The art and craft of pysanky

Posts tagged “Egg art

Incredible Eggs 2019 Calendar

It’s that time of year again.  The new egg calendar is out and I think it’s the best one yet.  I have a few eggs pictured too which is just a fun bonus.  If you want to order one for yourself, here’s the link.


What Came First?

Answer this age old question by coming to see the chicken- and egg-related art at Gallery 48 Natoma in Folsom, California.  I am unbelievably excited about this show which runs March 16-May 3, 2018 in a beautiful gallery space.  You can meet the artists at the opening reception on March 16 from 6 to 8 PM.

Gallery at 48 Natoma
48 Natoma Street
Folsom, CA 95630

I will also be teaching classes at this venue in April.  Click here for more information.


Northern California Eggstravaganza 2018

Northern California Eggstravaganza 2018- “Winter Wonderland
Crowne Plaza Northeast   5321 Date Avenue  Sacramento, CA 95841

Show and Sale
March 3, 2018–10 AM to 5  PM
March 4, 2018–10 AM to 3  PM

Seminars
March 1-4, 2018

It’s time to get these dates on your calendar.  I’ll be selling my pysanky and egg jewelry in the showroom plus teaching two classes on Saturday morning, March 3.  For more class info, click here.

 


The 2018 Incredible Eggs Calendar

It’s here…the new calendar filled beautiful egg pictures and I am honored to report you will find photos of my work along with pysanky and batik-style eggs from all over the world.  Click here to get the purchasing details and to preview each page.


Art Immersion Week at the Studio

For the first time we are offering a whole week of classes at the Studio at Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California. Think of it as Arts Camp for older youth and adults.  Featuring ceramics, drawing, painting, paper crafts and egg art on five different nights, classes begin Monday, July 24, 2017.  Check here for more details and to register for one or more classes.

 

I’ll be teaching the beginning pysanky class on Friday, July 28th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  Sign up early to get a discount and reserve your spot.


iFest 2017

This Saturday from 5 to 9 PM in village Green Park of Rancho Cordova.  It’s a fun event for the whole family.  I’ll have a cultural display booth of pysanky so come out and say hi!


Only Two More Spots!

Wow!  The new catalog of classes for the John C. Campbell Folk School just came out a couple of weeks ago and my “Pysanky For All” class August 20-26, 2017, is nearly full.  This is such thrilling news for me because it means I get to go back to that lovely spot in North Carolina and “play eggs” for a whole week with students of all skill levels.

 

I love teaching beginners.  My favorite part is watching their faces as they remove the wax from their very first egg and see the colorful results.  And I love seeing their excitement as they progress through the week, improving in skill and beginning to come up with design ideas on their own.

 

I also love teaching those already experienced with this wax and dye process.  Helping them stretch their artistic muscles as they work with new colors, or techniques, or styles is great fun for me.  I learn almost as much as they do as we work through the week together.

 

Here is a photo of the work my class did for the big “Show and Tell” celebration at the end of the week.  Didn’t they do a great job?  I feel like a proud parent!

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Christmas Egg Class

December 3, 2016–9:30 to 11:30 AM at Carmichael Park Clubhouse
5750 Grant Avenue, Carmichael, California 95608

Have some fun learning how to use wax and dyes to turn a real chicken egg into a colorful Christmas ornament.  You can sign up online for this class through Carmichael Recreation and Park District.  Scroll to the bottom of that page for more info.

xmaseggs02


Two More Classes Coming Soon!

This just in…Two Ukrainian Egg Workshops on Saturday March 12, 2016

9:30 AM to 12 PM — Introductory Class

Darkredradiatingstarlarge1301413This basic class is for anyone who wants to take the first steps in making these colorful eggs.  No previous experience or skill needed.

1 to 3:30 PM–Trypillian Egg Decorating

1600313webIn this class we will use the same layering of wax and dyes as in the introductory class, but work on a very different style of Ukrainian egg.

To sign up contact Carmichael Recreation and Park District.  For more details and to register, click here.


Save the Date!

It’s never too soon to start planning for summer fun.  And if you want fun, friendship and unhurried time to explore the art of pysanky then this retreat should go right to the top of your list.  Beginner to expert skill levels are all welcome.

 

Pysanky USA Retreat 2016

July 12-16, 2016

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Jim's new toilet seat

A little unabashed advertising here…I will be teaching “Quilt-inspired Eggs” and “Egg Mosaics” classes at this retreat and there are lots of other great classes by a variety of very experienced teachers.

 

Here is the website for more info.


The Northern California Eggstravaganza

The Northern California Eggstravaganza

March 5 and 6, 2016, at the Crown Plaza Northeast, 5321 Date Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95841.

 

VA56_Pysanky-15This annual egg show and sale is coming quickly so mark your calendars now.  I will be teaching two classes on Saturday, March 5, as well as selling pysanky eggs and egg jewelry in the showroom all weekend.

 

Click here for details on these classes.


It’s Calendar Time Again

This just in…the 2016 Incredible Egg Calendar is finished and it’s beautiful.  So many wonderful artists around the world contributed photos.  I’m honored to report a couple of mine made the cut.

IE2016calendarcover

Clicking on the above photo will take you to the calendar page at Lulu.com and once you are there click on the tiny word “Preview” directly underneath the cover photo to scroll through the month by month photos.

 

Enjoy!


Big News!

I cannot begin to describe how excited I was when I found this catalog in my mailbox. FolkSchoolcatalog It means finally I can officially announce that June 12-18, 2016 I will be teaching a  pysanky class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina.

