My part in the 2017 Pysanka Festival began when I saw a Facebook post announcing the selection of artists. Some of my friends had taken part the year before, and this year I decided to try my hand too. It all started with registering and submitting an application, which I passed successfully, and then I waited to hear when I could pick up the huge egg to paint (by the way, despite its size it weighs only about 3 kilograms and is made of fiberglass).
Preparing for the 2017 Pysanka Festival
I remember it as if it were yesterday: on March 1st I picked up the blank, the acrylic paints and the varnish for coating the pysanka from the warehouse.
From the very start, taking part in the “Pysanka Festival” art performance meant everything was new for me:
- first, I had never painted with acrylics before (at first I wondered whether I should, or whether oils would be better), but acrylic proved itself well and pleasantly surprised me with how quickly it dries compared with oils.
- second, I’m used to painting on flat canvases, and here was a huge egg with rounded shapes.
- third, the size. If the widest part of the egg is 60 cm, its circumference is about 1.9 m, and you’ll agree that’s no small size for a canvas.
- fourth, the color palette. There were only 6 colors. It was excellent practice in mixing colors and getting new shades (of course I bought more paint, but on principle only the colors I had at the start).
My main idea for painting the egg was our Ukrainian countryside with village cottages, fields, ponds, a clear sky and farm animals. The first evening of work turned out to be quite productive. For me it was the easiest stage: I had to mark out the main boundaries, which I then painted in detail.
I have to admit I had no sketch and no clear plan for what would be depicted on the egg. I painted everything, as they say, by feel. When the egg was exactly half painted, it appeared in a news story on the “Ukraina” TV channel.
There was very little time left before the opening of the 2017 Pysanka Festival, and I had to work hard to finish. Once it was done, I took the pysanka to the festival organizers.
The opening of the Pysanka Festival
And at last the long-awaited opening took place. In the center of Kyiv, from St Sophia Square to St Michael’s Square, 585 eggs painted by Ukrainian artists were put on display.
Most of the artists came to Kyiv for the opening of this art performance, where we all met. One of the first guests was the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko.
A flash mob was held on St Sophia Square, with 585 children dancing in traditional costumes.
St Sophia Square became the center of attention: around the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytsky stood the artists’ original works, which stood out for their size, 60 cm x 90 cm (the largest), and for the absence of any restrictions on how they were made.
To be honest, I was amazed by the variety of works. They were all different: with landscapes, aliens, a dragon, wrought metal, stained glass and even sculptures.
Plein air painting at the Pysanka Festival
One day during the Pysanka Festival, before Easter, I came to the square with my field easel and painted a study in a few hours. I wanted to capture the warm, pleasant atmosphere that filled the square with its huge original pysankas the whole time.
Traditional and children’s pysankas at the festival.
Over the two weeks of the festival it was visited by millions of people who came with friends, children and whole generations of their families. Don’t think it was only interesting on St Sophia Square: on Volodymyrskyi Descent there were pysankas with traditional ornaments,
and the square near St Michael’s Cathedral was filled with children’s works.
Huge original pysankas
Many of you already know my work well. Now I’d be delighted to introduce the artists and works that personally won me over with their ideas and technique.
Master classes at the Pysanka Festival
The festival hosted many master classes: traditional pysanka painting, sand painting, painting on water (ebru) and master classes for children. After these sessions all the participants left happy, smiling and with finished works in hand.
Artist: Naina Zaitseva and her cosmic pysanka “The Boundless Union of Galaxies”
Believe me, this is only a tiny part of the most beautiful works (I hope the artists whose works I didn’t include won’t be offended); they are all beautiful and wonderful. You can find each of the artists whose works you liked on Facebook, and see all the works in the group.
FOLK UKRAINE
I’d like to say a special thank you to the organizers of this art performance, FOLK UKRAINE, for the organization, their patience and the chance for artists to express themselves.
Working with people is always hard, and with 585 artists I think it’s twice as hard. You all did a great job and organized a wonderful festival!
Yes, yes, all of this rested on the shoulders of these lovely and delicate young women.
The Eurovision fan zone
On April 23rd the festival came to an end, and we all came to say goodbye to our works, but it wasn’t over yet.
As you know, Ukraine hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017. Most of the works shown above passed the selection and were displayed for another 2 weeks in the Eurovision fan zone.
Pysanka Festival 2018
Don’t think the festival is over. The positive emotions will linger on St Sophia and St Michael’s Squares for a long time. Everything suggests that the 2018 Pysanka Festival will be even more interesting, more fun and grander. See you there!
