Single Page Index
This is actually more of a detailed outline of my site than an actual index (i.e. it’s not alphabetized). The site itself can be a bit confusing, so this might help you find your way around, especially if you are looking for something specific. I think that this is now the largest, most extensive pysanka site on the web.
(Main Index page here.)
You can link to any of my pysanka pages directly from the pages of the index, instead of clicking through various hierarchies of pages and links. There are twelve main sections:
General information about pysanky and related Ukrainian traditions
Regional traditional Ukrainian pysanky: photos and information
Pysankarstvo (making pysanky)
Collections: photos of pysanky (and other decorated eggs) I have collected
My pysanky: photos of modern pysanky I have made
Pysanka galleries: photos of my friends’ pysanky, some of which I have made
Annotated bibliography (sections only, not individual pages here)
1. Pysanka (main page)
NEWS from the World of Pysanky
Index 1-4: General Information
Index 5: Regional Pysanky
Index 6-9: Pysankarstvo
Index 10-11: My Egg Collections
Index 12: My Modern Pysanky
Index 13: Pysanka Galleries
Index 14: Books
Single Page Index
Types of decorated Ukrainian Easter eggs
Instruction and Technique Links
Kursk region, Sumy and the South
Diasporan (including brown) pysanky
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2.History, Traditions and Legends
History
Ancient
Kyivan Rus‘
The Christian Era
Baturyn Pysanka
Literary References
Modern/Ethnographic
Soviet Era
Diaspora (North America)
Diaspora (Brazil)
Vegreville
Independence
Legends
Pagan Legends
Christian Legends
Superstitions
Pysanka Traditions
What preparations were made prior to writing pysanky?
Why were pysanky written?
Sharing Pysanky
Talismanic Uses
Biographical Information
Ethnographic Writings (Translations)
Folk beliefs and talismanic uses
A history of egg decoration and its origins
Ukrainian Easter customs and traditions
Vintage Ukrainian Easter Cards
Modern Ukrainian Easter Card Gallery
4. Symbolism
Traditional Symbolism
Scevomorphic Symbols (man-made objects)
Phytomorphic Symbols (plants)
Zoomorphic Symbols (animals)
Cosmomorphic Symbols (stars, sun and moon)
Paganism (the gods of pre-christian Ukraine)
Alphabet (Letters)
Words: Creating motifs from letters
Encoding the Pysanka
5 . Traditional Pysanky (Traditional patterns which I have found and recreated)
Traditional Patterns
Western Podillya, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia
Lemko, Boyko and Sloboda regions
Pryashiv, Perremyshl and Pidlyashya
Traditional Pattern Sheets
Two distinct traditional pysanka types
Sorokoklyn or “40 Triangles” Pysanky
Soft Consonants, Apostrophes and the Soft Sign:
Regional Pysanky
Western Ukraine
Carpathian Ukraine
Strozhynets (Сторожинець) raion
Podnistrovya (Подністров’я) region
Лемки / The Lemko People
Pryashiv / Пряшів (in Slovakia)
Illintsi pysanky at Zabolotiv market
Horodenkivshchyna (Городенківщина)
“Greater Ukraine”
Middle Dnipro/ Подніпровшина
Cherkasy/ Черкащина
6. Pysankarstvo (the art of pysanka-writing)
Making Pysanky: The Basics
You can read about the basics here. It is probably the best place for beginners to start. What will you find?
Supplies (what you need to get started and then some)
Basic instructions (which have gotten a bit too detailed) are now split into two pages
Step-by-step photos of the making of a pysanka
“Green” Pysanky, or how to decrease your impact on the environment
These are a few of my favorite pysankarstvo-related things, items that I find make writing pysanky easier and better
Zip Loc “Twist’n Loc” Quart Jars
I used to have my downloads on one page, but there are just so many now that I’ve moved them to their own section, with a series of pages. There are handouts, pattern sheets and informational pamphlets.
General information about pysanky
Traditional Pysanka pattern sheets
I was thinking of calling this the “Science of Pysankarstvo” section, but, looking over the material, realized that it really is mostly chemistry. That, and I was once a chemist (and have the diploma to prove it). I am curious about why things do what they do, and like figuring out the science behind phenomena. These pages are my attempts to do so. This section is still a work in progress, only few pages have been fully written and uploaded.
This section is still in progress, but a few page have been written. I have an annotated list of basic supplies, as well a list of “additional” supplies that are useful in the making of pysanky (aka “luxuries”). I will add pages about those pysanka supplies and equipment that could use more elaboration, like styluses, dyes and eggs, and discuss the equipment needed for drop-pull pysanky.
GENERAL
SPECIFIC
EGGS
The Reservoir and Tip (Non-electric)
The Reservoir and Tip (Electric)
Other Styluses
BEESWAX
Types of Dyes
Crepe Paper Dyes
Commercially Available Pysanka Dyes
Creating Pastel Dyes
Creating Custom Colors (Color Theory)
Preparing Natural Dyes
This is a large section, and is basically “Advanced Pysankarstvo.” I have taken the step-by step instructions from “The Basic Steps” and expanded them, expounding at length on the minutiae of the process. I not only discuss the way that I make pysanky, but add information that has been passed on to me by other pysanka makers. It is advanced not in the sense of being difficult, but more detailed.
There are many subsections with lots of pages; only those that are underlined have been written and posted on-line. The others will be filed in as I get to them.
