Living History Artisan

My Craft

The ancient art of transforming an ordinary egg into a pysanka can be traced as far back as 5000 BC. Seen as the embodiment of hope and the renewal of life, they were a talisman of protection and abundance for the prehistoric Slavic people. The decorated egg remains a symbol of rebirth and renewal in many cultures to this day, whether it’s the Easter Bunny bringing chocolate eggs or children dying eggs in Sunday School at Easter-time.

In this distinctly Slavic folkcraft, symbols and complex geometric patterns are drawn on the egg with melted beeswax flowing from a kistka, a metal tool similar to a tiny funnel. The eggs are then dipped in a series of dyes. The final pattern is revealed when the wax is removed and the egg is preserved with clear resin or lacquer.

My Canvas

Traditional pysanky are created with raw eggs dyed in the wax-resist batik method. Raw pysanky, even preserved with a varnish, are not made to last more than a year or two. To create work that is more durable and may be enjoyed for many years, I use clean empty eggshells in sizes ranging from quail to ostrich. Most of my work is done on hen, duck, or goose eggs and all my eggs are purchased from small family-run farms.

Pysanky are stronger than you think! The oldest

pysanka to date was found intact in Lviv, Ukraine and is thought to be at least 500 years old.

My Story

I learned to write pysanky from my great-grandmother who was born in a city that now lies in modern-day Ukraine. As a young child at the turn of the century, she traveled from Europe to America with her family. From Ellis Island they continued West to Cleveland, Ohio where I would be born and raised generations later.

Today I write pysanky in a small Victorian Village studio near my home in Columbus, Ohio. You can see my work at the Ohio Craft Museum, in the Imagination Tree at the Oberlin Public Library, and as of Spring 2024, in a special exhibit at the Cincinati Museum of Art.

COMMISSIONS

Let’s make something magical together!

A custom pysanka is a precious gift of love for any occasion. Housewarmings, weddings, christenings are all wonderful occasions to commemorate with a piece of art that will be cherished for generations.

To ensure that each commission receives the attention it deserves, I reserve space for only two custom orders per month. Click the link above or email me at firebirdeggs@gmail.com for more information.

Traditional ritual pysanky available upon request; serious inquires only, please.

My Thanks

The ongoing support I receive from each of the organizations below has been a blessing to my life and work in the arts. Their generous funding, guidance, and the opportunities they provide the local arts community have made my life richer in countless ways. Thank you to every single patron of the arts who supports these organizations and artists like me.

I recognize that I am a guest in the original homeland of the living nations of: The Miami Tribe, the Shawnee Tribe, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, the Delaware Nation, the Delaware Tribe, the Wyandotte Nation, the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, the Seneca Nation, the Ottawa Tribe, Peoria Tribe, Pokagon Band Potawatomi, Forest County Potawatomi, Tonawanda Seneca, and others. I extend my respect and gratitude to the many Indigenous people who call these lands home.

© 2024 Heather S. Moore