Wyeth, his Grandaughter, and Brown eggs

[JeffG]

I went to see the Wyeth exhibit at the Philadelphia museum. It was probably a mistake to see it on a Friday Night on the member's preview, because although it was free for members, it was so crowded it was hard to see anything. Of course, I shall return repeatedly since its not far.

A few days later, I was in the Brandywine region and stopped into the Brandywine River museum. Recent newspaper and TV specials on the Philadelphia exhibit profiled Wyeth's 26 year old grandaughter, Vicki, who while not an artist, is spending her time now being sort of Andy's spokesman and giving tours at the Brandywine and Philly exhibits. A delightful, enthusiastic lady and she's in nearly daily contact with her grandfather and answers technique questions the best she can. I took 2 of her 40 minute tours and I recommend them. No extra cost or reservations required the weekday I went.

Here's my brown egg question.... both the Philly exhibit's text, and Vicki, when describing ET, said that only the yolk of white eggs are used, and that brown eggs are too oily. I never noticed that, but then I'm dense. Anyone else find or hear about brown eggs being unsuitable? They're the easiest to find if one goes to local farmhouses where they're fresh.

[Alessandra Kelley]

Huh. I've used nothing but brown eggs (organic) for years now, and they've worked just fine.

It's not that I chose brown eggs, it's just that the only organic eggs available here in Hyde Park are brown.

[Bert Congdon]

I don't care what color, but I do care about fresh. When a yoke lies flat and breaks too easily it's old. I like an egg that is fresh enough to roll the yoke around in my hand. If I can do that, why should I care what color the shell was?

[jason_maranto]

odd timing, I just saw a report on the news about the difference between brown and white eggs only being indicitive of the color of the hen that laid them... brown feathered birds laying brown eggs and white feathers laying white eggs.

With all the hype I would have assumed there was more to it than that...

Jason.

[iconwriter77373]

I use only organic brown eggs also. My teachers impressed upon me that it is freshness that matters most, but I use what I buy to eat and I only eat the organic brown ones. I'd eat organic white ones if they were in the market, LOL, but they only sell the yummy brown ones.

So they go into my omelettes and into my icons.

Jan

[PhilS]

I may be wrong, but I remember reading years ago that Russian icon painters preferred goose eggs to chickens eggs BECAUSE of their higher oil content. Interesting that Vicki said brown eggs have more oil than white, hence they are not as good(?).
I use eggs straight from our chicken house. Some are white, some are brown. Some are a pale greenish blue color. As far as I can tell, the yolks are the same regardless of shell color.
Before we got the chickens, I used to buy organic, free-range chickens eggs for moral reasons.
That's my spiel on eggs.
Phil

[iconwriter77373]

My mother's first cousin's husband, aka "Uncle Bill" owned a poultry "farm" in southwest Missouri some years ago. We went out once to visit. Even then, I was horrified at the birds, stuffed into the tiny cages and never allowed to run free and scratch. The chickens were layers, not fryers, although maybe that's what happened to them when they quit laying, I don't know.

Once organic free-range chicken came on the market I started buying it, as well as the eggs. Both the natural free-range chickens and organic eggs taste soooooo much better than the others.

Now, I'm back to work....

Jan

[Alessandra Kelley]

I bet when hens quit laying they get turned into the dehydrated chicken bits they put in dry chicken soup mix.

My family eats organic for environmental reasons; organic farms aren't turning the land toxic. It always honks me off when industry shills bring up the "but organic food is not more nutritious" argument, as if anyone was arguing that it was. It is just as nutritious (not more), usually tastes better, and is way better for the environment.

Speaking as an artist, the difference between organic eggs and the horrible factory-farmed eggs in egg tempera is like day and night. Maybe battery-hen eggs aren't any worse for your system than organic eggs, but after I've seen how they act in paint I'm not so sure.

Right. That's my soapbox today.