Many thanks go out to the Salt Lake Tribune for printing the great article today. I hope the link on the title of this post is able to take you to the on-line version of the article. there were numerous photos and quite a write up. her are the photos from the online article and a copy of the article in the best format I can find to use on this blog.
For artist, eggs are a singular delicacy
Exhibition » On display in West Valley City
By Tom Wharton
The Salt Lake TribuneSalt Lake Tribune
Posted:
West Valley City » Egg carver Brian Baity knows the drill.
And that's why 40 of his hand-carved egg shells are on display during this Easter season.
Lew Jensen, an Orem dentist, used his knowledge of drills to invent a tool (sold through a company called Profitable Hobbies) that allows artists such as Baity to carve geometric patterns on such delicate objects as egg shells, glass, crystal, gourds and wood.
Besides, Baity had something to prove when he started carving eggs in 2005 after buying one of the drills.
"When we decorated Easter eggs, I always lost the contest," said Baity, who says the eggs sell anywhere from $75 to $5,000.
Judging from the intricate designs Baity creates on eggs that range in size from a tiny quail to a large ostrich, winning that contest should not be a problem.
Michael Christensen, folklorist for the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, was particularly impressed with the way Baity uses different egg layers to provide color for his works, which are never dyed.
"There is a rhea egg that he has carved that has four layers," said Christensen. "It looks like it is painted but it's not."
Baity, a Renaissance man who also enjoys working with bonsai and loves pre-1970s British sports cars, said his background in metrology, the science of weights and measures, helped him master the carving technique. Metrology involves electronic and physical calibration that must be scientific and precise. For example, one laser system he worked on can dissect a human hair into a thousand equal pieces.
"This leads into the precise geometric designs I like to do," he said.
Baity purchases eggs online that have already had the yolk and white removed. Smaller eggs are more expensive because they take more time and are more difficult to carve than the bigger ones, he said.
"The simple ones I can do in an hour or less," said the artist, who once spent 200 hours designing and carving a single egg. "The thicker the egg, the less apt the drill is to wander. Bigger is better in this case."
Christensen said the eggs are displayed inside some gourds that were also carved by Baity, some of which have Easter themes.
For more information on Baity's artwork, visit his Web site at
http://www.brianbaitystudio.com/.
wharton@sltrib.comSee shells in a new light at exhibit
What » Carved egg shell exhibit
Where » Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City
When » Through April 30. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
How much » Free
More info » www.CulturalCelebration.org, or 801-965-5108
Looking for Easter egg hunts? XX
