Bombshells ATL “Art Eggs”
Art Donation for the annual Bombshells ATL adult Easter Egg hunt
Calling it an “Egg” is a stretch
Vanessa Toro is one of the masterminds behind Bombshells ATL, a free “artful egg hunt for adults” in Atlanta. Originally, green plastic eggs were hidden in lieu of the art eggs, and each had a number inside that corresponded with one of the donated eggs. At its peak, 50 eggs or more were decorated and donated by local artists, and competition and trading were fierce on hunt day.
My friend Jessica Larkin got me tuned in to participate for the first time in 2019, and I’ve had an absolute blast making every egg and watching each one be found by someone who loves it. The hunt has evolved over the years thanks to COVID-19 – from a single-day IRL hunt at a local park to a virtual hunt on Instagram, then over to Bluesky. According to Vanessa, she likes the vibe on Bluesky better – it’s back to being an indie IYKYK event again.
“Adventure Is Out There” Egg inspired by Pixar’s “Up”
Created April 2019 | Hunted April 21, 2021
Yes, you read that correctly. This was created in 2019 but not actually given away until 2021.
Unfortunately, Atlanta weather being what it is, they had to postpone the 2019 hunt due to rain several weekends in a row… and then 2020 happened… which meant “Adventure is Out There” didn’t have a home until 2021—the first time the egg hunt became a citywide scavenger hunt via Instagram Stories thanks to COVID-19.
You can see the community reactions to the egg on Bombshells ATL’s Instagram page by scrolling WAY back.
Before handing off my “Up”-themed egg for the egg hunt, I took advantage of the blooming flowers outside of the Publicis Northyards campus and got photos of it from every angle. Not a perfect 360 because I didn’t have a tripod, but you can see every side of the egg this way.
Why’s it a little shiny? I added a tiny bit of textural detail to Paradise Falls with very thin streams of hot glue. Then, I coated the whole egg in Mod Podge to add an extra layer of glue to seal it all together.
“Define: Dancing” Egg inspired by Pixar’s “wall•e”
Created March/April 2022 | Hunted April 15, 2022
Wall•e and EVE blasted off on my egg for the 2022 @bombshellsatl hunt. This is one of my favorite sequences from the movie “wall•e” when EVE asks wall•e to “Define: Dancing” and they have a beautiful dream sequence in the sky.
Both characters were made entirely of paper and card stock; there was a wooden egg as the base and a single 28 gauge wire running from wall•e’s fire extinguisher to the egg base for support to help him fly. The whole thing was covered in a coat of matte Mod Podge for protection.
I debated making two eggs originally; one wall•e and one EVE and making them a set. Time was not on my side, though; so EVE was added to wall•e’s egg.
“Be Our Guest” Egg inspired by Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”
Created March 2024 | Hunted March 29, 2024
(There was no Bombshells ATL hunt in 2023. You’d think I’d have worked ahead on one just in case, but no…)
My 2024 entry for the Bombshells ATL Egg Hunt was the first year I filmed a piece of content just for putting up on social.
It’s all hand-cut paper (a mix of French Paper Co. and Park Lane Paperie – RIP JoAnn), mat board, and a small amount of EVA foam for the inside of the little riser. Lots of foil cardstock, too.
I’d been working A LOT when this egg was due, and it wasn’t my original plan to build it all in the last two nights before the eggs were due. But that’s what happened… and for this being a two-night project, I was very happy with how it turned out. My desk looked like a confetti bomb went off… and my sharps disposal cup had nine X-Acto blades in it.
“The Family Madrigal” Egg inspired by Disney’s “Encanto”
Created April 2025 | Hunted April 18, 2025
Every year I’ve participated in the Bombshells ATL public art project by @fridasbrow, I’ve made a point of trying something new. They’re all made from cut paper, and the first two years I drilled into the eggs and added wire for stability (because OF COURSE I had to design eggs where pieces flew off!). The wall•e egg was the first time I’d ever used “micro corrugate” paper stock. Last year, I elevated the egg within the sculpture and put it up on a pedestal (making the “Beauty and the Beast” egg the tallest one I’ve done).
This year’s new addition was flock! Casita is covered in plants, and flock was the best way I could show the colorful leaves and flowers at the proper scale to the rest of the house. I love how it turned out, so I will definitely be using it more often.
“I Won’t Say I’m in Love” Egg inspired by Disney’s “Hercules”
Created March/April 2026 | Hunted April 10, 2026
Every year I’ve participated in the Bomb Shells ATL public art project by Vanessa Toro, I’ve made a point of trying something new. They’re all made from cut paper, and the first two years I drilled into the eggs and added wire for stability (because OF COURSE I had to design eggs where pieces flew off!). The wall•e egg was the first time I’d ever used “micro corrugate” paper stock. In 2024, I elevated the egg within the sculpture and put it up on a pedestal. 2025’s new addition was flock because that was the best way I could show the colorful leaves and flowers at the proper scale to the rest of Casita from “Encanto.”
In 2026, I did a combination of hand-cut and Cricut paper. No… I was NOT going to go blind cutting out all of those ivy leaves. Everything else? Yes. But the ivy leaves and pink and purple flowers were all done “in the background” on my Cricut while I hand-cut the other pieces.
I was an Art History minor in college, and I love historical architecture. I used that as an excuse to build a full Corinthian column (which CAN be seen in Meg’s garden in the movie), making this egg the tallest one yet.
Another detail to point out: Meg may be a “flat” build, but she was made so she looks correct from both the front and back – all the way down to the sash that hangs off her waist behind her.
