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BEGINNER BOOK!
“PYSANKY BEGINNINGS Step by Step Designs by Great Artists to Encourage and Inspire Beginners” compiled by Susan Jones is brilliant! The format is perfect. I imagine any beginner will "bookmark favorites" to begin with, then several bookmarks to "do next” ! Do you remember when you started? your zeal in surfing the internet trying to “find do-able" designs? Lucky for any beginner today! I once bought a popular book at Hanusey's in Philly, along with my first electric kistka, and never did do well in translating its two-dimensional steps, difficult for me then as a novice.
Susan’s book is a true solution with clear instruction, complete photos and colors that match Colorama Pysanky Dyes©. The guest artists’ beginner designs can appeal to many different tastes. I think the upcoming Lenten season will bring lovely reviews from novices and established egg artists alike. I for one, am getting out my wax and kistka!
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  "MAKING PYSANKY My Journey" www.amazon.com/Making-Pysanky-Kelly-J-Evans/dp/0692764054by Kelly J. Evans is an informative guide for making Pysanky, resulting from his lifelong personal research and experience. This colorful book is an artistically designed piece that may handsomely grace one's coffee table. 
The book explores the history, tradition and symbolism of Pysanky, along with detailed step-by-step instruction on this ancient folk art. Featured is how Kelly was taught the Lemko Drop-Pull technique by his Ukrainian mother, tips for displaying Pysanky, and so much more. 
Kelly has been writing Pysanky for over 40 years. 

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About an Egg, Almost Everything, or a Great Work of Art on a Small Shell (English title)
O jajku prawie wszystko czyli o wielkim dziele sztuki na malej skorupce(Polish) Paperback – 2005
by Jerzy 
Lipka  (Author)
This was a gift from a friend who bought it in Poland on his travels. There are exquisite drop pull patterns and scratch patterns for you to enjoy, in the Polish tradition.  
​ Text is in Polish.

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Kolorowanki Folkowa - Coloring Book of Polish Folk Designs
Since I am hooked on the Polish Drapanki-Scratch Method, I look for inspiration in Polish design.  
This book covers  Polish folk costumes (already in color), to six Polish folk regions and features both art and artifacts from each region. Color the Lublin Easter eggs, the Kujawska chest, the Krakow creche and the Opole ceramics for starters. 80 pages of detailed folk art ready to color or just enjoy. Text is in Polish language only, but the pictures are inspirational. 

SIXTY SCORE OF EASTER EGGS
 by Zenon Elijiw

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A comprehensive volume of 1200 full color Ukrainian Easter Eggs, in English and Ukrainian.  This book is recommended for new
students!
The book is expensive, but it is the Pysanky design Bible!

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 Lithuanian Easter Eggs  – 1982  
by Antanas Tamosaitis (Author)     This is the "Bible" on Lituanian eggs, hundred of pattern for drop-pull and scratch techniques.  It is an out-of-print hardcover book and rather expensive.  I waited two years to find it at a lower cost and bought it.  It is an extraordinary addition to my pysanky book collection.  So keep looking until you find the right price. 

UKRAINIAN EASTER EGGS by Gorodetskij Taras

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My favorite book of all!
There are well over 500 hundred eggs-all color plates, of traditional wax design, drop-pull method, and etched egg designs; each egg is photographed from top, bottom and sides.
Ukrainian language.

GREAT BOOK OF EGG DECORATING

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By Grazia Buttafuoco&Dede Varetto
I do not like "how to" books, but this one had excellent patterns for writing Lemko style drop-pull eggs.  It is therefore great for a beginner.
Buy a used copy.

UKRAINIAN FOLK PYSANKA

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By Vera Manko

Ukrainian language, with wonderful color images. 2001.  Another great book for the beginner-intermediate pysankar!

NAMALYUYU HOLOS PISNI-I Will Paint the Voice of a Song

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 by Iryna Vakh, 95 color pages
An album containing several hundred detailed Pysanky images of Iryna's original designs.  NEW! 2011

RUSYN EASTER EGGS FROM EASTERN SLOVAKIA  by Pavlo Markovyč

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I believe that my paternal grandmother was a Lemko Ukrainian.  This book is all about the Lemko pysanky.  It is lovely for me because it is written in English and is a scholarly work on the history, and stylization of motifs.  There is a lot of reading for once, as I do not speak Ukrainian(unfortunately).  I love the book!

UKRAINIAN EASTER EGGS ALBUM

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Ukrainian Language, great photos.

Lemko Pysanky - Festival - 2009 in Lviv, UA
Prepared by Zenovia Shulha & Mariya Yanko,
"Сполом", Lviv, 2009.

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You will fall in love with the Lemko "drop-pull" style pysanky, after to look at
the elegant photos in this  56 page book that you can download now!
(click on the book cover),  Ukrainian language.

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Solovejky na Ridni
Zemelky
by Vira Manko
Birds have long been elements in Ukrainian culture, in art, folklore and traditions. Here, author brings forth this motifs, focusing on the invocation of spring. Hardcover
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Pysanky in the 21st Century Hardcover – Illustrated
by Helen Badulak 
I would not recommend this book for Beginners.  The patterns are complex and would be more suitable for experienced pysankarkas. 
Go online to see if you can find the best price. 

PYSANKAS OF THE UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

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By Solomchenko, 2002.  Ukrainian
language.
This book has brilliant, color
photos, water color design as well as diagrams of pysanky.  The addition of photos of pysanky writers both women and men is inspiring.
May be difficult to find.

Patterns of Ukrainian Folk Pysanky

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by Lviv artist Vira Manko, 20 high quality, color, loose pages held in a high gloss folder. Pictured are 38 photographic 8 x 10.5 inch plates containing over 1400 individual Pysanka images, grouped by region. Some design and additional information by the author (Ukrainian language).  Ideal for Pysanky classes and parties, as the separate pages can be passed around.
Published and printed in Lviv, Ukraine 2009

PYSANKA ALPHABET

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by Tetiana Konoval
Kyiv, 2007
205 pages, in Ukrainian


  T
he manual book from the artist's own
experience; explanation of techniques with additional materials on ethnography and history of pysanka. 
The author, who is a member of Folk Artists Union, tells about the magic of pysanka ornaments and explains how to develop childrens' creative abilities at the lessons on pysanka. She also
explaines different kind of pysanka: krashanka, vydutka, driapanka.   The book is meant for the teachers of pysanka art, but it has some lovely motifs and designs, which any pysanky artist would appreciate.  Ukrainian Language.

Lemko Easter Eggs from Lypovliany  Aleksa Pavleshin. Zagreb,Croatia. 2009

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A 65 page book that you can download now by clicking on
the book cover.
  Ukrainian language, with magnificent color photos of "drop-pull" method of pysanky writing.  Looking at these pysanky will make you fall in love with the Lemko style!

©2009-2021.    Content and all photographs are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without prior permission of Maggie. Be advised all content is my work, except where noted.