SheWalksSoftly

To answer the inevitable question: yes, these are all real, regular eggs (from many types of birds, in fact).

Gary LeMaster is an egg carving genius. You must admire his desire to tackle this particular art form.

About the process:

First, I empty and clean each egg. After the egg has dried, I use a lead pencil to sketch the details of my artwork directly on the shell. I then cut away appropriate sections of the design or engrave the surface of the shell (or both), using a variety of diamond and carbide cutting tools.

My tool of choice is a dental handpiece powered by an air compressor which generates over 400,000 rpm’s for the burs to do their job. Once the egg has been fully worked, I use my hands and an abrasive cleanser to remove any remaining pencil marks.

The egg is then submerged in two bleach baths to disintegrate any membrane residue from the inside surface. Finally, the egg is signed and sealed with three or four coats of lacquer. It is then placed on a stand inside a glass dome to preserve and enhance its beauty.

There are even portraits, and he does custom orders.

Le Master started classes, a resource collection and an Eggshell Sculptor Magazine.

More images and info on the artist site.