublin, Ohio home. It is a labor of love, a passion and a Halloween tradition…that has become an international phenomenon. In all, Jeanette has “pumpkinized” more than 80 giant celebrity pumpkins since 1988.
Jeanette is the mother of three, a retired MBA and a two-time breast cancer survivor. Her most recent bout with cancer came in 2015 when Jeanette had nine hours of surgery that included both a mastectomy and reconstruction. A few short weeks after surgery, she went to work on her pumpkin creation – something her doctors recognized as a vital part of her recovery.
For the artist, creating giant celebrity pumpkins is fun. And the response from the public makes it even more enjoyable. Cars pull over to look; people walk by to take pictures and the media amplifies that attention. “I can’t help myself, I get such a kick out of seeing the reaction people have to my pumpkins,” said Jeanette. “My giant celebrity pumpkins make me laugh and, at the same time, make a lot of other people laugh too. That’s a great feeling.”
The tools of the trade – paints, brushes and anything else needed to create a giant celebrity pumpkin. Tools and secrecy are both necessary. The windows of her garage are covered each year to prevent people from getting a sneak peek.
