Variation on Sheaves of Wheat

This is a variation on a classic diasporan design published in Eggs Beautiful (Egg #17). I posted a rendition of this design way back in 2012.

Folk Pysanky from Central Ukrainian Regions

Reproduced from "Magpie Feet" from Vira Manko's The Ukrainian Folk Pysanka (Table 35, No. 19), Poltava Province. Poltava is known for its brighter colors, particularly green, yellow, and red. This pysanka is divided into eighths and utilizes a motif, also common in other regions, of diagonally placed botanical or geometric subjects. Here, the subject looks like flowers but the name associated with the pattern suggests otherwise!

Reproduced from "Bokova Rozha" or "Side Rose" from  Zenon Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 25, No. 3), Kyiv Province. Pysanka from Kyiv tend to favor the yellow, red, black color scheme and feature both geometrical and plant motifs. "Rose" is only used in the abstract sense, even the word "Rozha" actually translates to mallow flower. The "side rose" division divides the pysanka first in two with a median line, and then the resulting two spaces into eight wedges. I wish I had also photographed the side of this pysanka, as it features kucheri, or "curls." 

Reproduced from Vira Manko's The Ukrainian Folk Pysanka (Table 38, No. 6), Kirovohrad province. This pysanka is divided into eighths with a cross pattern. On top of that, it almost resembles a "side rose" turned so that the "roses" face the top and the bottom of the egg (again, wish I took a picture of that view). The pink color may be too pink here for a true reproduction, with the original photograph looking slightly more red.

These pysanky were featured in the class I recently taught at the Pysanky USA retreat. They are not exactly great representatives of their provinces, but were chosen with the intention of introducing the students to many different folk divisions as well as different ethnographic regions in Ukraine.

Golden Flowers ("embossed" style drop-pull)

This design with "embossed" colored waxes is loosely based off of a dyed drop-pull pysanka featured in Larry Kozlowski's compilation of Slavic patterns. 

Cross with Flowers and Pussy Willow

Modified from a diasporan design featured in a UGS postcard.

Crosses

This pysanka is slightly modified from one featured in Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We Make Them. It features two kinds of crosses, the typical cross, which looks like a t,  and the "sloping cross" or "St. Andrew's Cross," which looks like an X. Both of these symbols have meanings in the pagan and Christian traditions.

Mock "Scratch" Pysanka

One type of Easter egg in the polish tradition is skrobanki, or scratched eggs. Here, I've adapted a skrobanka featured in Jerzy Lipka's book, Almost Everything about Eggs, but used the batik (wax and dye) techniques. In a typical skrobanka, the white lines would be the deepest scratches, and the yellow lines would be lighter scratches.

Blue Flower Bouquet ("embossed" style drop-pull)

This design with "embossed" colored waxes is loosely based off of a dyed drop-pull pysanka featured in Larry Kozlowski's compilation of Slavic patterns.