Pysanky Egg - Crayon Resist: Appropriate Age: Grade Three – Grade Six Approximate Time: One 2 or Two 1 hour sessions Pysanky refers to Ukrainian Easter eggs that have been dyed using a wax-‐resist or batik method and decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs steeped in symbolism. The art form dates back to ancient times, but with the advent of Christianity, many of the symbols were adapted to represent Easter and Christ's Resurrection. Materials: • White paper • White crayons, with sharpeners to create a Dine point • Felt tip pens • Pencils • Scissors • Watercolors and brushes • Pictures of pysanky • Copy of pysanky symbols • Egg template for tracing, make several out of card stock Session One Introduce the concept of symbolism using a common symbol that the children you are working with would all recognize, such as a wedding ring, a crown or a cross and discuss it with them. Talk about how a symbol is something that represents something else. Sometimes it is using a visible sign to express something invisible, like using a lion as a symbol of courage. Scripture and Christian tradition are full of symbolism. Let them know that one such tradition will be the focus of this project. Introduce pysanky as an art form by showing them pictures of Dinished eggs. Many beautiful examples abound on the internet. Explain that the eggs are decorated using heated wax that is scooped into a drawing tool. Images are then made on the egg; any bit of shell covered with wax will be sealed, and remain white. Then the egg is dyed yellow, and more wax applied, and then orange, red, purple, black. Bits of shell covered with wax remain that color. After the Dinal color, wax is removed by heating the egg and gently wiping off the melted wax. Next, share the various motifs and their meanings and what color represents in pysanky. Here are a couple web-‐sites for this printing this information: http://eggs-‐Diles.tripod.com/pysanky_4.html http://www.learnpysanky.com/symbols.html Now your groups should be primed to start their own picture. Tell the children that they are going to use a wax-‐resist process and the symbols of pysanky to decorate a two dimensional egg on paper. It would be a good idea to make a paper pysanka yourself to use as an example. 1) To begin, have children trace an egg template on paper in pencil. 2) To start the design of the egg, guide them in dividing the space with bands, which are symbols of eternity. The bands should run horizontally and will serve to divide the space for creating patterns. Be sure to curve the lines, showing that the egg is a sphere and not a Dlat shape. 3) Encourage them to draw simple symbols and patterns, reminding them that they will be redrawing these with a crayon. Details are good, so long as they are not too small. When they are satisDied with their design, have them go over their design in felt tip pen. Now it is ready to be traced in white crayon next week. Session Two: Review pysanky art and symbolism. Let them share their egg designs and meanings. 1) Lay another piece of paper over your design and trace the outside egg shape with a white crayon or oil pastel. Make sure children are putting enough pressure on the crayon for the paper to accept a good amount of the wax or oil. This is critical to the resist process. It is so sad to do all this work and then not have your drawing show up! Do the same to the whole design. 2) Next have them cut the egg out, being careful to cut to the outside of the white line, so that it will show up after painting. 3) Now they can paint the eggs. BrieDly go over the symbolism of color again. Limit them to 3 colors, the piece can become distracting otherwise. Use watercolors and explain these basic paint procedures: o Wash your brush when you change color. o If the color is too pale, you need more paint. o If the color is too strong and you cannot see your images, you need more water. o An alternative to painting multiple colors is to just paint the eggs a deep red, symbolizing Christ’s passion. The single contrast can look very striking. Set aside to dry. Exhibition: Mount them on black paper and display for Easter.