Halloween! Wow does this bring back memories! Sculpting this ”Terrifying Trio” plaque took me back to being a kid again. Some kids had official costumes from the store, but most of us rummaged through closets looking for quirky hats, coats or any other clothing cast off.
The home made last minute costume is what I usually assembled. The boy in the center has a paper bag with eye holes scissored in. This was about as basic as a kid might create. I imagined the boy with a skull mask as the little brother that was lucky enough to tag along on such a special night. Notice that his mask was probably a hand-me-down since it appears to be way too large. Both boys have on their everyday shirts, pants, and shoes. A testament to the last minute thought process of little boys.
The little girl, however, put a little more thought and effort into her costume. The ballet skirt and the slightly large cowgirl boots transform her into a mysterious person holding up an unusually large cat mask. Where did such a large mask originate? Maybe it was a wall decoration from the previous year. Anyway, her costume is original from head to toe. I hope her arms didn’t get tired holding up that large mask all night.
The rest of the plaque is full of details reminiscent of decorations from my childhood. A scary Witch flying in front of the moon, a large eyed owl hooting from a haunted tree and of course BATS. Lots and lots of BATS! On the ground are candy wrappers. Some treats needed to be eaten immediately to keep the Halloween adrenaline rush at a high level.
While sculpting this piece, many many memories of being that age on the the coolest, tastiest and most magical night ever kept popping into my thoughts. Just the way it felt to be that size again. To live totally in the moment on a night that came only once a year. I can almost feel the energy of other kids from the neighborhood and the sounds of little voices from children shouting and laughing in the cool night air. There were also a few serious shouts and panting from kids like me. I was the type of kid that tried to maximize every last second of collecting FREE candy. This meant RUNNING from house to house and selecting on the fly which houses to skip (because they handed out apples or items less chocolatey treats) and maybe hitting the houses that handed out the Big candy bars a second time on the return trip to home.
PS- As my wife Deb read this, she remembered that one year SHE went trick or treating as a paper bag. She remembers it as being super cool and creative. She also remembered that it rained that Halloween. Hmmmm rain and paper bag costumes….. not a good combination. Oh well, another chance to live in the moment next Halloween, with an original, home made and even more awesome scary costume to create.
Buy this Plaque now! Just in time for Halloween!
Check out the rest of George’s awesome plaques and read his amazing story!
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