ZAC'S JACKS
Custom Carvings & Workshops
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Hallowe'en!
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE PUMPKIN VINE...
The Morning Show
Zachary Flavelle | October 29th 2024
Ending my adventures in television for the 2024 season, I was invited to join hosts of The Morning Show, Jeff McArthur and Carolyn MacKenzie, to guide their jack-o'-lantern journey with some pro carving tips.
I gained a new appreciation for the amount of work and preparation that goes into live television, (especially Canada's #1 national live news and lifestyle morning show), and I'm extremely grateful to the producers and crew for supporting the segment.
Carolyn and Jeff were very nice, and it was fun to watch their interactions and bantor with one-another and the other guests during cutaways and commercial breaks.
You can watch my specific segment on Global.ca HERE, or check out the full episode (and understand my Victor Garber joke) by watching HERE.
Returning to ROM: After Dark
Zachary Flavelle | October 26th 2024
The ROM welcomed me back to run a carving demonstration during their After Dark Hallowe'en event. This year saw 3,700 costumed guests enjoy music, food, and drink while exploring the museum's various galleries.
Not only did the scavenger hunt return from last year with my featured artifact carvings, but I got to carve UNDER the Futalognkosaurus - next to my carving of the titanosaur from last year - as I worked on a witchy Tyrannosaurs rex for the evening.
One of my highlights for the night was a lovely pair dressed as Doctors Alan Grant and Ellie Satler as they appeared in the original Jurassic Park. The duo kindly gifted me a titanosaur sticker, firmly cementing the rule of three and providing me with a nice keepsake that now has a home on a shelf in my living room.
The GOOD STUFF with MARY BERG:
2nd Annual Pumpkinpalooza
Zachary Flavelle | October 24th 2024
This season I had the opportunity to compete head-to-head with fellow Pumpkins After Dark carver, Kara Klypycz ("The Pumpkin Queen of Cambridge"), in the 2nd Annual Pumpkinpalooza on The Good Stuff with Mary Berg.
We chose "Ancient Egypt" as our theme and tried to pull out all the stops to impress Mary and her studio audience. Kara carved a gigantic skeletal pharoh, while I created Anubis, the jackal-headed god of funeral rites and the dead.
Not only is Mary Berg just as kind in person as she is on air, but the entire crew (from producers and sound crew, to camera operators and stage managers), was comprised of incredibly hospitable and warm people.
The contest ended in a draw (decided by guest judge Leigh-Ann Allaire, a DIY craft expert), and I couldn't have been happier with the host and audience reactions to the work Kara and I put into our carvings.
You can stream the full episode from CTV.ca HERE.
Carving Residency at PUMPKINS AFTER DARK: MILTON
Zachary Flavelle | October 6th 2024
Throughout October, Pumpkins After Dark in Milton wows guests with more than 10,000 carved foam pumpkins arranged in elaborate displays with lights and sounds to get all who view them in the Hallowe'en mood!
For the 2024 season, I'll be included among a number of rotating resident carvers - all with unique styles - for the guests to visit, ask questions, and check out the work that goes into our unique craft.
My fellow carvers are incredibly talented, and include the beautiful pumpkin sculpting work of the TorontoFruitArtist and the "Pumpkin Queen of Cambridge" herself, Kara Klypycz, who does incredible traditional jack-o'-lanterns.
Zac's Jacks x Hamilton Farmers' Market
Zachary Flavelle | October 6th 2024
Two farmers' markets in one season! Boy am I spoiled (unlike the incredibly fresh produce available at the beautiful Hamilton Farmers' Market)!
I spent a lovely afternoon chatting with guests and answering questions about carving as I worked away on the HFM logo.
I also want to give a shout-out to the delicious Ami Meal Café for the delicious triangle gimbap (spicy chicken, crab and mayo, and tuna and kimchi, and they were all delicious)!
Hopefully you'll see the HFM and I collaborate on something new for next season...
Television Spot on CP24 Breakfast
Zachary Flavelle | September 28th 2024
For the 2024 Hallowe'en season I'll be partnering up with Pumpkins After Dark: Milton as a live pumpkin carver for a couple nights a week throughout October.
As part of my partnership with PAD, I was tasked - along with a couple of other artists - to contribute to a brief segment on CP24 Breakfast (Toronto's #1 morning show), focusing on pumpkin carving tips. You can watch the segement HERE.
The day of the segment was meteorologist Bill Coulter's birthday - who also got to host the segment - so I carved both he and CP24 Breakfast co-anchor Jennifer Hsiung (who celebrated her birthday the previous week).
The subjects liked their carvings so much that they requested to keep them (which I have taken as a very great honour).
Pictured to the right is Bill Coulter with the Chief Pumpkineer of Pumpkins After Dark, James Fraser.
Zac's Jacks x Brantford Farmers' Market
Zachary Flavelle | September 23rd 2024
It's almost spooky season again and Zac's Jacks has already been on the road to join the Brantford Farmers' Market.
