Baba's Beeswax | Discover the Magic of Pysanky: Ask me anything about pysanky

Baba's Beeswax | Discover the Magic of Pysanky: Ask me anything about pysanky:    Ask me anything about pysanky—tools, technique, tradition and more . . . . Q. Is there a podcast relating to pysanky?   A. Yes, listen ...

Debut of first ever Podcast about Pysanky

I’m thrilled to announce the debut of my Pysanka Power Podcast, launching in collaboration with Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio!

Saving the world one pysanka at a time . . . . ™

Soon you’ll be able to listen to all the Episodes of my Pysanka Power Podcast on your favourite platform. You’ll also be able to hear it on Nash Holos! 

Pysanka Power will debut on the Vancouver edition of Nash Holos today and on the Nanaimo edition on Wednesday, March 13. It will also air on the internationally syndicated edition which broadcasts to 20 countries around the world on AM, FM, shortwave and satellite radio.

If you miss the broadcast, you can catch the podcast of the show at the Nash Holos website www.nashholos.com. As well you can get the audio archives of the Pysanka Power Podcast at my website BabasBeeswax.com.

Wondering about the origins of this podcast? For several years, I’ve collaborated on many projects with my talented friend, Paulette MacQuarrie, who just happens to be the host of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio. We’ve been friends for decades!

She’s been podcasting her show Nash Holos since 2001, and for a long time now has been encouraging me to get going on a podcast of my own on the topic of pysanky.

Two other things got me motivated as well:

1. I want to keep current with social media trends such as podcasting; and
2. There are no existing podcasts about pysanky!

After several brainstorming sessions, the Pysanka Power Podcast was born! The first six episodes will cover the history, legends, and symbols of these precious artifacts. On the practical side, with teaching experience and conducting workshops since 1991, I’ve got more than enough information on tools and techniques, hints, tips and do it yourself projects to tell you about.

The inaugural episode goes through the essentials—what supplies are needed to get started and why they’re needed. In future episodes I’ll tell you about everything from technique to history and symbolism, share stories, legends and fun activities, and provide you with resources to help you explore on your own.

Select this link to go to my website to access the Pysanka Power Podcast. Soon there'll be links to download or stream podcast episodes. As well, there will be a link to subscribe to the podcast with your favourite podcatcher app. I’ll also post the transcripts there for those who would like to follow along.

And don’t forget, the first six episodes of the Pysanka Power Podcast will be broadcast on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, from its debut this Saturday until Easter. Tune in Saturdays at 6pm on AM1320 CHMB or stream online at www.am1320.com, and Wednesdays at 11am on CHLY 101.7FM in Nanaimo or online at www.chly.ca.

I hope you’ll check out my Pysanka Power Podcast either on Nash Holos or via my website. If you do, I’d love to get your feedback. Please comment below with your impressions, questions, and suggestions for future episodes.

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My Favourite Quote of the Day

"I could do this all day!" exclaimed Nick (see him in the photo below). What was he doing? Writing pysanky, of course, at my 15th annual Discover the Magic of Pysanky workshop at the Ukrainian Community Centre. It was a perfect day to be inside warm and cozy writing pysanky on this cold, rainy March afternoon. A nice complement to Spring Break and it warmed my heart to see moms and dads, boys and girls, grandmothers and grandkids, girlfriends, and families enjoying a Saturday afternoon together.

Thanks to Tom for helping to make it an eggs-ceptional event, and to Millie for all the set-up.

Today's bonus — the volunteer ladies in the kitchen had homemade perogies for take-out! Yum-yum.

For more photos of this event see the Baba's Beeswax flickr album here.

Pysanky to bring you luck

To channel the luck of the Irish this month, I made these non-traditional designs with the pysanka technique writing lucky charms of shamrocks, rainbow, pot of gold, and leprechaun to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day.

Now that that’s done I’m ready to put on something green, go to a parade, drink some Guinness, feast on corned beef and cabbage, and search for a 4-leafed clover.

Wishing you the luck o’ the Irish, too. Cheers!

Everything Old is New Again

Drawing on my experience in teaching pysanky to kids since 1991, I've been creating free student activity sheets that are being used in classrooms everywhere. Teachers and students alike have been my inspiration, as has my playful mascot Guy Kistka (created by artist and teacher Marcia Moroz).

Hi, I'm Guy Kistka

After accumulating several of these teaching aids in three languages (English, French and Ukrainian) it became obvious to me that they should be combined into one handy book—hence the publishing of Pysanky 4 Fun : A Collection of Trilingual Activities 4 Kids, ISBN 978-1-897253-46-5.

This book is free and can be downloaded from www.babasbeeswax.com.

The pages in Pysanky 4 Fun : A Collection of Trilingual Activities 4 Kids are different from those in Pysanky on Paper : An ActivityBook for Children (Baba’s Beeswax 1997, ISBN 978-0-9681922-0-7), and include drawing, colouring, word search, writing and puzzle activities.

Let me know how you are using these in the classroom, or with your kids or grandkids.

Celebrating International Women's Day my way

I'll be celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2018 my way — writing pysanky with the ancient mother goddess, a Ukrainian water spirit, as the motif. The berehynia with arms upraised was believed to be the source of life and death. Other symbols perched on a curl are given an s-shape with wings, often with a crown on the head. Sometimes the berehynia has become abstracted and is represented by a plant vazon (tree of life).

A symbol of Ukrainian freedom, she has been heightened to the status of a national goddess hearth mother and protectoress of mother earth. There is a berehynia monument in Kiev, Ukraine at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in the centre of the city. It sits on a column with a figurine of a woman with guelder-rose branch in her arms. 

These are my representations so far with more to be written.

Sharing the Love of Pysanky

I’m so lucky to live in the mild climate of the West Coast. I’ve already spotted hellebores and snowdrops pushing through the garden as if to say “Hello, spring is coming!”. That signals to me that it’s time to start making pysanky. I love pysanky, so what better time than to celebrate Valentine’s Day by getting out the beeswax, kistka and dyes. Don’t you love the vibrancy of red?

Enjoy this photo of my pysanky taken by Donna Bradley.

Valentine's Pysanky

  

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