A glass case filled with 34 handmade decorative carved eggs, landscape-painted eggs, jewelry box eggs, plus some jewelry by 95 year-old artist Ella Cox is now on display at the Kenney Home foyer in time for the Thursday night, April 8 West Seattle Art Walk.

Cox ordinarily lives in her Highland Park house, but temporarily resides at the Kenney for rehab. She is a member of the West Seattle Rock Club and polishes gemstones to create cabachon jewelry. Last summer she won "best of show" at their annual gathering.

"Egg shells are not what they used to be," said the feisty, animated, Tacoma-born Cox who has lived in West Seattle since 1949.

"Farmers don’t feed them crushed oyster shells any more," she complained. "That made the shells harder and thicker. Now they break easier."

Cox became interested in how to make highly-detailed, delicate egg creations while shopping with her daughter, Audrey.

"Audrey and I were in a 15-cent store some place and they told us how to cut the eggs out," she recalled. "The reason was they were selling the little figures you place inside the eggs. At the time I was out of work and thought I’d make my own figures. I don’t think I have sold any but I have given some away. Some took me 40 hours to make."

According to Cox, "Every egg is different." Her method for carving includes measuring an egg with a strip of paper, making a circular pencil marking and gluing string to that mark, then cutting the shell with a fingernail scissors."

"I chip away on the outside the way a baby chick would from the inside," she said.

Her carved eggs include historic scenes like Benjamin Franklin flying his kite, Abraham Lincoln, the Last Supper, and David slaying Goliath.

"I'm not that religious," she said. "But I like the Bible because of its stories and history."

And her secret to a long active life?

"I often think that as people grow older they forget how to play," she said. "Play ball, any silly game there is. Be a kid again. I pitch horseshoes in summer and play cribbage in winter.

The public is welcome to view Ella Cox's eggs and jewelry at the Kenney Home, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW.