When I was little, my first doll was a DAM troll doll. He’s the one in the middle. His name is Trollee. He’s 43 years old now. EEK! By the time I reached middle school, Trollee’s family grew to include Trolls, Trollette and Trollina. Sadly, Trollina was cast into a vacuous attic full of fluffy insulation by a neighborhood toddler and was never seen again. Before Trollina’s untimely demise, however, my dad and I built a wooden troll doll house from scratch and we won first place in the 1976 Utah State Fair. Which brings me to my Scary Pumpkin Scarecrow…


I drew this fellow because I’m feeling the Halloween spirit (it’s my favorite holiday). When my family saw him they were a little creeped out. They said his eyes were…troublesome. I was trying to figure out where the eyes came from and then I remembered my troll dolls. Look at the eyes! They’re the same. Many times, I’ll discover after a drawing or painting is done that I was unconsciously influenced by someone or something. Voilà! it magically materializes in my work.

Pumpkin Scarecrow detail