Pysanky, Annie

Pysanky.
Annie.
Egg, Wax, Dye

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about the piece.
Pysanky is the Eastern European art of egg decorating. Ukranian pysanky is the most famous. The name comes from the verb to write, as you use a stylus (called a kistka) to write with wax on the egg shell. The process is similar to batik.*

Annie describes her piece, "This pysanky, my own design, is a representation of the contrast between how most people see pregnancy and birth (full of joy and vibrance, something beautiful) and how I now see it after suffering multiple losses and infertility. Pysanky are full of symbolism - there's the symbolism of the egg itself, symbolism in the design, and also symbolism in the colors.

"The egg represents birth, new life and fertility.

"The  design:

• Calendula (orange) - grief, despair, sorrow
• Nightshade (purple) - deception, danger, death
• Weeping willow (green) - mourning
• Forget-me-not (blue) - remembrance

"The dominant colors:

• Orange - endurance, strength, ambition
• Green - hopefulness
• Black - darkest time before dawn, death, fear
• White - the color of birth, light, and rejoicing is notably absent"

about the artist.

Annie blogs at Cradles and Graves. "Cradles because I have two living children, ages 6 and 4. Graves because I lost two sons, Jeremiah and Miles, at 21 and 18 weeks respectively, both due to cord problems," as Annie describes it. "After these losses, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and secondary infertility, had another loss at 5 weeks, and am currently desperately trying for a rainbow baby."

* Description from the website Learn Pysanky, written by Ann Morash.