This weekend I got to try a new creative outlet at my mother's suggestion -- making traditional pysanky eggs! (Confused on how to say "pysanky?" It's just like "spanky" with the p and the s reversed... I still have to resist the urge to call them "spanky eggs" and laugh hysterically.)
Starting with just a raw egg, it's a very labor-intensive process, but totally consuming and relaxing and almost therapeutic.
Using just a block of pure beeswax and a kistka stylus, you layer on melted wax and dip the egg in dye, then repeat the process over and over again.
If you're super curious, you can read more on the traditions and symbolism behind pysanky eggs here and here.
Also, my mother and I were discussing -- what do you do with these eggs after you've created them? They're super fragile, roll around, and can't be in bright sunlight. I put them in a dish with some plants (you can see them peeking out below)... any other ideas?
As always, more photos on Instagram and Tumblr.
[All photos and content by Ann Howell Brown, 2013]
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