Selecting a Design
Fire Safety
Finding the Top and Bottom of an Egg
Tips and Techniques of Wax Application
Brown Egg Pysanky
Touching Up
Varnishing
About varnishes
Varnishing your pysanka
Drying Racks for your pysanka
Emptying
Emptying out your pysanka
Making your own “turbo” Blas-Fix
Rinsing out your pysanka
Draining your pysanka
Preservation
Preservation methods
Common Problems
Storing and Displaying Pysanky
This is a newer section about how to design pysanky, i.e. how to actually create the divisions and motifs found on traditional and diasporan pysanky. It is divided into two main areas: standard divisions (and how to draw them) and motifs (and how to draw them).
Sorokoklyn Division
Sakvy “Saddlebags” Division
7. Pysanka Classes (my students and their pysanky)
Poem
With family and friends in Troy (MI)
Making pysanky
Pysanka photos
2006 Petrusha
At St. Mary’s Church (Southfield, MI)
Making pysanky
Pysanka photos
2010
Preparations:
The Class:
9. Pysanky Around the World (Pysanky made by my friends)
India (LCECU, Vellore, TN)
2005 Pysanka Session
2006 Pysanka Sessions
10. Ukrainian Pysanky (made in Ukraine by Ukrainian artists)
Nontraditional Ukrainian Pysanky
Artist’s Originals (Авторська Робота)
11. Variations on the Pysanka (decorated eggs)
Ukrainian
Malyovanky (Painted)
Dryapanky (Scratch-Carve)
Nakleyanky (Glued-on decorations)
Traditional Beaded
Modern Beadwork
Traditional Painted Wooden Eggs
Intricately Painted Wooden Eggs
12. My Pysanky
Annual Collections: Each year I add the new patterns I have created for Easter of that year. These
may be copies or variations on other people’s pysanky, or may be my own patterns. I’ve created albums
of each year’s pysanky, and placed them in this Gallery:
My Old Pysanky: Pysanky with traditional and modern patterns that I made over the years. These
pysanky are the survivors that didn't leak or explode.
Modern Pysanky: These are pysanky which are done in the traditional manner, and use some
traditional motifs, but may use modern colors and have some nontraditional design elements.
Different techniques and styles:
Step by Step Sunflower Pysanka
“Traditional” Goose Egg Pysanky
Different motifs and designs:
Geometric
Scevomorphic
Religious
Berehynia motifs
Cross motifs
Eye of God motifs
Church motifs
Cosmomorphic
Sun and Moon motifs
Swastika motifs
Eternity Bands
Complex
Line/RIbbon
Waves
Nontraditional Pysanky: These are eggs made using the traditional wax resist method, but with
either non-traditional designs/motifs or non-traditional eggs.
Non-traditional Eggs or Techniques
Non-traditional Designs/Motifs
Unusual Themes
Holiday Designs
Paper-cut Snowflakes
Paper-cut Snowflakes
Etched Snowflakes
Etched Snowflakes
Annual collections
2011 Snowflakes
2010 Snowflakes
2009 Snowflakes
2008 Snowflakes
Unfinished Snowflakes
Goose Eggs
Goose Egg Snowflakes
Small white eggs
Gold and Orange Snowflakes
Red Snowflakes
Pink Snowflakes
Purple Snowflakes
Green Snowflakes
Sky Blue Snowflakes
Shades of Blue Snowflakes
Denim Snowflakes
Other eggs and techniques
Multi-Color Snowflakes
Large Egg Snowflakes
Brown Egg Snowflakes
Red and Brown Snowflakes
Drop-Pull Snowflakes
Baba’s Galleries (my mother’s vast collection)
Laurie (my sister-in-law)
Mary Baron (Laurium, MI)
Wisconsin (Mrs. Berez of Granton)
Kids (Petrushas, their cousins and friends)
2006
2006 Petrushas
2007
2008
2009
2010
Friends (my adult friends)
Pokrova (Ukrainian School)
Tabir (Summer Camp)
2010
Daryna: Lviv, Ukraine
Maryna Kyiv, Ukraine
Ivan Balan Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Natalia Sokil Chervonohrad, Ukraine
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14. Books (an annotated bibliography)
Pysanka: Books written in English (and other non-Slavic languages)on the subject of pysanky and other forms of egg decoration.
Писанка: Books written in Ukrainian on the subject of pysanky and pysankarstvo (pysanka-making) and collections of loose pattern sheets and cards.
UGS: Books and other informational material from the Ukrainian Gift Shop (Minneapolis, MN) about pysanky and pysankarstvo
Articles: Articles in the Ukrainian and English magazines and newspapers about pysanky and pysankarstvo. When available, links will be provided to on-line versions. (In progress)
Multimedia: DVDs, videotapes and other materials about pysanky and pysankarstvo. (In progress)
Children: Books about pysanky and egg decoration meant for children and their teachers
Slavic Egg Decoration: Books from other Slavic nations about egg decoration. May or may not be in English.
Ukrainian Customs, Folk Traditions and Mythology: Books which explore folk tradition and its pre-christian roots.
Ukrainian Ethnography: Books written primarily in Ukrainian about the ethnographic division, traditions, costumes and crafts of Ukraine. (in progress)
Ukrainian History: Books I have used as sources for all eras of Ukrainian history, from Paleolithic to modern. Includes books about the Trypillian culture.
Back to MAIN Pysanka home page.
Back to Pysanka Index.
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