The market often features talented local artists, and I was lucky enough to enjoy some live music (you can hear it in the video), while I spent the morning carving a thematic cornucopia.
If you find yourself in Brantford, the market is a great place to get fresh produce, baked goods, and delicious Jamaican patties!
ROM After Dark: Trick or Treat
Zachary Flavelle | October 30th 2023
Easily the largest amount of custom work I have ever done for a client, participating in the Royal Ontario Museum's "ROM After Dark: Trick-or-Treat" event was a dream come true.
Nine museum artifacts were carved across eleven foam pumpkins over 50+ hours of working with a rotary tool. Guests could scour the museum to find the eight freestanding artifact jacks and collect stamps to enter a raffle prize.
As someone who has always LOVED dinosaurs, the opportunity to carve the enormous Futalognkosaurus across three pumpkins, and then see it set up beneath the ROM's skeleton of the titanosaur, was surreal.
I also had the privilege to participate as a vendor during the event, doing a carving demonstration over the 4.5 hour evening, and giving me an opportunity to chat with guests, demonstrate carving techniques, answer questions, and show off the process of how a carving is completed.
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Zac's Jacks x Storm Crow Manor
Zachary Flavelle | October 27th 2023
If you aren't familiar with Storm Crow Manor on Toronto's Church Street, all you need to know is that it is a haven for nerd culture. Complete with stained glass windows of various pop-culture aliens, mounted monster heads on walls (such as the infamous Beholder from Dungeons & Dragons), and more film posters, props, and nerdy paraphernalia than you can shake a stick at!
I was granted the opportunity to run a carving workshop at the manor this season for wonderful and creative folks. For some it was their first time ever touching a pumpkin, and for others it was a fun night out with friends. It was a great vibe!
Getting Spooky for the Family Fright Fiesta!
Zachary Flavelle | October 22nd 2023
Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives ran their Family Fright Fiesta on October 21st, which included a series of carved foam pumpkins from Zac's Jacks.
The event hosted over 2,000 guests, who explored the Georgina Pioneer Village, with opportunities for scares, sweets, and games. Atendees could be entertained by live music, stage magic, spooky story recitals, a witchy escape room, spooky displays, and a haunted trail. Guests could even learn from special guest experts visiting from the Metro Toronto Zoo and Ontario Parks.
Creatures of the night were an educational theme for the evening, echoed by a large Great Horned Owl carving and six accompanying Vampire Bat jacks.
Zac's Jacks x Santa's Village
Zachary Flavelle | October 3rd 2023
If there is one thing Santa Clause does well, it's Christmas. But the poor guy doesn't know the first thing about Hallowe'en!
Luckily, Santa's Village and Zac's Jacks have collaborated to bring a drop-in style pumpkin carving workshop to the elves and visitors at Muskoka's Theme Park.
This past weekend (September 30th and October 1st) saw a great turnout, with almost 50 carved pumpkins added around Santa's Cottage and the illustrious Elf School. A second workshop will take place on the weekend of October 28th & 29th.
A Season of Collaborations
Zachary Flavelle | November 1st 2022
This season has been very active as I've collaborated with a variety of organizations, including a foyer display at Hilton Toronto, a carving workshop with Float, and for the third year, a commission for the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
While I may not have had much time to carve personal projects, it has been an exciting challenge to work with organizations to develop designs or workshops that fit their unique needs and vision.
Until next season, stay spooky!
Great Horned Owl Time-Lapse
Zachary Flavelle | November 2nd 2021
I was thrilled to be approached by Sandbanks Provincial Park with their not-for-profit group, The Friends of Sandbanks, to participate in their first Hallowe'en event - the Parade of Pumpkins.
As part of my involvement with the event, I was asked to create a virtual pumpkin carving demonstration for campers, as well as to carve an animal from the park in a time-lapse video. I created two videos for the park: one was a short time-lapse that could be used on social media (featured to the left), and the other was a longer, five-minute piece that included facts about Great Horned Owls.
Please enjoy the time-lapse, and I'll see you all next Spooky Season!
Outlook for Hallowe'en 2021
Zachary Flavelle | September 21st 2021
With a widespread rollout of COVID-19 vaccines over the past several months, many are optimistic that we'll be able to return to trick-or-treating this Hallowe'en. As long as people continue to be mindful of physical distancing, and ensure safety measures are taken, there should be a lot more people wandering the neighbourhoods, looking at spooky pumpkins.
I can imagine how disappointed some kids were last year when it wasn't possible to dress up and go door-to-door. Shout-out to the parents that still tried to give their kids the best experience possible by maintaining some normalcy through decorating their home, dressing up in costumes (even if just around the house), and continuing to carve pumpkins (like young Zac, pictured here). I sincerely hope families can get back out there again this fall.
I also know that there are some organizations that are dipping their toes into new and exciting Hallowe'en related events for the spooky season, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park, who will be remaining open for camping and day-use until October 31st. I've partnered with Sandbanks as they prepare to hold their first pumpkin carving event, so keep an eye out for some nature-themed jacks coming this season!