 

The Folk School is like year-round summer camp for adults in a beautiful farm-like setting but is it so much more than that.  They emphasize non-competitive learning in all kinds of different folk arts…from quilting to blacksmithing to cooking, writing, woodturning, and music to name just a few.

 

Years ago my sister and I attended an artisan bread-baking class there and we loved everything about that experience.  I had always dreamed of going back, but going back to teach an egg class is a dream come true.

 

Got plans for next June?  Come on down.


A Taste of Heaven

Five days of “playing eggs” with friends old and new, now that is my idea of what heaven is like.  I just got back from the Pysanky USA Retreat 2015 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and am still on a pysanky high.  Together with 70 other pysanky artists we spent our days giving and teaching classes, hanging out in the play room working on eggs, and catching up on each other’s lives.  True community at its best.

 

This is a far-flung group to say the least.  One person came from Japan and not only that, she comes from the same city where I was born.  Such a small world, isn’t it?  Another spent this last year on the medical ship Mercy Africa in Madagascar.  Many folks came from the Northeastern states but we had attendees from the South, the Midwest, the West Coast and also Canada.

 

Here are just a few photos to give you a taste of my personal heaven.


International Festival in Rancho Cordova

ifest2015Saturday, May 16, 2015 from 5 to 9 PM
Village Park, Rancho Cordova

 

Let the world come to you with lots of fun displays, performances and food from many different countries at this kid-friendly iFest 2015 .  I’ll be there demonstrating how to create pysanky so be sure to stop by and say hi.

 

More details here.

 

 

 

 


Coming soon!

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to create these eggs, now is the time to sign up for an introductory class through Carmichael Recreation and Park District .  See this flyer for more details.Ukrainian Egg Workshop 2015


It’s Official

Jeanne's car

I’m going to summer camp again!  This year’s Pysanky USA Retreat in Pennsylvania promises to be bigger and better than ever.  I’ll be teaching a couple of classes and taking a few from other teachers but more importantly I’ll get to reconnect with “egging friends” from across the country.  For five days the outside world falls away as I explore new ideas, learn new techniques, and catch up with others who share my love of pysanky.  I can hardly wait!

 

Sound interesting?  This event is a great place for all skill levels, from “I’ve never dyed an egg before” to “I’ve been creating these eggs for 30 years.”  If you want to join the fun, here’s the link for more details.


Incredible Eggs Calendar

2015calendarIt’s that time of year.  The 2015 Incredible Eggs calendar is out and I think this one is the best yet.  And that’s not just because I have two egg photos in it this year.  Click here to see the details and to preview the gorgeous photos.


Summer Camp for Me!

Doing what you love is a good thing…but doing it with a bunch of other people who also love it is an amazingly good thing.  I spent last week in Pennsylvania with 60+ other pysanky artists at an egg retreat learning, teaching, connecting and laughing with friends old and new.  To put it simply, I went to summer camp for adults…and I highly recommend it.

 

This is my third year attending the Pysanky USA Retreat.  I took a few classes, taught a few classes and mostly hung out in the “play room” where we could work on our own projects as we talked and shared about egg art and life in general.  The room population ebbed and flowed throughout the day as classes started which allowed me to meet new people with the luxury of unhurried time on our side.  Free flowing ideas sparked new techniques, new color combinations, new dyes to try.  Wow, my brain got full fast!

 

I came away from this week not only with a renewed enthusiasm for this art but with a sense of community and connectedness to my fellow pysanky artists across the country.  And I’m already looking forward to next year!


Arts Camp 2014 Recap

Here’s a glimpse of our week at Oak Hills Church Arts Camp!

 

God blessed me with 12 wonderfully creative 5th and 6th grade girls, two loving shepherd helpers and a calm and cheerful assistant teacher this year.  Together we learned about God and His love for us while we learned the art of pysanky and how to create these jeweled wonders.  We also learned that occasionally eggs break but life goes on because you get to start over on a new egg.

All valuable life lessons in my book.


Arts Camp 2014

VA56_Pysanky-7

Once again I’ll be teaching a week-long class of 5th and 6th graders how to create pysanky.  Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California, bursts with activity as the campus transforms into a vast studio of kids and volunteers all focused on finding God through the arts.

 

Dance, music, theater, visual arts, creative craftsmanship, and even culinary arts come alive as we all learn how to nurture our creative souls.

 

For more information and to register, click here.

 

 

 


Egg Classes in April

4-petal leaf vine on maroon 1104214Want to learn how to create these lovely eggs?  Along with the Ukrainian Heritage Club of Northern California I am teaching an introductory and a “next step” class on Saturday, April 5, 2014.

La Sierra Community Center
5325 Engle Road
Carmichael, CA 95608

Introductory Class–9:30-11:45 AM

No experience necessary for this class.

Next Step Class–1-3:30 PM

If you’ve made these eggs before and want to learn a new technique, this is the class for you.

You can get more information and sign up through Carmichael Recreation and Park District or call 916 485-5322.


Calendar Girl

calendar

I know this is a bit late but I’m Miss February, for the third year running!  Or at least one of my eggs is Miss February.   Click here to see a preview of all the wonderful photos and find out how you can order a 2014 calendar for your very own.

Creating beauty on eggshells can be a time-consuming and lonely process but thanks to modern technology I am part of a worldwide egg art family.  To me, this calendar is tangible proof that even though separated by miles, we are a community connected through our art.


True Colors

TrueColors

Through February 5, 2014

Some of my eggs are on display Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM at Gallery 625 in the County Administration Building 625 Court Street, Woodland, CA 95776