Eggs & "P.Y. Pysanky"
HOW EGGS BECAME A PART OF OUR WORK
(and to answer the often asked question - these are made with REAL eggs)
(and to answer the often asked question - these are made with REAL eggs)
pysanky ("Ukrainian eggs") and wax-resist ("batik") egg art
The egg has long played a role in the spiritual, mystical and superstitious beliefs of man. Before the times of Christ, this fascination manifested itself in the creation of pysanky; often referred to as "Ukrainian eggs".
Using special tools called kistky (resembling miniature funnels on a handle) to draw freehand designs with melted beeswax and various dyes (in a technique similar to batik), each egg was transformed through color and symbol into a sacramental object, an act of prayer. Left intact or with contents emptied for hanging, the eggs offered protection against evil in all forms, as well as the hope of prosperity and joy.
Though the beliefs behind each pysanka have changed over the course of several thousand years, the art form itself has changed very little - and for one artist, at least, it remains a colorful expression of prayer...
Using special tools called kistky (resembling miniature funnels on a handle) to draw freehand designs with melted beeswax and various dyes (in a technique similar to batik), each egg was transformed through color and symbol into a sacramental object, an act of prayer. Left intact or with contents emptied for hanging, the eggs offered protection against evil in all forms, as well as the hope of prosperity and joy.
Though the beliefs behind each pysanka have changed over the course of several thousand years, the art form itself has changed very little - and for one artist, at least, it remains a colorful expression of prayer...
"P.Y. Pysanky"
Many years before Lord & YoungMiller, I had another artist's alias; a fun "alter ego".
This is the story of "P.Y. Pysanky"...
This is the story of "P.Y. Pysanky"...
The Beginning...
I blame it all on my Weekly Reader.
As a 3rd grader I'd been sitting at my desk reading a copy of the Weekly Reader when an article about Ukrainian eggs (with photos!) caught my attention - and heart. I fell in love with the art!
Understanding how they were made, I looked at the photos and promised myself that I, too, would one day create those beautiful eggs.
MANY days - many YEARS - passed with failed attempts along the way; using the wrong tools, using the wrong wax. I never forgot, though. If nothing else, every Easter served as a reminder of the art I longed to do.
The turning point came in October 1993 at a Lion's Flea market when I found books about pysanky... and the right tools for the task.
I blame it all on my Weekly Reader.
As a 3rd grader I'd been sitting at my desk reading a copy of the Weekly Reader when an article about Ukrainian eggs (with photos!) caught my attention - and heart. I fell in love with the art!
Understanding how they were made, I looked at the photos and promised myself that I, too, would one day create those beautiful eggs.
MANY days - many YEARS - passed with failed attempts along the way; using the wrong tools, using the wrong wax. I never forgot, though. If nothing else, every Easter served as a reminder of the art I longed to do.
The turning point came in October 1993 at a Lion's Flea market when I found books about pysanky... and the right tools for the task.
Success! - and catastrophe...
In the first year alone, 700 eggs were made and the promise I made as a child was kept.
I began selling the eggs and co-workers soon started chastising me for not signing my work. Not wanting to waste valuable art space, I used only my initials. The addition was soon noticed: a friend looked over a new batch of eggs in the teacher's lounge one day and loudly exclaimed, "She finally signed them! - P.Y.! They're P.Y. pysanky!!!" --- (and an alias was born!).
By 1995 I was fully involved with pysanky - when catastrophe hit... mysterious health problems took a major turn for the worse and doctors put a name to it: multiple sclerosis.
Progressive, but determined...
In the beginning, not being able to walk or see normally had no bearing on my ability to create pysanky - but I was progressive... I soon began losing control of my left arm and hand as well.
Determined to continue with the art I loved, I found ways to accomodate myself; developing new techniques, inventing new tools.
Most of the eggs pictured on this page were made "under the influence" (of MS). There were times when I struggled to drink a cup of coffee without spilling it - but still made pysanky.
From catastrophe to BLESSING...
At some point along the way, I realized what a treasure trove of new tools and techniques I
had developed which OTHER egg artists could use - and I challenged myself:
List EVERY problem associated with the art form and solve them all.
Thanking the One Who gives ALL gifts - I am happy to report it was a success...
Though it had been on hold for several years, a book is slowly underway;
a book that others call the "bible of the art form".
From blessing to MIRACLE...
I still managed to do the art, but by 2002 I struggled to empty the contents of eggs and clean them. I was preparing to train someone to help me with this aspect of the work when nothing less than a miracle occurred... (a story which could fill a web site on its own!).......
I went from PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS to a relapsing/remitting form of the disorder!... In the summer of 2003, I was walking and functioning normally for the first time in 8 years!
Though I still have MS, it lost its grip on me... I frequently have mild issues from it and still have exacerbations (which can be quite bad), but I often recover from them in relatively short periods of time (sometimes a week or less!). Thanks be to God!
P.Y. Pysanky "joins" Lord & YoungMiller
After discovering parts of eggshells left in the desert, we soon realized how well
pysanky and the wood work blended together.
Aside from the rare desert find, many of the eggshells used in our art now come
from St. David, where friends raise free-range chickens and turkeys.
After discovering parts of eggshells left in the desert, we soon realized how well
pysanky and the wood work blended together.
Aside from the rare desert find, many of the eggshells used in our art now come
from St. David, where friends raise free-range chickens and turkeys.
egg half tree ornament
literally half of a REAL egg, made highly break-resistant, embedded in a cottonwood base
literally half of a REAL egg, made highly break-resistant, embedded in a cottonwood base