Easter Egg (Pysanka) Workshop with George Clyne – Saturday, March 26, 2022

Easter Egg (Pysanka) Workshop with George

A demonstration/workshop
by George Clyne

Saturday, March 26, 2:00pm ET

To register for this event on the Zoom platform, please visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIucu6pqzsrGtblJ2wEAAM3tFyBmg-fUKLC

If you have any questions about the event, please contact info@dcslovaks.org.

George will demonstrate how to make pysanky with some simple designs. You can watch him work and listen to his explanations, or you can make your own pysanka at the same time.

GEORGE CLYNE comes from a family of carpenters, electricians, artisans, and seamsters, and considers himself a jack-of-most-trades. He was exposed to Slavic art and culture when he was 23 years old: it was love at first sight. He has been blessed with the opportunity to visit Slovakia and Moravia four times, and has learned much while staying in people’s homes. He has also repaired, restored, and recreated Slovak kroj. To his great joy, a wedding headdress that he recreated was chosen to appear at an event in the old country.

Supplies needed to make pysanky:

1. A small source of low heat (electric or otherwise) to melt the bees’ wax: a food-warmer candle, a scented-oil warmer, or a wax warmer. The wax should be melted before the workshop starts.

2. A candle for heating the kistka.

3. Two kinds of kistka: one with a ball tip and one with a reservoir. Ukrainian pysanky kits with basic colors can be ordered online at www.ukrainiangiftshop.com.

4. Color packets of yellow, orange, red, and black dyes, all made up before the workshop starts (instructions on the packets). Short ‘Ball’ canning jars work well.

5. White vinegar in a ‘Ball’ canning jar.

6. Pencils.

7. Rubber bands of assorted sizes, to fit an egg.

8. A paper towel to blot the kistka and the eggs.

9. A fine wire to clean the kistka.

Optional tools: A pump to evacuate the egg
Clear polyurethane
Vinyl gloves

George will demonstrate how to use the pump and polyurethane to finish the eggs, but this is a time-consuming process (takes 2 or more days), so participants would do this, if they choose, after the workshop is over.