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Breath Taking
by Myra Charleston
Using unique techniques she
devised using resins, gold and silver leaf and antique finishes, Yvonne
Magener decorates emu eggs with breathtaking results. Born in
South Africa into an artist family (her father is a sculptor and her
mother is a painter), Yvonne has had the opportunity to travel the world
extensively, and has lived in not only South Africa, but Spain, Egypt
and Saudi Arabia. This has afforded her the opportunity to
experiment and work with various mediums and artists. She is
currently living in Magdalena, New Mexico.
It was her mother who
introduced Yvonne as a girl to the art of decorating eggs.
Following an old German tradition, they decorated eggs as gifts to
friends and family at Easter.
She tells us that it takes a
long time to complete one egg, mainly because of the drying time between
coats. For that reason she usually works on at least 10 eggs at a
time. Most pieces are one of a kind, using a combination of unique
designs influenced by the various cultures she encountered while
traveling. However, Yvonne has recently begun a limited series for the
Wholesale Craft Shows. She won the Merit Award at the Rosen Group Show
July 1998. Working with paper mache she also makes display bowls
to complement the eggs.
Yvonne works with a number of
different kinds of eggs, including ostrich and rhea. Emu egg
creations usually run between $65.00 to $160.00 and are on display at
the Mariposa in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe; The Cathedral Shop
in Albuquerque and The Squash Blossom in both Colorado
Springs and Vail. If you are not able to drop by any of
those shops, check out her web site for more breathtaking creations!
Yvonne Magener can be reached at:
http://www.yvonnemagener.com/
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