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SUBMIT ARTICLE

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The Last Page

Artist:  Wendy Y. Payseur

First Place Painted 2002
(click on photos to enlarge) 

"Tiger Paws"
The artist first etched down to the teal on this egg to make a "frame" for her tiger's portrait.  
The two tiger paws accenting the oval are actually etched into the shell as well.

"My name is Wendy Y. Payseur. I am a stay at home mother of two young children, ages 3 and 5.  I started painting eggs when my oldest daughter was four months old.  I painted a goose egg for her first Easter Sunday. After that I painted a few goose eggs for gifts here and there."  Because her family comes first, Wendy does not get to paint every day.  Summers bring gardening and canning as well as trips to the pool with her oldest daughter, who has Prader Willi Syndrom, and swims for physical therapy.  She tells us she is able to spend more time on her painting during the winter months while her daughter is in school.  

Wendy has had no formal training in art and praises God for giving her the talent for painting.  "After I had painted a few chicken and goose eggs I found out about John Blanton in Shelby, NC. He is the owner of Brushy Creek Emu Ranch and a member of the North Carolina Emu Ranchers Association. He liked my work so much that we worked out a trade with painted eggs for blown emu eggs." Wendy went on to say that she has been  painting the smother eggs straight on the outer shell, but the rough ones must be sanded down to the teal second coat, the way she did the "Tiger Paws" egg above.  She does whatever it takes to get the look she wants.  In some cases she is able to paint a scene on an emu egg without doing any sanding.  Given her choice of what to paint, Wendy would choose either flowers or birds.  

To achieve such realistic results takes time.  Roses (like the white roses egg to the left or the orange roses to the right) take 4 to 8 hours to paint on an egg, depending on how large an area is being covered.  Add to that the time it takes to sand down the area to make it smooth enough to paint, as she did with both of these eggs.  Some of her designs cover the entire egg.  The "Orange Roses" egg to the right won second place in the Painted Category in this year's Extravagant Emu Egg Contest.

Wendy tells us that she has had the opportunity to paint  on a medium not normally available to egg artists.   "I have also painted ostrich and quail eggs, but my most memorable painted egg was that of a Bald eagle’s. The eagle’s egg was painted on location at the North Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC.  They have it on display in the gift shop. For me, this had to be the ultimate high for painting eggs. Not everyone can boast of having painted an actual Bald eagle’s egg. The general public, myself included, can not own or have any part of this precious endangered species that is such an embodiment of American pride and spirit. I went to the Raptor Center and donated my time and work just for the thrill of painting the Eagle’s egg."

"All eggs to me represent life and fertility. They make wonderful gifts in which each one is unique. I can never duplicate the beauty that God has made through his creation but I pray my painted eggs will touch and bless others and show them that we can use our talents and abilities to glorify and worship our Father God through his son Jesus Christ."

Look for Wendy's booth at the 17th Annual Art Fest in historic downtown Matthews, N.C. on September 28th & 29th.  

Wendy may be contacted by email or snail mail:

Wendy Y. Payseur
3441 East Hwy. 27
Lincolnton, NC 28092   USA
Phone:  704-736-0009

Wendy's web page is pending.  If you would like to be notified when it is up and running so you can see more of her fabulous work, email her and ask to be added to the list.