MyrosiaPysankyArt

Throughout her life Myrosia has always had an avid interest in art. Her explorations began as a small child when she held a crayon and scribbled her interpretive imaginings on the living room wall while her grandfather napped. Her parents, though always supportive, never bought her permanent markers. The interest continued to develop in various art classes taken at the Ottawa School of Art. After a brief stint pursuing logic and higher mathematics in Environmental Engineering at Carleton University, Myrosia found herself lured into the Animation program at Algonquin College. Here she found she was encouraged once again to scribble, though this time on paper, with purpose and a paycheck. Her success is evident in the credits of many children’s television shows.

Her lifelong dabbling in various forms of art continues to evolve. Currently, the youthful themes and colourful characters depicted in her acrylic paintings express her childlike enthusiasm seeking to connect with the inner child found in everyone else. Her paintings are a capture of energetic motion and playful innocence in a static field. Working out of her home studio, Myrosia has also been exploring a more graphical form of art which is inspired by the patterns found in pysanky as well as her love of Egyptian, Mayan, and Aboriginal Canadian art.

Myrosia’s other artistic expression is the exploration of the art of the pysanka. The name Pysanka (singular, Pysanky plural) comes from the word pysaty, to write, as the beautiful designs are written on the egg with melted beeswax. The wax is applied by hand with a kistka,a tool with a small funnel, which when heated allows the melted wax to flow out in a line. The wax blocks out lines and areas on the egg that will not be dyed. The pattern emerges as the egg is taken through a succession of dyes and additional wax applications, similar to batik. After the final dye bath the wax is melted off and the magical beauty of the colours and designs is revealed. Making pysanky is part of a family and cultural tradition. She will never admit the exact number of years she has been making pysanky as that would give away her age but she made her first one when she was four years old.

Myrosia admits that although both art forms express her love and enjoyment of life, her pysanky represent her more serious side while her paintings represent her lighter, playful side.