Lakeport >> In over 20 years of eggery art, Geri Williamson has only broken a handful of shells.
“They’re not as fragile as you think,” she said of her canvas of choice, which happens to be egg shells. But she was quick to add that you do want to avoid dropping them, especially smaller ones like finch and quail eggs. “They are breakable, but you learn how to handle them.”
But emu, ostrich and Williamson’s favorite, rhea, are more sturdy. Which is fortunate, given her inclination to occasionally tear apart a design she’s dissatisfied with. And even if an egg does suffer an accident, repairs can be made, as long as they can be hidden beneath beading, velvet, leather or chord.
Aside from a careful hand, eggery also requires what seems to be an extraordinary amount of patience. Williamson hand beads many of her designs, laying out individual beads piece by piece, sometimes on shells as large as 18 inches around. Other designs she covers in cord. Her most recent project required 40 hours to complete.
Though it may seem like a daunting task, the meticulous attention to detail and the time consuming work is what Williamson enjoys about eggery. Though she doesn’t bead for eight hours a day, she relishes the art, so much so that she’s always working on three eggs at a time. “I’m just crazy about doing eggs,” she said. “I love it.”
Williamson took up the art form in 1998 after a visit to a harvest festival where she spotted some eggery. Though a move to Penang for her husband’s work put off her plans, when they returned from abroad Williamson signed up for an eggery class in Sacramento. Though she had done a good deal of crafting in the past, from macrame to mosaics, the egg work grabbed her more than anything had before.
Just don’t call it a craft, unless you really want to annoy her. Eggery is an art form, Williamson insisted — she can’t sell her work at craft fairs. “It is not a craft. That does bother me,” she said. “Anything else you can go buy a book and learn how to do it. Macrame I taught myself from a book.”
But when it comes to creating these elaborate eggs covered in crystals, silk and leather, enrolling in a class is necessary. Even for Williamson, who has two decades of experience in eggery, there’s always something to learn. She often drives to egg shows where she learns new techniques and styles. Just two weekends ago, she attended an annual show in Sacramento, where she was taught how to manipulate Japanese silk. “It keeps the creative juices flowing,” she said.
Williamson can make a number of items from egg shells, from décor like ornaments and fairy tale scenes, to practical items such as jewelry boxes and clocks. She even makes miniature chess sets, complete with playable pieces. All of her work is in a glitzy, Faberge style, which is Williamson’s favorite aesthetic. “You’re only limited by your imagination,” she said.
It can take two weeks to finish a heavily beaded egg and though eggery tends to be a long process, it’s also a fairly straightforward one. Williamson maps out her design, sketches it onto the eggshell and carves it out using what she described as “basically a dental drill.” Then she places down her chosen fabric and jewels.
Eggery isn’t the most popular of art forms in Lake County, but Williamson said she would love to change that. In the past she attempted to get a class under way, but faced a serious challenge when the economy dropped and her students could no longer afford to learn the art. But she will still happily instruct anyone interested in the subject, even if she doesn’t have a full class to lead.
Despite the intricate nature of her own designs, eggery shouldn’t feel intimidating. “The remarkable thing about it is, people get enthusiastic when they do their first project because they don’t expect it to be perfect or that good,” she said, “and they find out they can do it.”
Williamson starts her students off easy, walking them through the steps to create a butterfly from pre-cut eggshells. “It gives them a feel for most of the things they’ll come in contact with if they do an egg,” she explained.
The cost of a class is supplies plus $25, and after a few hours people will have their very own piece of art. “I want them to go home with a completed egg, I want them to finish what they do,” Williamson said. “There are too many people who start something and end up not finishing it.”
However, eggery isn’t practical for everyone, as it can be on the more expensive size. Williamson buys her eggs pre-blown and while the cost varies, it is never cheap. She has to shell out $28 for an ostrich egg, for example. She is resourceful, though. She scours dollar stores for parts and uses bases of snow globes and candle holders as egg stands. But once the egg is finished, you’d never know exactly where the parts came from.
But even with Williamson cutting costs where she can, her eggs can run up to $1,000. Most fall between $250-$300, with very few under $100. Of her 13 display cases, all eggs are for sale, save one decorated with a broach which used to belong to her mother. “They’re sort of amazed when they first walk into the room,” Williamson said. “It’s just an interesting art.”
From anniversaries to baby showers to birthdays, friends and family purchase eggs from her for a number of occasions. She can make items to order as well, including eggs which are engraved or ones containing pictures. She invites anyone interested in her collection to visit her home in Lakeport and take a look. Call Williamson at 263-6476.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
