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First Prize Decorated and Best of Show

Lee Michele Boyle

Canadian artist Lee Michele Boyle created  "Tropical Fish" by using two emu eggs.  Texturing was added using Styrofoam, plaster, plaster cloth, and molding paste.  If you let this colorful Fish "kiss" your eye while you rotate the fish's body, you'll "see" swirling fireworks of green, teal, blue, fuchsia, and purple, as it contains a working hand-made Kaleidoscope built inside those two Emu Eggs with a tumbling chamber containing an assortment of sizes and shapes of translucent glass beads sealed with a circle of textured iridescent glass located near the Fish's tail and a clear viewing lens located in the Fish's mouth. The Fish swims above a stand created from a wooden plaque stained with translucent ink/varathane mixture, sand from Florida, seashells collected from world travels, and hand-made plaster cloth/molding paste seaweed.  It was airbrushed using acrylics.

Lee tells us:

The versatility and variety of egg "canvasses", each with its own unique size, shape, colour, and texture, continue to intrigue and fire my imagination with unlimited possibilities.  Even the specialness of "deformed" eggshells and those itty-bitty yolkless eggshells laid by first-time mamas speak to me.  Through the past five years, my egg art has broadened, as had my choice of canvasses, to encompass a variety of techniques and styles, including pysanky, coloured pencil, vinegar-etched, scratch art, painted (acrylics), artists pastels, enameled and marbleized, beaded, diorama, fimo/molding paste creations, hinged, lattice, filigree, deep relief/carved, and decoupage.  I feel quite honored to have been able to learn from and to share some of my experiments and techniques with other eggers, particularly with the Fowl Eggers (our fun-loving group of "hens" with a passion for egging).

Each of my original one-of-a-kind designs would not have been possible were it not for the generosity and support of those wonderful caring farmers from whom I obtain my quality, infertile eggshells.  Those gracious farmers have taken the time to introduce me to and to bring me closer to Mother Nature's fine feathered and furry friends, sharing with me hilarious tales and proud moments alike.  One of those special farmers just celebrated his 50th year of volunteering with the Calgary Stampede, hosting an exotic fowl exhibit and chick hatchery, and, thanks to his efforts, many children raised in the City have learned to appreciate our proud Western heritage.  Thanks to those farmers, I have had the privilege of meeting up close and personal such a wide variety of fowl ranging in age from newly hatched to adult, all with personalities as varied as you and I.

You cannot help but marvel at the miracle of life taking place before your eyes as you witness those newly hatched baby chicks peeping so enthusiastically.  From the tiny partridge to the large ratite chicks, I have never ceased to wonder at how that delicate fluffy little body which looked so big once it hatched could ever have fitted inside and broken out of that eggshell.  I was privileged to be able to stroke the soft baby-like skin of the feet of a three-day-old ostrich chick as it cuddled into the farmer's shoulder, and then later to watch it duck and scoot for cover towards the protection of a bale of hay as its older relatives sprinted over top of it like Olympic hurdlers.  One of my favorite birds is a gentle emu who rests its head on your shoulder and follows you around the farmer's yard like a puppy dog.  One of its pals, however, keeps you on your toes as it focuses all its attention on your shiny metal buttons glinting in the sunlight and tries its best to steal it for itself.  As for the rheas, bedding down in the barn at night is a sight to behold:  the rheas sit down in nice even rows, all facing one direction, just as if they were watching a movie at drive-in theater.  The ostriches on the other hand sit down in a circle facing outwards with the eldest birds on the outside ring and the chicks scrambling over backs to dive into the safety of the cozy center.  The swinging neck and wings of the ostrich male during its mating dance and the circular quivering display of the male peacock in full plumage are impressive sights indeed.  Now you know where much of my inspiration comes from!

Over the past couple of years, I have been fortunate to be able to showcase some of my egg art in the arts and crafts competition at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the organizers have been very supportive in recognizing this new area of art.  This year, my sole entry, "Tropical Kiss", was accepted into the Professional Masters' Section, and I was thrilled and honored to see that it won 2nd in Assorted Handicrafts (equivalent to a "Best of Show") against non-egging entries.  This Fall, one of my eggs, "Power of Love", will be auctioned by the Kinette Club of Vegreville, Alberta, Canada, during their annual national convention, "Eggstock: Lovin' in the 60's", with the money raised going to charity.

I have come to realize that my art is an expression of my joy and wonder in being a part of God's creation, and is my way of sharing the smile in my heart with others.  I truly enjoy the challenge of capturing the spirit and personality of my fine feathered and furry friends while transforming three-dimensionally something plain and ordinary into something unique and beautiful -- my "legacy."

Lee Michele Boyle
1054 Northmount Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta  T2L 0B9
Canada
Lee's Legacy
leeboyle@telus.net
(403) 289-1722