Intricately decorated in bright shades of red, yellow and green,this egg in a museum case could be mistaken for Faberg. But it'snot; it is a pysanky egg, decorated in one of the many techniquesused to celebrate Easter.
The pysanky technique, meaning "to write," began in the Ukraineand involves layers of beeswax and dye to create patternedshells.
Patty Wiszuk-DeAngelo of New Jersey, 44, is one of many peopleacross the country to discover the appeal of this long process,which often takes several weeks to complete.
"The shortest amount of time it has ever taken me (to completeone egg) is around one week," she said. "They usually take muchlonger."
She uses all kinds of eggs from almost any bird, ranging fromquail and pheasant to emu and ostrich. Her creations are soldonline and in several art galleries. Prices range from $75 to$3,000.
Wiszuk-DeAngelo, who has been creating these works for about 20years, said her talent was self-taught.
"I always knew about them since I am half Ukrainian, and I lovedthem, but no one in my family knew how to make them," she said.
She now teaches others this unusual and time-consuming artthrough annual Easter classes, which usually begin two monthsbefore Easter and continue through each weekend until Easter. Shealso gives private lessons throughout the year.
Her advice to anyone interested in getting started in pysanky issimple. "Take lessons!"
"You really need someone to show you the ins and outs and allthe tricks that one like myself has accumulated throughout theyears," Wiszuk-DeAngelo said.
Some of her work is on display on her Web site atwww.pysankyshowcase.com. The site is updated about every two monthsbut is a little behind right now because of the impending holiday,she said.
For those without the time -- or maybe the patience -- to makethese complicated eggs, PAAS brand dye tablets are an annualoption.
PAAS, founded in 1880, is the most popular dye kit on today'smarket, selling nearly 10 million kits last year, PAAS officialssaid.
The name PAAS was derived from the Pennsylvania Dutch word"passen," meaning Easter.
"The PAAS brand name was purchased from Schering-Plough bySignature Brands, LLC in 1999," Heather Turner, PAAS brand managersaid. "The brand is about 120 years old."
The color tablets are purchased from ANI Pharmaceuticals andmarketed by Signature Brands, Turner said.
The tablets are still made from natural ingredients, the mainingredient being baking soda. Each tablet is a mixture of bakingsoda, color powder, a binder and a disintegrating element. Thebinder is used to hold the tablet together during shipping and thedisintegrating element helps it dissolve.
Exact measurements are not necessary to get the desired shade,said Ken Fallin, ANI Manufacturing and Technical Services manager.Consumers must just be sure to add enough vinegar and bepatient.
"The fizzing is from the baking soda and the vinegar reaction,"he said. "This is due to the pH of the tablets. It's what reallyhelps color the eggs."
Waiting is the most important part of using PAAS, Fallinsaid.
"People are often in a rush to finish," he said. "The longer youleave an egg in the dye, the darker the color. If you leave it infor one minute, you will get a very pale egg. If you were to leaveit in there for about five minutes, the egg would be verydark."
University of Memphis adjunct art professor Wanda James wantsher students "to look beyond color."
Each spring semester, she requires her students to decorate anegg as one of the assignments.
James' only requirements are that her students use real eggs,not plastic, that are hard-boiled or blown out and must create abase. The eggs can be embellished in any way, according to James.Students can paint and draw or create sculpture orarchitecture.
"It's not really about Easter," said James, who also teaches atMid-South Community College. "It's a symbol of spring."
