Pysanke Easter Eggs
This past week I was blessed with an amazing opportunity to learn the art of creating brilliantly colored Pysanky eggs. A delightful artistic couple in my community hosted a gathering. We learned a brief history of this wonderful Ukrainian tradition that began before the birth of Christ and is now a Lenten ritual in that country. We also learned the technique of creating them.
Many of these beautiful eggs are highly decorated with intricate patterns and symbols intended to bring the person who receives it love, health, fertility, or any blessing the artist wishes. Since we had a limited amount of time I chose organic shapes and abstract patterns because I knew I was going to make a lot of mistakes and they would be easily camouflaged. I was rather pleased with my results.
The technique works like batik where you work in reverse using layers of wax and dies working light to dark. Then finally heating the wax and wiping off the layers to magically reveal the masterpiece. It was soooo much fun!
If you would like to learn more about Pysanky eggs or purchase materials for creating them yourself visit www.ukrainiangiftshop.com. I think I’m going to invest in some supplies of my own and make it a Wenke/Pysanke tradition. LOL
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