pysanky!

At her house this past weekend, our friend Theresa had a gathering of women she's met
 who have been bitten by the egg bug.  The psyanky bug, to be specific. 

 

Pysanky are Ukrainian style Easter eggs, made using a wax-resist method.

They're often decorated with traditional folk designs.  Many regions of Eastern Europe have their own types and styles, but your imagination is truly your only limit...

The "egg ladies" (Theresa, Terena, Mia, Sarah and Linda)

started early, and chatted and worked on eggs all day until the wee hours...

 

We stopped over for a visit because we were curious about how pysanky are made.

It was truly an amazing process to witness, & the ladies seemed to have a lot of fun throughout it all.

 

 

You can create pysanky with any kind of quality egg, whether it be chicken, duck, goose, ostrich, etc.

The contents of the egg have to be gently blown out.

 

and you can choose from a rainbow of dyes...

 



 



Most modern pysanky artists use electric styluses like these...

(aka kistkas)

 

 

 

Flame from a candle is needed for some methods, though I didn't get to see the flame in action...

Maybe next time!

 



There's so much geometry and symmetry involved...
And the results are worth all of the painstaking care...

 

 

 



Theresa showed us an egg she just got from a very talented fellow named Pieter Dijk.

All of the egg ladies knew who he was, though no one has ever met him.

Pieter creates with such absolute and intricate precision... 



We have both been lucky recipients of Theresa's handiwork... 

We each got a gorgeous pysanky ostrich egg for our birthdays!

 

 They are so special to us.

 

My mind boggles at how much time she must given to each egg...

Layers and layers of love.

 

 

 I think at one point in time, pysanky were viewed as talismans of protection.

 

I'm not sure of the most accurate present-day definition of pysanky,

but if someone were to ask me what they are,

I would say something like this:
 



They're exquisite little mandalas on the surface of an egg.

They are each a prayer, a tender offering.