Egg Painting: Plain or Whatever You Fancy

Not as involved with ornamental or mechanical detailing of eggs as the artists mentioned in the story at right is a second group of egg hobbyists that we’ll call egg painters. They can be any age, from the little nursery school tot dipping his first Easter egg in a primary food color to retired artists painting intricate patterns and scenes onto different eggs.

For the Easter festivities, most people just like to tint their eggs plain, from pastels to brilliant or bold colors. This year Suhail Shabbar, chef-owner of the Crown Room Family Restaurant in Manteca, Calif., will beat everyone for cooking and dyeing the greatest number of eggs in a day. The eggs were prepared for the world’s largest Easter Egg Hunt held last weekend in the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton.

Thousands of people attended the festival, including hundreds of handicapped children that were bused to the area. In 24 hours (March 25 to 26) the young chef, aided by the Kiwanis Club of Manteca, hard-cooked 97,200 eggs, using 11 burners, and colored them all in pools of food dyes. The goal was to break the existing Guinness World Record of 72,000 held by a Texas group.

Ethnic Easter egg painters opt for more complex treatment as required in the dazzling Ukrainian eggs called pyzanki . The process involves drawing traditional symbols and patterns, waxing, dyeing and melting to expose the intricate design. Fortunately, Ukrainian egg kits are now available. For ordering information call Maid of Scandinavia’s toll-free number at 800-328-6722.

Merl Sellens’ preferred egg-coloring strategy is natural dyeing, a European tradition that dates back many centuries. The retired building inspector from Santa Maria became interested in the art when his daughter, Jane Atwater, gave him 45 goose eggshells for Father’s Day in 1979, with information on the dyeing and etching technique.

The source of nature’s palette of colors is unlimited, he said. The oldest and most popular is onion skins, juxtaposing and marbleizing orange and brown tones. “I started with these, then went on to strong orange pekoe tea, coffee, eucalyptus bark and walnut hulls, which result in various shades of brown,” Sellens said. He recommends getting friendlier with your produce man so he can save you onion skins and outer red cabbage leaves.”

For other color sources growing around, he said, “Red cabbage leaves and Concord grapes will give you a blue to an almost black tone while orange marigold blossoms produce a light green. Cochineal (a South American insect that feeds on cactus leaves) is dried and pulverized to produce a bright red. So does Brazil wood. My latest discovery is that the poinsettia plant, which provides green dye.”

Sellens finds enjoyment and unusual success with his leaf prints, using carrot leaves, red oak leaves or anything with nice patterns. “This technique is done by placing a blown eggshell on an upside down 6-ounce Dixie cup so it won’t roll off,” he explained, “a wet leaf is placed on the wet egg, then bound on the shell with a piece of wet nylon hose by stretching it out, then coming over the shell and twisting it tight with a twist tie. The shells are submerged in the dye bath from two to 48 hours.”

If you don’t have the time or the artistic gift to decorate from scratch, you can always turn to the latest egg decorating kits. We did; our best “shell show-offs” were the glitter-filled marbled eggs made with Dudley’s Sparkle Eggs kit from Spearhead Industries.

On the following pages are some other ideas for brightening up Easter eggs.

BLOWN-OUT EGG SHELLS

Wash and dry each egg. Make tiny hole in small end of egg by piercing 2 or 3 times with darning or regular needle. Sterilize needle if using insides of egg. Pierce large end 3 or 4 times, making larger hole than in small end. Stick needle down inside egg and move it around to make sure both membranes and yolk are broken.

Blow from small end to large end, letting contents flow into cup or bowl. If egg doesn’t flow out easily, move needle around inside shell again to be sure membranes are broken. Shaking egg may help, too.

Rinse shell in cold water and let dry. Handle shells carefully when decorating as they are quite fragile.

HARD-COOKED EGGS

Place eggs in single layer in saucepan. Add enough tap water to come at least 1 inch above eggs. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Turn off heat. If necessary, remove from burner to prevent further boiling. Let eggs stand covered, 15 to 17 minutes for large eggs. Adjust time up or down by about 3 minutes for each size larger or smaller.

Immediately run cold water over eggs or put them in ice water until completely cooled. To remove shell, crackle it by tapping gently all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell, then peel, starting at large end. Hold egg under running cold water or dip in bowl of water to help ease off shell.

MARBLED EASTER EGGS OR FAUX EGGS

Use blown-out egg shells or hard-cooked eggs (keep egg carton on hand for drying and storage). Line baking sheet with wax paper or foil. Place cellulose kitchen sponges on baking sheet and pour 1 to 2 tablespoons food color over center portion of each sponge, essentially creating an inked stamp pad. Use new sponge for each color. Let color stand on sponge for about 5 minutes to be absorbed.

Holding egg at top and bottom, between thumb and forefinger, gently roll egg over sponge. Shift holding postion to turn egg and roll again to cover entire shell surface. After just a few turns, a pattern is created. As each egg is finished, set it back in place in egg carton to dry.

Experiment by rolling twice in one color. Or, if you’d like to roll an egg in more than one color, dry completely between colors. Variations can be made as desired.

NEW WAVE EGGS

Dab pencil-top erasers or edges of block-style erasers onto dye-soaked sponges, then press onto eggs. Use varying pressure and different eraser angles to create various patterns.

