Christine Levy

I’ve been creating pysanky for at least 50 years as I began learning the Ukrainian tradition when I was a young girl. The folk art of is something that was passed down generation to generation, and is alive and well today as a unique art form practiced by many artists of all backgrounds. My pysanky are made using a beeswax resist and dye technique, very similar to batik. A pysanka is rich in symbolism, many of the symbols believed to originate from ancient pagan beliefs and superstitions, which over time, morphed into Christian Easter traditions.

I also work in ceramics, creating small clay figures, Trypillian pottery, hand thrown or hand built pottery using many patterns, colors, and motifs seen in traditional Eastern European ceramics. Recently, I began working on porcelain, painting with enamels, polymer paints, alcohol-based inks, and china paints. The styles I’m using on the porcelain incorporate my pencil drawings of insects, animals, and nature. I’m still in the experimental stage with porcelain, learning about newer materials and methods as well as traditional pigments and paints. In all of these art forms, what appeals to me is how, almost magically, an intricate and beautiful piece comes together from simple items like dots, lines, or triangles. Repeating patterns are fascinating and beautiful, so often seen in nature, music, art, and in everyday life.

What my art means to me, borrowing a quote from Thomas Merton:  Art allows me to find myself and lose myself at the same time.