Spring Program 2011 - Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Workshop
Wed, 07/06/2011 - 21:53 — admin
On April 2, 2011, The Ukrainian Community of Western Pennsylvania held the 2nd Annual Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Workshop which allowed for artistic expression as well as an enjoyable process for all participants. Instructions were provided by two UCOWPA Board Members - Roksolyana Zabolotna and Dr. Hanna Dziamko. Roksolyana’s daughter Daryna was also helping with this program.
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The Ukrainian folk art of egg decorating is called “Pysanka,” and is over 6000 years old. The name comes from the word “pysaty” - to write. The most popular method of decorating pysanka is the use of the wax resists method.
On April 2, 2011, The Ukrainian Community of Western Pennsylvania held the 2nd Annual Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Workshop which allowed for artistic expression as well as an enjoyable process for all participants. Instructions were provided by two UCOWPA Board Members - Roksolyana Zabolotna and Dr. Hanna Dziamko. Roksolyana’s daughter Daryna was also helping with this program.
The Ukrainian folk art of egg decorating is called “Pysanka,” and is over 6000 years old. The name comes from the word “pysaty” - to write. The most popular method of decorating pysanka is the use of the wax resists method. An egg can take many hours to complete. You begin with a raw white egg - symbol of life and rebirth. Everything that you want to remain white, you cover with wax, using the kistka - a specialized instrument used to write the design with hot beeswax. Then, you dye the egg, usually yellow. Wherever there is wax, the yellow dye will not be able to penetrate. This preserves the white part of the design under the wax.
On your yellow egg, you mark with wax all the parts of the design that you want to remain yellow. Then dye it in the next dye bath, going in progressively darker colors, and add more wax. In the end, you will have an egg with a great deal of wax on it - if black is your finishing color, you will end up with a virtually black egg.
When the design is completed, you melt away the wax using the side of a candle flame. This process reveals the colors that were protected underneath and results in a brilliantly colored and often very intricately designed egg.
All participants took home their own creations which most likely they will treasure for years to come!
Did you know that Ukrainian Egg symbols and colors have special meanings?
Colors:
· Yellow denotes youth, happiness and love
· Light blue denotes sky with its life-giving air and good health
· Red indicates sun, happiness in life, hope and passion
· Orange is for the everlasting sun
· Brown represents mother earth bringing forth her bounty
· Pink indicates success
· Light green denotes breaking of shackles and freedom of bondage
· Dark red represents harvest, gathering fruit in the fall
· Purple is for faith, patience and trust
Symbols:
· Circle represents completeness, continuity and the cyclical nature of the universe
· Star or Rose signifies purity, life, the giver of light, the center of all knowledge as well as beauty, elegance and perfection
· Dots represent the stars in the heavens, tears or fixed points that have no beginning or end
· Triangle signifies a trinity
· Straight Line encircling the egg symbolizes eternity or the continuous thread of life
· Basket suggests contained knowledge, motherhood as well as the giver of life and gifts
· Ladder is symbolic of searching; rising above the petty problems of life
· Bends signify defense or protection
· Spirals - the mystery of life and death is portrayed by spirals since they denote divinity or immortality
· Grape Wine - this motif symbolizes continuity, good fellowship and strong, loyal love
· Apples or Plums - these orchard motifs denote knowledge, health and wisdom
· Oak Leaf signifies strength and persistence
· Lily of the Valley suggests purity and humility
· Sunflower signifies the love of God because of its intense love of light; it is allied with the concept of motherhood and, therefore, becomes a life symbol.
