liz and i decided that if the lady who did these professionally could do pysanky (plurel... singular: pysanka), then we could definately learn. so we did.
it's a ukranian folk art with traditional designs based on natural and christian symbols. lots of love, prosperity, patience, fishing for men, etc... the legend has it that as long as people are patient and dilligent enough to make these eggs every year, love will reign the world. if not enough eggs are made, or if people stop entirely, the chains holding back this big evil moster tied to a cliff will be weakened--even broken.
and no one wants that.
so liz and i are contributing to the restraint of this horrible beast. (and we haven't even met him...for shame...)
it goes like so: blow some eggs (you COULD conceivably wait 'til the end to blow the egg...but why? we did not have extensive egg-blowing experience on our resumes --it would have been very sad to lose our new works of art to overzelous blowing) mix up the inedible dye (it clearly stated such. no tasting happened here. none!) draw in wax on the egg, dye the egg, dry the egg, draw in wax... ad infinitum/PRN. at then end just varnish them, attach a hanger, put a number on it and hang it on the tree! woo HOO!
we took pictures the whole time (like we could resist) and decided after 6 hours of labrious efforts that we definately had room for a learning curve. phew. ...certainly before i make them my next christmas ornament experience!!
(this is an interactive excercise in patience... these pictures are pretty big files and will load more slowly than the rest of the site --it was before i got better at this web thing! patience...kinda like waiting for wax to melt off an egg...) |