NATURALLY DYED EGGS

Colors and natural dyes:

Pinkish reds--cranberries, beets or red radishes or frozen raspberries;

Orange to terra-cotta browns--yellow onion skins;

Yellow--orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seeds and ground cumin;

Bright yellow--ground turmeric;

Pale green--fresh spinach leaves;

Greenish gold--yellow Delicious apple peels;

Blue--juice of canned blueberries ranging from pale robin’s egg blue through deep blue as berries themselves;

Pale blue to deep teal blue--red cabbage leaves;

Beige to very deep rich brown--strong brewed coffee; use dill seeds for unique brownish gold and chili powder for unusual brownish orange;

Gray--bottled purple or red grape juice;

Grayish beige--canned beet juice.

For best penetration of dyes, dip each egg into mild detergent solution and wash, scrubbing gently with soft brush. Rinse well. Eggs may be hard-cooked and chilled.

Select desired natural dyes. If using whole fruits or vegetables, chop pieces and place in glass, stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Cover with tap water (no need to dilute if using juice dyes) to come at least one inch above eggs or dyestuff and 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each cup water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. (If eggs haven’t been hard-cooked, they may be cooked with dyestuff but they may be slightly overcooked and green rings may form around yolks. For deeper color, leave eggs in hot water, then dry and chill.)

Remove saucepan from heat. Add eggs and let stand in hot water until desired color is reached. Dry and chill.

Natural dyes may be cooked ahead and saved for later use. Strain off liquid and store in sealed jar in refrigerator. About 2 cups of liquid is needed to cover one to 5 eggs in 1-quart saucepan.

For smaller amounts, dye egg, one at a time, in small container. Pour about 3/4 cup of hot dyeing liquid into an 8-ounce jar or measuring cup. Stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar (do not use vinegar for onion dye). Carefully lower egg into liquid and let stand until desired color is obtained.

Dry eggs thoroughly and preserve with few coats of acrylic spray or oil.

NATURALLY DECORATED EGGS

After eggs have been dyed and dried, choose ingredients with interesting shapes, textures and colors and secure them to shells with clear-drying craft glue:

Dehydrated chopped carrots, green or red peppers, chives, floral herb tea, dried split peas, small beans or lentils, corn kernels;

Seeds of anise, caraway, dill, poppy seeds, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds;

Whole cloves or peppercorns;

Oats or other cereal flakes;

Small pasta shapes;

Wild rice, brown or white rice;

Small dried flowers;

Pretty leaves;

Liquid from water-packed berries or cherries.

BATIK EGGS (LEAF RESIST DYEING)

Use pretty-shaped small leaves or leaf clusters from the garden or herb pots, or petals such as the following:

Ivy, rose, Boston fern, parsley, Italian parsley, dill or blossoms of freeway daisies. Cut a 4- or 5-inch inch tube from an old clean pair of nylon stockings.

Position one or 2 wet leaves on egg and place egg inside nylon tube. Pull up both ends of nylon, twisting with twist ties; or twist at each end, whichever is easier method.

Prepare natural dye or food color, preferably deeper hues. Lower wrapped egg into dye and check occasionally until desired color intensity is reached. Lift wrapped egg out of dye and set back in egg carton. Finish dyeing remaining eggs. When completely dry, untie nylon tubes and remove eggs.

To use food coloring as dye, add 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar and about 1/8 teaspoon food color to each 2/3 cup water you use. Stir to blend well.

PANORAMA EGGS

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon water

Large egg-shaped mold

Royal icing

Miniature Easter bunnies, eggs or other figures

Mix sugar and water thoroughly. Open mold into halves and dust insides evenly with cornstarch. Pack sugar mixture firmly into each half of mold and level off top. Immediately invert mold and place open side down on cardboard surface and tap to release.

Using spoon or string, sever pointed end of each egg half. Place wax paper against this cutout. Prop in place and let stand at least 2 hours or until hardened.

Gently scoop out all damp sugar from inside of egg form. Very carefully scrape surface until shell is smooth and translucent but not too thin. Fill inside of bottom half with choice of Easter figures. Pipe royal icing along rim of bottom half. Put halves together. When icing is set, decorate outside (top and middle circumference) by piping icing flowers or patterns with different colored royal icing.

EASTER GARDEN EGG BLOSSOMS

Color blown-out or hard-cooked eggs in brilliant hues or pastel shades using nontoxic packaged or natural dyes or food colors. While eggs are drying, cut petals or fringe from crepe or tissue paper. For curled petals, simply roll outer edges of paper around pencil or knitting needle (crepe paper is slightly easier to curl than tissue).

Glue petals or fringe around lower third of each egg. Use egg carton to hold eggs while glue is drying. For finishing touch, add either real or artificial greenery or gift package bumblebee or lady bug. Nestle egg blossoms in Easter “grass” or straw on table or in an attractive bowl or basket.

SHELLED MARBLEIZED EGGS

Use chilled hard-cooked eggs. Prepare an assortment of brilliant edible food colors in individual small bowls or cups. Dip eggs in bowl and let stand at least 30 minutes. Remove from colors and dab with paper towels. Crack gently by tapping on counter or using teaspoon to produce a myriad of small cracks. Remove shells to expose marbled effects. Serve on lettuce leaves or with edible flowers.