Eggs By Marilyn
About Pysanky
Pysanky are decorated eggs made using a wax-resist dye technique. The word pysanky comes from the Ukrainian word pysaty, which means "to write", and we say we are writing eggs, not drawing them.
The best explanation I have ever seen of the process is found on the website of Luba Petrusha, www.pysanky.info. She also has a wonderful collection of different types of pysanky that is worth browsing through.
The term pysanky refers to those eggs made using traditional Ukrainian patterns. The same technique is used to create many non-traditional patterns.
About Marilyn
I am a mother and grandmother, living on a couple of acres in a very wooded area near Houston, Texas. Nearly every morning I watch the deer feeding in my yard. I used to try to chase them off, since they eat nearly everything I plant, but have given up on that and now just enjoy watching them. I homeschooled my four children, and am delighted to live near seven of my twelve grandchildren. I teach art to several of them, including teaching them to "write" pysanky. They love working on eggs, from the 6-year-old to the 18-year old, both boys and girls. Here are some photos of them working on eggs.
I began writing pysanky nearly 50 years ago, when a friend saw an article about pysanky in National Geographic Magazine. I am not of Ukrainian origin, but I fell in love with the technique. I ordered supplies and taught myself how to write pysanky from books. In recent years I have learned many new techniques from online groups and workshops I have attended.
We have a big party the Saturday before Easter, with about 100 people at our house, and usually 20-30 of them make pysanky. Several years ago I began keeping my dyes set up all the time, started offering classes and began selling my eggs. Some of my eggs use the traditional pysanky patterns, but many are my own designs, and are more properly called batik eggs. I also make jewelry using the pysanky techniques, and am now selling pendants and earrings.
