Pysanka Demonstration with Lesia Sochor

Friday, March 26 from 4 to 5 pm
Online via Zoom

Learn the Ukrainian style of egg decorating–Pysanka–during this online demonstration! 

The word Pysanka comes from the verb ‘Pysati’ which means to write. Designs are made by drawing (or writing) on an egg with a tool called a kystka. The traditional kystka is made from a wooden dowel with a copper funnel. It is heated in the flame of the candle, then dipped into beeswax and the designs flow from the tip onto the egg. When the wax is removed in the final step, there are gasps of surprise and delight from all ages. The eggs can be simple to quite ornate. 

Any kind of eggs can be used, chicken, duck, goose. Artist Lesia Sochor has even decorated 2 Ostrich eggs. Traditionally the eggs were decorated raw, because people believed the egg held great powers; It was a trinity, the yolks representing the sun, the whites the moon, and the egg itself represented the universe. By adding certain symbols, the egg became a mighty talisman protecting people from evil spirits, catastrophes, and illness and ensured well-being and happiness.

Born in Philadelphia, PA to Ukrainian immigrant parents, Lesia graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1974 with a degree in Fine Art. She moved to Brooks, Maine in 1980 where she lives at the end of a dirt road with her husband John, a woodworker. Together they garden, build stone walls, make dandelion wine, and run a small hydro-electric station.

In addition to flourishing as an artist, Lesia is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher of art who has given instruction in public schools, residencies through the Maine Arts Commission, and museum workshops for 25 years. She has also illustrated two children’s books and continues to honor her roots by introducing the art of ‘Pysanka’, a Ukrainian decorated egg, in workshops throughout the state.

Cost: $12; $8 members