Real Eggs: Decorated
One of my passions has developed into decorating real eggs. It started as a way of my son making gifts for his teachers at Christmas. These were crude and utilized cracked eggs, not blown. Soon I had the bug and tested some other ideas out and made 'Holly'. I knew then that I would fall in love with making egg baubles / keepsakes.
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I blow each egg myself but I use a syringe to help me as I prefer to have just one hole, not two. I then clean each out with soapy water, and finally I like to cook them. I struggle to use smelly products like bleach, and the heat sterilizes them, although can change the colour of the egg sometimes.
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Once complete, I wash the outside with a damp cloth and begin. I draw the image chosen in pencil and begin to paint in my favourite gouache. I tried several types and finally had to keep Winsor Newton - for other projects I happily use cheaper alternatives, but they all 'slipped' and caused me lots of trouble on the egg, where WN works a treat.
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Once the painting is complete - it can take several hours / days, as parts have to dry where I am holding the egg, a 2D shape is much easier! Next I love to add little sparkles and glitter - not too much, just enough to catch the light. Once finished I varnish the eggs to protect them, and each is housed in its own up-cycled tin.
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The tins are made safe around the tops and then layered with papier-mache, felt lined and a new lid created. I am trying to re-use as many products as I can and to be as eco friendly as possible. The tin is painted to match its egg.
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One egg and tin set takes a minimum of 6 days (3 each), but some take much longer. I allow 3 weeks for a commission and contact the buyer several times with updated images. Once the varnish is on, it is too late to alter.
