Kalispell artist perfects the ancient art of pysanky

Using some of the most primitive tools and techniques, the ancient art of pysanky still makes for some of the most intricate and decorative Easter eggs ever to grace a basket.

Local artist Kathy Martin has been practicing the Ukrainian wax-resisting method of dying eggs for 20 years and passing on her knowledge and eggs to others every Easter.

Though the complex designs look hand-drawn, the technique uses beeswax to create separate layers of bold color.

It starts with a plain white egg from the grocery store.

Though she said the strongest eggs come from local farms, Martin said she usually gets hers from the store, carefully picking through the cartons to compile a batch of smooth, consistent eggs.

Once home with her bounty, Martin blows the insides out using an egg blower to avoid unpleasant egg explosions. Notoriously fragile, the medium chosen for such a hands-on and repetitive craft can make for painstaking work.

A light tap and a short drop and hours of work shatter in an instant.

A firm but gentle grip and a steady hand allow Martin to draw a faint guide on the egg in pencil before moving on to the more signature steps.

The Ukrainian word pysanka, used to describe a single dyed egg, means “written” or “inscribed.” The inscriptions are made using a traditional tool called a kistka and beeswax.

Though slightly modernized versions are now available, today’s kistkas still closely resemble their ancestors, which consisted of a tiny copper cone attached to the end of a wooden dowel with wire.

Using a candle, the artist heats the copper cone and then scoops out a bit of wax from a block and continues to heat and liquefy it over the flame.

The wax then flows through the fine tip of the copper cone to create black lines on the egg. Once the design has been drawn in wax, which resists the dye, the egg is ready for its first coat of color.

Beginning with the lightest color, usually yellow, eggs go in for a soaking, one layer at a time, with more of the pattern and lines filled in with wax with each darkening color to preserve the coat underneath.

Some designs still replicated today date back hundreds of years, depicting ancient symbols of prosperity, fertility, fortune and more.

Traditional styles rely heavily on repeating patterns and geometric shapes. Others portray aspects of nature, including animals and plants that hold significance in various cultures.

Fish, deer, wheat and flowers permeate the designs handed down over centuries.

“It’s really interesting because a lot of the different cultures have symbols that are very similar to something that you’ve seen some place else, but it doesn’t mean the same thing, necessarily,” Martin said.

The eggs themselves originally served as a symbol of fertility with the return of spring.

However, as Christianity spread through the Slavic countries where the eggs originated, the eggs’ purpose evolved to symbolize rebirth and Easter.

The decorative symbols, too, took on new Christian meanings, including fish, evergreen branches, wheat and water.

“You can look for meaning or you can put meanings in it or you can just create something that you really like,” Martin said.

Artists can find numerous patterns and instructions for pysanky online or in books, but some artists prefer to play with their own designs.

Martin said she took her interest in the craft from an article in the Daily Inter Lake published in 1998.

That colorful front page article highlighted a local artist skilled in the craft of Ukrainian egg decorating.

Inspired by her grandmother’s own love of decorating Easter eggs in her own, different style, Martin said she found herself drawn to the technique.

“I thought, ‘I have to know how to do this. These are so awesome,’” Martin recalled. “The fact that some of the designs were so complex.”

The next year, she ran across a pysanky artist offering classes at Flathead Valley Community College, teaching members of the community how to create their own egg masterpieces.

Martin said she rushed to register for the 10-week course, and several hours and eggs later, she had a bona fide egg-decorating education.

Estimating her pieces at over a hundred since she began 20 years ago, Martin has passed on her knowledge to friends at the kitchen table and children gathered for classes at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell.

“I think it’s a fun thing to make them and give them away,” she said.

Still, her Easter baskets overflow with colorful Ukrainian eggs, and she said as long as they don’t break or fade in the sun, they’ll last forever.

Though not as refined or intricate as her newer pieces, Martin’s first egg made 20 years ago in her first class is still a part of her pysanky treasure trove.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.