Did you know the humble egg has been used in art as far back as the 1st century BC.
WHAT IS EGG TEMPERA
Egg tempera is a form of paint that is created by mixing egg yolk with powdered pigments and a little water.
“Egg tempera was used in the ancient world, in Egypt from around the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD and in the early Christian era it was used to paint icons. For centuries, egg tempera was artists’ preferred medium for panel paintings, and many of the medieval and renaissance masterpieces found in museums and art galleries were executed in egg tempera. More durable than oil and with a luminosity similar to watercolour, egg tempera offers many advantages to artists willing to embrace the challenge of working with this ancient medium.“
Read the rest of this fascinating article by Rebecca Wall:-
Other enlightening research by Spike Bucklow from the University of Cambridge, describes how far the simple egg has extended the richness and splendour of paintings. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/egg-cetera-4-mayonnaise-and-the-making-of-masterpieces
EGG SHELL CARVING
People were carvings symbolic patterns into ostrich eggs as early as 60,000 years ago. Pierre-Jean Texier discovered a set of 270 eggshell fragments from Howieson Poort Shelter, a South African cave that has been a rich source of archaeological finds.
There are no words to describe how amazing egg shell carvings can be, especially when done on the delicate eggs of smaller birds like chickens or ducks… just take a quick look at these 2 video links and see if you would dare to attempt one…
EGGSHELL MOSAICS
On the surface egg shells don’t really standout as a first choice for creating a mosaic . When it comes to mosaics the materials do not have to be glass, tiles or stone. There are other mediums available and artists like Linda Biggers have innovatively capitalised on including coloured eggshells in her pieces. She explains that it gives her confidence as the egg shells bring a touch and feel to her work. (see the link to her amazing work at the end of this article). The opportunity now lies in the fun YOU can have in creating an exciting artwork, and unleash your inner artist! The fact that you probably use eggs in your home, makes it easier to attempt a mosaic, so keep the shells to the side and build your reserves.
Remember you can colour your egg shells before applying to your board (see our article Eco friendly colour fun) or paint after application.
For those of you who REALLY want to test your skill – have a look at the spectacular mosaics of Linda Biggers – click here
We hope you are eggsited to try some eggstraordinary art!