Pysanky, or Ukrainian Egg Decorating

The Christmas craft show season has started and I went to my first one this morning with my wife, Kate, and her mother, Vanda, at the Nepean SportsPlex.  The visit was well worth the time with a number of really interesting booths.  One in particular struck me, though - a woman who did paintings and decorated Ukranian eggs, or pysanky  My maternal grandparents emigrated from the Ukraine to Montreal around the time of the first world war and my mother was proud of her Ukrainian roots if not particularly immersed in the culture.  My cousin, Patricia Kaziuka Henry, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago, was a multi-talented artist and crafter who also did pysanky and indeed the pair of eggs she gave my mother many years ago were my first exposure to the art.  Intricate and beautiful, they can't help but fascinate.

I won't go into much detail about the process, except to say it is an iterative wax-resist process where designs are delineated by applying wax to the egg, dipping it in dye, adding more wax, dipping it in dye and so on until you achieve the final result.

Myrosia Humeniuk is the artist I met this morning.  I came across her booth and was very taken with her work.  Her pysanky designs ranged from the traditional to something decidedly more modern and geometric, all of them exceptional.  Myrosia herself was very knowledgeable of the traditions of pysanky and her enthusiasm for her art was infectious.  She was simply a joy to speak with and she rekindled my desire to try my hand at egg-decorating. 

I have included below a couple of pictures of the egg I bought.  Myrosia explained that although the pattern on this egg does not appear to be traditional, it is, in fact, influenced by the designs seen on some ancient archaeological artifacts found in the Ukraine.  I am very happy with my purchase.  If you live in the Ottawa area, I encourage you to visit her booth at the Nepean Sportsplex Annual Christmas Craft Sale, which runs until Sunday, November 11. You can also visit her website to learn more about her work and other shows she will be participating in this year.

I actually like the negative space on the picture below - looks like an arrow.

Project52: Week of November 5, 2012

I haven't written an update in quite a while.  We've been busy:  a hectic schedule of medical appointments, a vacation in Disney World, Lena starting back at school and is adapting to new challenges along with ferrying her to her various activities, namely soccer and guitar lessons.  I just haven't had much time to devote to tackling my list, or writing updates.  Nonetheless, I have managed to spread some mortar between the bricks of everyday life.

Lose 35 lbs.:  Through my ongoing exercise regimen, I have managed to lose in the neighbourhood of 20-25 lbs.  I still have trouble with my snacking otherwise I suspect I'd be a lot lighter.

Carve lovespoons for the Bean and Kate:  I have started on a new project.  This will be a gift for the Bean for Christmas.

Relearn how to draw:  I have begun reading a few books on drawing, but have yet to put pencil to paper.  This will happen soon.

I hope to make some progress on other items in the not too distant future, though Christmas is coming up quickly and we will be travelling to Calgary for a long weekend for our nephew's wedding, so my hopes are tempered by reality.