A few months ago, I was contacted by a representative from Food Network Magazine and asked to play a role in the April edition. The issue has officially hit the newsstands, so I am finally able to share the details of my involvement.
In celebration of Easter, Food Network Magazine wrote a story that features a decorated Easter egg from all 50 states, and I was given the honor of decorating the Tennessee egg. Naturally, I decided to tap into my husband’s artistic talent to create this unique work of art. (For those who don’t know, Mr. Handsome is a painter.) The two of us had a blast working together on this project.
We chose a banjo to represent the Americana, country, and bluegrass music that Tennessee has helped mold and create. We chose a river to represent the great waterways that flow through Tennessee and set the state apart as a center for industry and trade. We superimposed these images over the Great Smoky Mountains, which represent the beauty of nature that all Tennesseans know and love.
We did several practice runs, some with hard boiled eggs and others with “empty” eggs, and tried a few different designs. (If you poke a hole in both ends of an egg, you can blow the yolk out and be left with just the shell.) We always started with a pencil sketch.
It took a bit of time to find the right medium. We first used artist-grade colored pencils (better quality than the colored pencils used by children) but decided they weren’t quite bold enough.
After spending some time wandering around our local Hobby Lobby, I ended up purchasing a small set of acrylic paints and some tiny, tiny brushes. The brushes have a max of about 10 thin bristles per brush–so small that they are nearly microscopic!
Of course, we made several mistakes along the way, like attempting to draw or paint on a hard boiled egg that was either too hot, which made the paint run, or too cold, which created condensation. We managed to get paint all over our fingers and dining table. Thankfully, that was before I refinished the table (tutorial coming soon) or else I might have had a small panic attack.
Regina
Ellie, what an honor! I will definitely pick up a copy along with a copy of The Pioner Woman magazine.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks for the support, Regina! I love The Pioneer Woman, as well.
Ellie
Anonymous
Congratulations on your egg being featured in Food Network Magazine. What an honor.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you, ladies!
Ellie
Anonymous
Congratulations!!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks!
Anonymous
That is way too darling! You did a good job! I'd probably prefer your 1st pic tho since I liked the course of the river and mntns better than the second. The banjo just needed to be darker that's all. But both were good. Candi
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks for the feedback, Candi.
Ellie
Julianna
This is so cool Ellie! What a neat idea. You and Mr. Handsome did such a beautiful job 🙂
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you, Julianna. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
It's wonderful to see how you, Ellie and Mr. Handsome work together and support each other. The Easter Egg is beautiful and I will definitely pick up the magazine. Thank you so much for sharing…Jane
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jane. We appreciate the support.
Ellie
Shela G
Very cool that you got to be apart of that!! I love The final design you and Mr Handsome decided on.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Aww, thank you, Shela!
Ellie
Alicia Mae
What a great design Ellie and Mr. Handsome! And how fun to be featured in Food Network Magazine.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Alicia Mae. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Ellie
Alayna
Congratulations! Looks great!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Alayna!
Ellie
Anonymous
You have no last name???
Anonymous
I always wondered what her last name is. She probably does not want to publish it due to privacy reasons.
Anonymous
A big congratulations Ellie! How wonderful you and Mr H got to be part of this. I really like your design and admire all the thought that went into it to create a representation of your home State. The two of you are a force to be reckoned with when you partner up on these different projects. I dont think I will see the magazine with that article for sale here in Canada. Sorry I will not be able to take a closer look. Eileen
Anonymous
Where abouts do you live? I would think a good library magazine section might have a copy.
Anonymous
Good job on a delicate task! Congratulations on the honor and the creative work you did!
Anonymous
Anon, sometimes magazines publish a separate edition in Canada or other countries with stories from those countries rather than from US. I am not sure about this edition of Food Network, but your suggestion of a library is a good one. I will have to check that out as we have an excellent library here. Eileen
Anonymous
I just completed an online search through our library's website and they do indeed have the Food Network magazine! I will have to check and see if they have gotten the Easter issue. Thanks for the tip April! I use the library a lot as I am an avid reader but completely forgot about the magazine section. Eileen
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you for your kind words, Eileen! Hope you are able to find the Easter edition at your library.
Ellie
Anonymous
How much did you paint and how much did Mr. H. paint?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
It was a team effort. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
Beautiful! Just wondering… how many trial and error eggs did you approximately use and what did you do with them afterwards?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks! We only went through about 5 practice eggs, so we just pitched them afterwards.
Ellie
Leah
Congratulations!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Leah!
Ellie
Christine Sanford
Ellie that’s sooooo cool!!! Great job!!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Christine!
Ellie
Anonymous
Congratulations that is so exciting….. Happy for you.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you! I appreciate that. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
Wasn't sure what you were going for with that first sketch.
Anonymous
Congratulations, Ellie…that is really cool! I will definitely go look for that magazine. Love reading your blogs!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you! I'm blessed to have you as a reader.
Ellie
Beth
Congratulations Ellie! I have to get a copy of the magazine.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Beth. And thanks for the support. 🙂
Ellie
Godly-Young-Widow
That's so exciting! Beautiful team effort. Looking forward to Easter; it's a first-time-in-a-lifetime for me; well for you too! Last time Easter Sunday was on this day was 1956