Etz Chaim - Tree of Life (duck egg)

“It is a tree of life to all who grasp it, and whoever holds on to it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all it paths are peace." (Proverbs 3:17-18)

This egg is an original design and I wrote it in celebration of my friend's daughter's bat mitzvah. The Tree of Life is a powerful symbol in the Jewish tradition for the wisdom of the Torah, and I enjoyed writing a version of it here. The reverse depicts a wave with a dove in reference to Noah and the flood, which was in her Torah portion. Sophie is an amazing chanter and it was an amazing event!

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Verdant Pastures

This pysanka was inspired by the folk pysanka featured in  Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 40, No. 14), but at this point has taken on a life of its own with a different color scheme and additional motifs. 

Hutsul Crosses

This is a near replica of a Hutsul pysanka from Kosmach featured in Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 41, No. 10). I did not quite get the desired contrast between the yellow and orange that I wanted. In the original, the orange is much more orange.

Adeeration of the Sun

This design is roughly based on two diasporan pysanky featured in Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 40, No. 1 and 2). I've changed the band a great deal, and altered the central rosette/sun motif.

Hutsul Horses

This pysanka is a modified replica of a folk pysanka featured in Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 49, No. 9). The motif on the ends of the egg is my own, since it is not entirely visible in the original picture. The placement/spacing of the horses and trees has more of a modern quality than the original. 

Pink Petals

This design is modified from a Hutsul folk pysanka from Kosmach featured in Elyjiw's Sixty Score of Easter Eggs (Table 51, No. 15). I changed the color scheme and some of the motifs.

Mexican Pottery

This design is based on a ceramic mug I bought in Mexico City this summer. Here, I've applied colored wax to a brown egg and left it on, such as in the Romanian style.