The 2008 Eggshell Carving Contest
Sponsored by The Eggshell Sculptor
Now you might well ask, "Why
would anyone even want to enter
an eggshell carving contest?" I
would be more than happy to
explain but a few of the reasons:

  • First of all, there are many people
    who are so innately competitive
    that they consider any sort of
    competition a personal challenge
    they simply cannot resist.

  • Second, there exists another group
    of people who sincerely want to
    know how their work stacks up
    against the work of other people
    with similar experience, judged by
    proven experts in the field.

  • Third, there are those who are
    attracted to and want to win
    whatever prizes are being offered,
    like the beautiful trophies you see
    to the right.

  • And finally, there are those very
    intuitive people who want to sell
    their work and understand the
    value of having documentation
    stating that they have won or
    placed in a prestigious International
    Art Competition, judged by people who are recognized as being among the top ten artists in the
    world in this unique medium. These competitors know how to use such publicity and materials to
    establish themselves as professionals. They are the ones who use their awards as stepping stones
    to get onto television shows; they convert their achievements into press releases that catapult their
    careers; they are the people who place their achievements, trophies and certificates next to their
    displays not because they are egotists, but because they know it establishes instant credibility that
    could be noticed by someone very special who just happens to be walking by at the right moment.

Whatever the motivation, my contest provides a great deal of enjoyment for the entrants, the judges and
for me. So, I do hope that you read through the rules below, and that you join us this year... especially
you newbies with less than one year experience. You'll only be competing against OTHER newbies! Here
we go:
Welcome to the rules governing the 2008 Eggshell Carving Contest sponsored by The
Eggshell Sculptor. There has been a great deal of interest in this annual contest since its
inception in 2001, so get your entries in right away! NEW eggs only, please… those
previously entered in other contests will not be accepted.

CATEGORIES - (There will be a "Novice" Class - less than one year egg carving experience in any style,
and an "Experienced" Class - more than one year of egg carving experience in any style, within each
category):

  1. Novice Sculpted (three-dimensional work, probably on ostrich or rhea, but not limited to them)
  2. Experienced Sculpted (three-dimensional work, probably on ostrich or rhea, but not limited to them)
  3. Novice Carved Emu Eggs
  4. Experienced Carved Emu Eggs
  5. Novice Filigree (any type of eggshell - I'll add samples here soon)
  6. Experienced Filigree (any type of eggshell)
  7. Novice "Other" Category (acid-etched eggs, carved brown chicken shells, Reverse Relief, anything
    which does not fit any of the other three categories, but NO decorated eggs!)
  8. Experienced "Other" Category

SUBMISSION:

  1. Please submit good photos by mail or high-resolution digital pictures via email, with a maximum of
    five views per egg. New this year: ONE of your photos must show the complete egg on its stand!
    Also, any egg submitted that is lit must include at least one photo of the egg unlit! There is no limit
    to the number of eggs you may enter.
  2. An entry fee of $10 per egg is required (US funds)
  3. Photos and entry fees must be received by no later than December 31st, 2008. I will immediately
    determine whether or not the photos are good enough for the entry to be fairly judged. If so, you
    need do nothing more. If not, you will be informed that you have until January 15th, 2009, to
    resubmit photos. Either learn how to use your camera, get a friend who knows how to take good
    photos or hire a professional. Whatever you resubmit will then be presented to the judges "as-is."
    Bonnie Gibson (a winner the last two years) has some excellent photography tips on her site, and
    even though she creates gourd art, the photography tips are invaluable. Click here to view them.
    You can also go to Google and type in "taking digital photographs" or something similar. I can give
    you two critical tips right now: use a tripod or stabilize your camera; take good close-ups using
    your MACRO setting. You can even set the "time delay" so you don't risk the jitters from pushing
    the button. Whatever you decide to do, I will be doing NO retouching, cropping, etc. The judges will
    receive the raw photos you submit.
  4. Photos mailed will not be returned unless accompanied by an appropriate self-addressed, stamped
    envelope.
  5. The following information must be provided with each entry, by mail or by email:

