Artist Spotlight, Prairie Harvest Pysanky
Pysanky is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated using beeswax and dyes. The word comes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax. Pysanka is often taken to mean any type of decorated egg, but it specifically refers to an egg created by the written-wax method and utilizing traditional folk motifs and designs.
PoCo Inspired: Tell us a bit about yourself
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: I grew up on the family farm north of Gilbert Plains, Manitoba. I came to Winnipeg in 1987 to attend Scientific School of Beauty and was in the hair and nail industry for 24 years, in that time I became an LCN nail educator. I now work at Access Credit Union in Stonewall the last 12 years. I am married and have three beautiful fur babies.
PoCo Inspired: When did you first start making Pysanky and what was the first piece you ever made?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: I started making Pysanky (Ukrainian Egg) as a child with my mother every Easter, we would spend days during the Lenten period making them. I stopped in my twenties, but got back into to 24 years ago, I still have one of the pysanky that I made in honor of my mother 23 years ago.
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: I started making Pysanky (Ukrainian Egg) as a child with my mother every Easter, we would spend days during the Lenten period making them. I stopped in my twenties, but got back into to 24 years ago, I still have one of the pysanky that I made in honor of my mother 23 years ago.
PoCo Inspired: What inspires your creativity when making a new piece?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My traditional inspiration comes from many Ukrainian pysanky design books and clothing. My modern inspiration I find in everyday life, when I see a design on a shirt or wall, I will take a picture and work it into an design.
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My traditional inspiration comes from many Ukrainian pysanky design books and clothing. My modern inspiration I find in everyday life, when I see a design on a shirt or wall, I will take a picture and work it into an design.
PoCo Inspired: What is the single most important skill you have learned and why?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My most important skill is patience, you can't rush a design, you can't rush the egg in taking the dye, and you can't rush the drying of a clear coat.
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My most important skill is patience, you can't rush a design, you can't rush the egg in taking the dye, and you can't rush the drying of a clear coat.
PoCo Inspired: What challenges do you face in your work?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: Some of my biggest challenges is the egg itself, there are times the egg will not take a dye, or a little crack show up that you didn't see and dye seeps into the egg and you get blotches. it is then that you must decide, do I work with the blotches or do I try and fix it.
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: Some of my biggest challenges is the egg itself, there are times the egg will not take a dye, or a little crack show up that you didn't see and dye seeps into the egg and you get blotches. it is then that you must decide, do I work with the blotches or do I try and fix it.
PoCo Inspired: What is your biggest achievement so far in your business?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My biggest achievement was last year at an art show in Selkirk where i placed first in the mix media category with a rhea egg I did.
Prairie Harvest Pysanky: My biggest achievement was last year at an art show in Selkirk where i placed first in the mix media category with a rhea egg I did.
PoCo Inspired: Where can we find you to shop online or in-person?
Prairie Harvest Pysanky:
Website: https://prairie-harvestpysanky.square.site/
Facebook: prairie harvest pysanky
Instagram: prairieharvest_pysankybyLoris
Facebook: prairie harvest pysanky
Instagram: prairieharvest_pysankybyLoris
