Vol. 19, No. 28

April 20, 2000

Locksmith artist creates special kind of Easter egg

The Easter egg is a familiar spring treat, decorated in a host of bright colors and designs and a staple of Easter baskets around the world. Decorated eggs also are popular with antique collectors and decorators, who treasure everything from elegant Faberge eggs to specialty items found in novelty stores and gift shops. A trip to one such gift shop inspired a University employee to create a new version of the decorative egg with UD-related themes. Blue Hen eggs, the creation of UD locksmith Ben Kniffin, are chicken eggs painted with the likenesses of familiar campus figures on one side, set against a background of UD blue accentuated with a gold leaf rendering of the UD logo. "I have always liked doing faces," Kniffin said. "Then, it dawned on me that there might be an interest for these Blue Hen eggs on campus." Working in the medium of acrylic on eggs, Kniffin chose for his first subjects the faces of UD President David P. Roselle and head football coach Harold "Tubby" Raymond. Other subjects include sports-related symbols, including footballs and basketballs. For Kniffin, the first step in preparing the eggs for painting is to remove the natural contents with the use of a needle and a small grinding drill bit. Once emptied, the shells are filled with bleach to clean the inside, then the eggs are sometimes coated with a layer of gesso, a painter's mixture of whiting and glue. "After this, I start with a sketch, from a photograph or drawing," Kniffin said. "Sometimes conceptualizing the image I want to create can take as much time as the actual painting process." The finished egg can take anywhere from one to several evenings to complete, depending on the image. In addition to UD-related subjects, Kniffin has decorated eggs with likenesses of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Sally Field and John Wayne, most appropriately in his role as Rooster Cogburn. One of Kniffin's favorites is a spaghetti western rendering of Clint Eastwood. While Kniffin has completed many pencil drawings and watercolor paintings, he said he has found the switch to his new medium to be artistically challenging and refreshing. "After working in one medium for a while, you can run out of ideas, or the ideas do not come as easily," Kniffin said. "Since I started doing the eggs, I have been able to come up with all kinds of new ideas for subjects."