    TITLE OF THE PIECE  (if none, please specify "No Title," but PLEASE try to come up with a title)
    and TYPE OF EGGSHELL (Goose, Rhea, Swan, etc.)
    EXPERIENCE: Novice (less than one year of carving) or Advanced (more than one year)
    ARTIST'S NAME  (and photo of face, Please!)
    ADDRESS
    WEB PAGE    (if available)
    EMAIL ADDRESS    (if available)
    PHONE NUMBER
    ALSO NEW THIS YEAR:  You must include a brief description of your egg... Such as what tools and
    burs were used, what your goal or general theme was (did you want to convey a particular "mood,"
    for example?), any special technique you employed that would increase the degree of difficulty. In
    short, a synopsis of your creation which would easily fit on a 3" x 5" note card. Anything lengthier
    would be discouraged. Be succinct.
All checks should be made payable to "The Eggshell Sculptor" and mailed with the above information to:

The Eggshell Sculptor
Attn: Gary LeMaster
3625 Elgin Drive
Iowa City, IA  52245

JUDGING:

I have once again assembled a panel of respected sculptors to review the entries. All entries must be
received by December 31st, 2008 (except for those needing to be resubmitted, which must be in by
January 15th, 2009). Voting will begin immediately, and the results will be tabulated as quickly as
possible. Winners will be announced and displayed on this website, and by entering, you grant me
permission to show them on CD's and/or on my website.
AND NOW...
YOUR JUDGES for 2008: PATRICIA HARDING; QUINN IZARD and LISA SENSINGER

These three individuals have garnered more awards between them for sculpting
than any other three people I know. Pat and Lisa should be familiar names to most
of you as they have won so many categories in my annual Contest year after year,
not to mention egging honors elsewhere. And Quinn, Pat's husband, is a
phenomenal sculptor of eggs, wood and anything else put before him. He also
judges in a number of other arenas. I can't think of three more qualified people to
review your entries this year and I guarantee that you'll get a wealth of vital,
constructive feedback.
PRIZES:

This year we are continuing along a more traditional route to raise
the standards and credibility of this International Contest.

  • "Best of Show" and "Runner-Up to Best of Show" will be
    awarded personalized, hand-engraved crystal trophies that are
    as impressive as any trophies I've ever seen. No ribbons will
    accompany these exquisite trophies.
  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each division of each
    category will receive a beautiful, custom-designed ribbon
    designating where they placed and with what egg.
  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each division of each
    category will be featured on this website.
  • There will, as usual, be a few very special surprises along the
    way as well...
JUDGING CRITERIA

