Work-at-Home Success Story

PF: I see your beautiful painted eggs and wonder
"How do you do that?"
Mariane: With great patience! (smile) It's difficult to paint on a round surface but once you make eye adjustments, you can do it with some degree of facility. I purchase plain wooden eggs (regular size
or larger goose egg size) online from a national supplier and sketch or trace a design on the egg, then paint it with acrylic paints from craft stores.

Often I get ideas from greeting cards, from the Internet or from magazines. I keep a file of ideas. After my painting is dry, I bore a hole into the bottom of the wooden egg, insert a long nail with  no head, and dip the egg up to 15 times in a fine-quality acrylic polyurethane which doesn't yellow the egg. There is at least a 4-hour drying period between dippings so the process takes several days. Using a kids' Styrofoam surf board and needlenose pliers, I stand the egg up into the Styrofoam where it drips polyurethane off the bottom of the egg, leaving the top and sides of the egg with a glass-like finish.

PF: Where did you learn this fine art?
Mariane: I learned from a man on the Internet who does it full-time and whom I consider the master of egg painting.  He has painted over 38,000 of them and sells them at  Disneyland and Disneyworld and of course, online.

PF: What made you decide to create the eggs for resale?
Mariane: I am a retired teacher, have always loved painting and the eggs are small enough to fit into my hand for easy painting.  I also am partially disabled and egg painting is a wonderful and relaxing way to be creative and productive.

PF: How much time do you devote to the egg creation and sales?
Mariane: It's seasonal, with Easter being the busiest time but Christmas is very busy, also.  There are so many beautiful Christmas scenes that I can't wait to paint on a goose egg because the Christmas colors are so brilliant and beautiful.  But the Easter colors with purple and gold, and the pastel colors of yellow, light blue, pink and green are almost as pretty.

PF: What do you enjoy most about this creative business pursuit?
Mariane: It gives me a sense of accomplishment which at my age is no small thing.  It would be easier just to sit and read all day and watch television, I guess, but painting eggs provides almost instant gratification, unlike canvas painting.  Eggs can be personalized for a newborn baby, for weddings, birthdays, with any short message written in script on the back for any occasion.  People like that. They become keepsakes.

PF: Do you sell the eggs through non-Internet venues?
Mariane: Yes, I sell them to friends who tell their friends.  Relatives are another matter. (smile) The eggs make great gifts for all my loved ones.

PF: What is the most challenging thing about creating items in your home for resale?
Mariane: Marketing. By nature, I am not a sales person. I would far rather give something away than say it's for sale. Some people sell them in kiosks in malls, at art shows and craft fairs and find it very financially rewarding, but I am unable to at my age and physical condition. Fortunately, there aren't many egg painters flooding the market in this country like there are in Europe.

PF: What advice do you have for other ladies who are considering selling their creations online?
Mariane: Exposure will be the greatest challenge on the Internet. Having your own website helps. If a new egg artists can find a niche market on the Internet, that is the key to their success. If the eggs have a Christian theme, have a Scripture verse on them, they can appeal to Christians. If they can find a way to tap into the retired community online, there will be an interest in flowers or reminiscent paintings. That kind of thing.

PF: How have you seen God's guidance in this endeavor?
Mariane: I had written a poem titled "Shelf Life" a few years ago after I retired and became somewhat disabled.  In the poem I asked God to give me something to do, something productive, something He knew I would enjoy and that wouldn't tire me. There is no question that God led me in this direction because when I'm painting, I find myself singing praise songs or listening to praise music.  It has become a time of worship for me as well as a time of work.

PF: How can readers learn more about the eggs?
Mariane: I can Email a sheet of basic instructions to anyone who is interested or many of my eggs can be seen on my website: MarianHolbrook.com/eggs.htm. A few instruction books can be found at craft stores.

Editor's Note: Mariane contributes a monthly column for Positively Feminine called Musings by Mariane.

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