Creating Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs
Ann Dutile at the Ladies of the Lake Fall Craft Fair in Laconia. (Kathi Caldwell-Hopper photo)
Story and photos by Kathi Caldwell-Hopper
Imaging traditions that date back 5,000 years is difficult. Old customs would seem faded into time, but one that remains is “decorating” Ukrainian Pysanky eggs.
Creating the intricate designs on real – not fake wooden or plastic – eggs is a practice that takes patience and is a learned skill. It is not just for Easter but a year-round art form that not many people are doing any longer or even know much about the Pysanky traditions.
Indeed, respecting traditions are a vital part of crafting the colors and designs used for Pysanky eggs. One such creative person is Belmont resident, Ann Dutile. Her work is breathtaking, and customers call it “amazing” and “intricate” when they visit her booth at artisan fairs. She has honed the crafting of Pysanky eggs over time, using practice and patience, two things that are vital to making the designs.
“I was introduced to Ukrainian egg decorating by my high school art teacher. That teacher was into it and when I saw the finished product, I fell in love with it,” says Ann.
That was the start of a lifelong love of making Pysanky eggs. “We would get together after school and my art teacher worked with me, showing me how to ‘write’ on eggs.”
Ann goes on to explain that decorating the eggs is called writing vs. painting. “It was an instant passion for me. Over the years, I would say I dabbled in it, but with children to raise and a busy life, there wasn’t always time to pursue it on a regular basis.”
Once Ann had retired and Covid hit, she found herself with more time on her hands and turned once again to creating Pysanky eggs. She says that by that time, with access to the internet and bigger art stores, the supplies were much easier to obtain. Thus, Ann was poised to dive into an art form that she loves and now shares with followers and new customers who may have never heard of Pankey eggs.
A variety of designs and colors in the Pysanky Eggs created by Ann Dutile. (Courtesy photo)
All one must do is come across Ann at an artisan fair (a list of her upcoming fall fairs is at the end of this story), and it is impossible not to stop and gaze at the eggs. People ask questions of Ann and are eager to learn more. Their amazement grows when they are told that Ann makes the designs and creates each egg herself and that they are standing before an artist who is carrying on a very old tradition with dedication and skill.
When asked why she chose this art form, Ann says it is because it is relaxing and “meditative.” One can see why she gets lost in each design as the everyday world with all its stresses and tasks falls away. “I enjoy thinking about the colors and designs I will make. It is relaxing and a form of meditation for me,” she explains.
To outline what these eggs are and how they are crafted, Ann says, “Ukrainian Eggs are hand drawn on real eggshells using a wax resist dye process. I draw on the eggshell with hot beeswax which comes out of a miniature brass funnel called a Kostka. The wax seals the color, and I work from color to color, often light to dark. When I’m finished, I melt the wax off against a candle flame and wipe the wax off with a tissue. The designs and colors are revealed.
She continues, “According to an old Ukrainian legend if pysanky (Ukrainian eggs) are being made, evil shall not prevail over the good in the world. Each symbol and color have meaning based on ancient traditions.
The symbols and colors are many and Ann mentions just a few, including birds representing fertility and fulfillment; butterflies the resurrection of Christ; deer and horses symbolizing wealth and prosperity; flowers for wisdom and elegance and beauty and poppies the most beloved flower in Ukraine (poppies often show up in designs.)
Colors can be, for example, red which symbolizes happiness and hope; white for purity; blue as the sky and good health, and orange for the sun. Ann says she uses these colors and weaves the design ideas into her work but goes beyond the traditional when she adds in further colors and creates her own designs.
And what about the eggs? To spend time and skill on the eggs, one would imagine Ann uses wooden eggs which would be durable, but that is not the case. Her egg choices come from local farms vs. the grocery store
A variety of designs and colors in the Pysanky Eggs created by Ann Dutile. (Courtesy photo)
“I use a variety of real eggs,” she explains. “I use chicken eggs and sometimes others such as turkey eggs or even goose eggs. Chicken eggs are good for doing details and designs. They take me, on average, about six to eight hours to complete and can be quite detailed. A goose egg might take me the same amount of time while other types of eggs require a different time frame.”
The process of making an egg requires Analine dyes, which Ann says come in many colors, from the traditional, often used hues to her choices of additional colors such as various pinks, for example.
Beeswax is the only type of wax Ann uses when making Pysanky eggs. “My creations are done with beeswax and dyes,” she says. What sounds like a simple, straightforward “craft” is anything but easy and quick. It requires the talent of creating a design, drawing it onto the egg and then utilizing beeswax and colored dyes.
Should one wonder if the egg retains its yolk and white innards, Ann reassures she removes them for the simple reason that she does not want any undesirable odor to come from the eggs. She carefully blows out the innards before beginning to “write” a Pysanky egg.
“Is there a big learning curve if you want to make a Pysanky egg?” Ann says she is often asked. “The answer is yes, and no. One of the challenges is learning to paint on a round surface. Also, there is no erasing when making a Pysanky egg. It takes patience and practice and once you start a design there is no turning back or erasing. I learned the process quite quickly within a week, but my designs back then were quite basic and simple.”
“Simple” is not a word used to describe the intricate designs Ann now creates. She is a true master of her craft, as witnessed by those who are lucky enough to see her work at a local fair. Customers buy the eggs for gifts, with the upcoming holidays a favorite time to gift a Pysanky egg, to those who collect the eggs for themselves. To own an Ann Dutile created Pysanky egg is the goal of many who love and appreciate this traditional art form. (The eggs look great as a holiday tree ornament.)
Customers and creative types who find themselves drawn to making Pysanky eggs can contact Ann, who says she has taught the craft before and is open to doing it again. Once a student makes a Pysanky egg, they will likely know what Ann means when she says the process is deeply meditative. It is also a respectful nod to the distant past, dating back 5,000 years.
See Ann’s Pysanky eggs for sale at upcoming fairs, including the Belmont High School Fair on November 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Gilford High School Holiday Craft Fair on December 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information on taking a class or to learn more about an event where one might see the Pysanky eggs, email Ann at anniedutile@yahoo.com.