Morton, the longtime partner of acquisitions librarian Barbara Hatcher, has become known for his detailed pumpkin art.

Morton has been carving pumpkins -- and watermelons -- for more than 20 years. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)

For the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, he has carved UVA and literary themes including the Rotunda and Edgar Allan Poe and the raven.

This year, he plans to carve two pumpkins for Special Collections and three for the Law School that will be displayed a few days before Halloween.

UVA Today asked Morton for some tips for carving the perfect pumpkin.

Fair warning: Depending on the difficulty of the design, it can take up to eight hours to complete the carving.

Also, the sharp knives he uses are not suitable for children.

As soon as you cut into the pumpkin – even if you don’t go all the way through – the pumpkin begins to degrade and will only last three or four days before it starts to get moldy, so plan accordingly.

1. Wash the pumpkin and make sure it’s as clean and smooth as possible (except for its natural curves).
2. Draw the design on the outside with a washable marker that will rub off when you’re done. Simple designs like those in a coloring book work best.
3. Cut the design on the outer surface, but don’t slice all the way through (if the design calls for that) until you’re close to finishing.
4. Use a precision craft knife, like an X-Acto knife, and be careful. Make small cuts into the skin at 45-degree angles. The cuts should be ¼ to 1/8 inch deep. Remove the pieces of skin if they don’t fall off.
5. If you are cutting all the way through the pumpkin rind, you can use either a serrated or smooth-edged blade.
6. Cut around the top rim and hollow out the pumpkin. Consider an ice-cream scoop to get the guts out. Don’t be afraid to make it thin when scooping from the inside so the light you’re going to put inside will shine through the pale skin or cut-out parts.
7. You can even buy special LED lights for pumpkins that are bright enough to illuminate these works of pumpkin art.