Pisanki – Or How I Learned To Relove the Art of Coloring Eggs

When I was a child, one of the things to look forward to was the day I smelled my mom putting vinegar into plastic cups – it could only mean it was time to dye eggs!  We would usually use the kit from the craft or grocery store, complete with the clear wax crayon you would use to draw designs.  The sad part was always having to eat the eggs later in the week.

Skip ahead several decades to a day a few years ago when I found myself cleaning out some drawers and came across a green, intricately painted egg.  I recognized it as one I had seen around and knew it was something that my great-grandmother, who we called babcia (Polish for grandma) had likely made and was a traditional Polish egg (note these are also popular in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries).  This led me to some research and I figured, what the heck, why not try to make some myself?  I used to do a lot of art back in the day, but with my busy schedule have settled mostly on photography now even though I have plenty of art paint in the house.  Before I go too much further, it is worth pointing out that while these are Easter eggs and have their origins in the holiday, they can be painted as a regular spring decoration.

First, I found some websites that talked about the history of pisanki (pisanka is singular), such as the Polish Culture site run out of Poland.  This particular article gives a rather in-depth overview of how the tradition has evolved over the years and really gets into the different types of eggs you can make.  The most traditional method uses a real egg that is painstakingly drained and cured, then etched with wax using special pen tips and then repeatedly dyed, scraped, and dyed some more.  This was clearly not the route I wanted to take.  I settled on the wooden craft egg with paint, much like the family heirloom I had discovered.  Note other alternatives include using the egg as a form to knit eggs, or to affix other craft materials to for a cloth egg.

The first step is to get some wooden craft eggs.  Most craft stores and even general stores will have them around Easter each year and almost always for sale online year-round.  You can usually get eggs by the half or full dozen.  I ended up with a large bag of 24.  Keep in mind, I am still using these since making one egg can take hours to do.  Here are what the eggs look like before you begin the project, they should arrive sanded and ready to paint, though you may need to touch up some rough areas with a high grit sandpaper.

The next step is to “prime” the eggs.  I use acrylic paint and like to give each egg a white base coat before I start to paint the design.  The tricky part is, well, the shape.  How do you paint an egg and not have it roll all over the place?  Paper cups and large (or small if that is all you have) push pins.  I was able to find large push pins in an office supply store.  First you look at the bottom of the egg and should find a small dot that was used in the processing – it is typically in the middle, so it is a good guide for balancing the egg.  Push the push pin in so it is pretty secure, you may need to twist it a little to work it in.  Then take the pin out and put it in the inside of the paper cup, making a hole in the bottom.  Paint the bottom area of the egg and then place it on the pin in the cup.  You can then hold the pin and paint the rest of the egg.  Here is what you should be seeing:

Next up, you want to plan a design.  If you search the internet or Pinterest, you will find lots of sites that have ideas or images of eggs that you can copy.  I found one Pinterest board that had over 700 designs listed.  Another comprehensive site I found that gives a history, overview of all the different types of eggs, and lists some patterns is Lamus Dworski’s blog post on the topic.  The site includes patterns and close-ups of how to do the symbols.  For more detailed lists of design elements, you will likely need to consult a book, which will describe what the different colors and symbols mean as well as give you an idea of the variations in regional designs.  Polish and Ukraine eggs are very different and the different regions of Poland also have their own take on the designs.  I usually go with what appeals to me, with some traditional designs and some with a modern twist.  Our library catalog has a pretty good selection of books on painting eggs, so do start by reviewing those to get ideas.

Your next step is to paint the base color.  One reason I like acrylic paint is it usually only needs one coat, especially if you did a base coat of white.  The other reason is it dries quickly so as long as you keep a wet brush, your design will evolve fairly rapidly without having to take lots of breaks for drying.  Traditional colors are pretty basic, but with modern paint comes a larger palette, so use the colors you like.

Once you get to painting the design, you will want to remove the egg from the cup and pin.  Be sure the area you work on is dry before you turn the egg in your hand.  If you need to divide the job into halves, you can use the cup to rest the egg while one side dries.  In the picture below, you see I do some traditional eggs (left) and more modern spring-type eggs (right).  I still use some of the traditional symbols on the modern looking eggs, but give them a twist.

The final step will be to take the eggs outside and spray them with a light coating of clear spray paint – you can use either matte or glossy, whichever you prefer.  This will seal the color and protect them for years to come.  You’ll have created your own family heirloom.  I will leave you with one last photo, babcia’s egg on the left with one of mine on the right.  It was cool to find I had the same shade of green!

by, Laura N. Information Technology