The eggs in this section are pysanky which are largely traditional in theme and in method, and use traditional motifs, but may use modern colors and have some nontraditional design elements. Some are updated versions of true traditional pysanky, others are completely new and original designs.  One type, the Trypillian pysanka, has its design origins not in earlier pysanky, but in neolithic pottery patterns.

This type of pysanka is sometimes referred to as diasporan, made by “overseas” Ukrainians, but is now often found in Ukraine as well. I refer to them sometimes as “quasi-traditional.”  In other words, they are modern inventions of an ancient art.

I’ve tried to note the sources of the patterns when known/remembered.  Some of the eggs date back to the 70s, so it is not always an simple matter. Even when I do recall the source, copies are never exact.  The dyes may take differently, a different type of stylus used, small mistakes may be made, there are differences in skill and technique, substitutions may be purposely made––in the end, a pysanka may look quite different from its model.

I’ve tried to organize these modern (diasporan) pysanky in some sort of fashion.  They are grouped either by technique (brown eggs, bleached), by style (Trypillian) and by predominant motifs

The brown egg pysanky are almost all my own designs; there are a few that I have copied from the web (two, I think), and a few others that may have been adapted from multi-colored designs.  The Trypillian eggs are all copied––I haven’t yet gotten proficient enough to create my own designs––but usually with mistakes and modifications.

The bleached pysanky in my collection are few, so they’re all on one page––those I’ve made and those I’ve collected. The ones I’ve made myself are either my own designs (floral) or adaptations of traditional designs.

The rest, which are called here “ My Modern” are divided into groupings based on the main motif of the pysanka. They are a grab-bag of types––slightly modified traditional designs, true diasporan pysanky copied from books, postcards or the web, and some that I’ve made up myself.

I have a list of sources (with abbreviations) on the next page, although I don’t always stick to them precisely.  (If I vary, it’s to give MORE information rather than less). 

NOTE: To see true traditional designs, go here.

These are my “modern” pysanky:

Click on the underlined links to go to the desired section or page.

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