Have a safe and happy Hallowe'en!
Staying Spooky in the Age of COVID-19
Zachary Flavelle | October 1st 2020
This past year has seen the world change due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Months have been spent indoors, and despite quarantine and physical distancing, Ontario is now officially in the second wave of the pandemic. Unfortunately, it seems that trick-or-treating this season likely won't happen (a necessary step in the name of safety).
Thankfully, there are many that will still be working toward keeping October spooky (and safe), including Zac's Jacks!
While I don't anticipate I'll have time to carve many pumpkins this season due to how busy I am, I have already been fortunate enough to work with the Markham Fairgrounds on a carving for a virtual version of the annual Markham Fair. I'm hoping to have some other exciting projects in the works, too.
Regardless of what you have planned for Halloween, wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe.
Haunted Walk Time-Lapse
Zachary Flavelle | October 25th 2019
This season, in partnership with The Haunted Walk, with whom I also work as a guide and story-teller, I was commissioned to create a time-lapse video of the pumpkin to jack-'o-lantern process.
Two videos were created - one for the Haunted Walk Instagram that runs under a minute long, and a second for their Facebook page which was a bit longer. In the end, the shorter video was used for both, so I've posted the longer one here so that you get a bit more insight into what goes into the carving process.
I hope everyone has a safe and spooky Halloween!
Five Years Later and Still Fresh
Zachary Flavelle | September 6th 2019
Time sure has a funny way of rushing past. It'll be five years of Zac's Jacks come October! Reflecting on the four years since my last post I've only added another fourteen carvings to the gallery, but I've tried to aim for greater detail in my work (which is more time consuming). Working as a teacher has certainly restricted my long nights of carving, too. However, I've been able to bring my joy of carving into the schools I've worked in, running workshops for students, and even developing a World Cultures unit around spooky things from different countries (including the history of the jack-'o-lantern, part of which is now available in the "ABOUT" tab).
This year I also fulfilled a personal goal and joined The Haunted Walk of Toronto, acting as a guide and story teller to share some of the macabre history and ghostly tales of some of Toronto's spookiest locations. The plan is to create a carving for The Haunted Walk this season, with the addition of a video chronicling the creation process (from selecting a pumpkin to lighting the finished product).
Stay tuned!
A Year of Zac's Jacks
Zachary Flavelle | October 29th 2015
It's been just over a year since the launch of Zac's Jacks and time seems to be rocketing past like a confused chimpanzee on... well, a rocket. And while the past year has been quiet(ish) on the commissioned carving front, I've had the incredible opportunity to work on some personal carving projects, as well as some other artistic endeavours.
As things slow down for the winter I want to wish everyone a happy-whatever-you-do-when-winter-comes! Stay tuned for more carvings as they trickle out into November.
Before Zac's Jacks - Flavours of Fall
Zachary Flavelle | April 17th, 2015
While working on a creative portfolio of various projects I've worked on in the past, I must admit that I began running my name through Google. It was a dark hour. However, my search did turn up a previously unknown picture of myself from back in October of 2011, long before Zac's Jacks had been formally launched.
I had been commissioned by Royal LePage Pro Realty in Belleville, Ontario to set up a carving demonstration booth for the Flavours of Fall outdoor festival. I created several works in advance for display at the event and worked on one carving, beginning to end, over the course of the day.
This was my first paid event, and the exposure helped push me into carving as a business venture as opposed to just a hobby.
Zac's Jacks on TSN's Sports Centre
Zachary Flavelle | April 8th 2015
Back in 2012 my roommate, Craig, suggested that I carve a pumpkin of then Sports Centre hosts Dan O'Toole and Jay Onrait. The goal was to get the carving on television. I took him up on his suggestion, carving the duo on a pumpkin and sending some e-mails to TSN. Craig Tweeted the image to the TSN Twitter account, evoking debates among fans as to whether or not the image was a photoshop job or a legit carving. Apparently sports fans use very colourful language, on occasion.
On Halloween I learned from my parents that it had aired, but I missed it while in class! I thought all was lost until a friend sent me this video that he had shot of the pumpkin on Sports Centre. Therefore, a very special thanks is owed to Matt Dubois! I have finally exported the video from Facebook to share it with you here.
Launching Zac's Jacks
Zachary Flavelle | October 1st 2014
For the past couple of years I've toyed with the idea of forming a small business to create commissioned works for weddings and special events, but my time has always been tied up in other endeavours. I made the decision that this year would be the year to create something small and see what happens with it.
Zac's Jacks is the result of countless people telling me, "Hey! You should do this for weddings." And while carving can be both frustrating and fun, I also want the opportunity to pass on the skills I've learned (and am still learning) in the form of workshops. As a certified teacher, and having worked in education for over a decade, working with others to improve their abilities is just as rewarding as carving itself.
Please enjoy the website and the galleries within. I will be making updates as I finish each project, so check back often (especially in October).