  1. General Creativity - 20 points total
  1. Originality - 15 points - Is the piece particularly inventive or creative, an original work as opposed to
    a copy or imitation? As is the case with The International Egg Art Guild, we won't allow class,
    seminar or kit eggs. Participants can enter eggs based on designs and instructions provided in my
    magazine, The Eggshell Sculptor,  however points may be taken off for originality. Be creative!
  2. Overall Impression - 5 points - These 5 points might be the most subjective of all. The judges, upon
    seeing an entry, will naturally react to what they see in a general way... Is that first impression
    positive? That doesn't mean that the carved eggshell has to be pretty. An egg carved to protest the
    war in Iraq, for example, would probably not be pretty. But it will leave some sort of impression on
    the judges when they first see it. And if, at first glance, the judges' eyes are drawn more to the
    stand than to the egg... let's just say that the stand must complement the egg, not overpower it.
  1. Design - 30 points total
  1. Form and Shape - 5 points - Since this is a carved EGG contest, the judges will be looking for
    filigree, etched and carved eggs which retain the egg's shape, ie. It must look like an egg. Since
    one of the goals of this annual contest is to awaken people to the fact that egg art is as valid as any
    other type of art, we do want viewers to know that it's an egg.
  2. Harmony and Color - 15 points - When it comes to emu shells, the judges can certainly assign
    points based on how well the tinted layers of the shell are used and whether or not proper shading
    has been applied, for example. But overall, harmony is easier for the judges to see and to score. Do
    the elements flow well in relationship to one another? Is the overall presentation of the egg and its
    stand harmonious? Does the stand support the theme of the carving without attracting undue
    attention? Some people present their carved eggs in lined boxes or in other innovative ways.
    Harmony and color will be looked at just as closely in those cases.
  3. Balance Overall - 10 points - This evaluation isn't always about "balance" in the strictest definition
    of the word. Yes, the carving should fit the proportions of the egg (or vice-versa), but an "artistic
    composition" allows you to judge balance strictly, or to judge it based on what an artist might be
    trying to say by the composition or arrangement of the elements. With relief carving, depth and
    perspective can certainly be judged here.
  1. Workmanship - 50 points total.  Half of your total points fall in this category, so it's important that you
    understand what the judges will be looking for in terms of "workmanship."
  1. Neatness - 20 points - This is a very valid criterion for carvers. The judges will be looking for
    smooth cuts, places where the bur slipped... It's all about your technique, your accuracy and about
    using your burs both effectively and creatively. The judges are excellent carvers themselves and
    have many awards under their belts, so they definitely know what to look for in the details.
  2. Degree of Difficulty - 30 points - Is the shell intact? That's a no-brainer. But some things are
    extremely difficult to pull off, like filigree where there is very little shell left, a relief carving with an
    impressive amount of detail or an emu carving with narrow lines carved down to the white. If you
    use this guide, the difficulty really involves all of the elements mentioned above in regard to
    creativity and design. The degree of difficulty is also subjective. One judge might assign a high
    score to an ostrich relief carving that covers the entire egg, even though it shows some flaws,
    because that takes a lot of time and effort. Another judge might be more impressed with a relief
    carving on just one side of an egg, when the carving itself is flawless, or nearly so. It can be
    assumed that the more complex your design, the higher the degree of difficulty will be, but to be a
    winner, that complex design still has to be done well.

So now you know what the judges spend their time poring over as they are presented with photographs of
all the entries. And to make the contest even more meaningful, the judges will be required to share their
thoughts with you in regard to what you did well and they will offer specific suggestions on what you can do
to improve in other areas. Without their feedback, and perhaps mine as well, you would be left in the dark as
to how your work was judged and you'd have no idea what steps you might take to grow and to develop
your skills. I firmly believe that my contest should provide every participant far more than ribbons,
certificates and recognition. It should also be a valuable learning experience.
I'm just as excited about sponsoring this year's contest as I have been for each of the past seven years, as
every contest has been such fun and it's a thrill to see the bar being raised to new heights. There are still
many talented eggshell sculptors out there and I enjoy providing a venue by which their work can be seen
internationally. If you have any questions at all regarding the contest, please feel free to contact me.

*NOTE:  Although acid-etched eggs are welcome, eggshells embellished by paint, beads, flock, etc., are not.
Nor will scrimshaw be accepted. The focus is carving and the judges must be able to see it.
~ GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!     ~GL
Gary LeMaster  ◦  3625 Elgin Drive  ◦  Iowa City  ◦  IA  ◦  52245
Ph. (319) 338-2094
Fax (319) 339-9133
Email eggzotica@mchsi.com
Website created by Gary LeMaster • All contents © 1996 - 2010 by Gary LeMaster and The Eggshell Sculptor, LLC

Presenting:

Your 2008 Trophies
for
Best of Show
and
Best of Show
Runner-Up
Or, you may use PayPal if you so choose:
2007 Crystal Trophies
Eggciting New CD's
Click here
to see the
results of
the 2007
TES Egg
Carving
Contest
Click for Larger Photo
Submissions for the 2008 Eggshell Carving Contest are no longer being
accepted. The deadline was December 31st. But bookmark this page and return
often because the winners will be announced AND showcased right here.