Easter Art

Painting and decorating Easter eggs

 Decorating eggs for Easter
We all love our chocolate Easter eggs,
but did you know that there is a great
tradition of painting, dyeing and
decorating hen, duck and goose eggs
at Easter time?

Can you tell from the flags which

countries are famous for decorating
eggs at Easter?

Clue: They are all in Eastern Europe!

 Psanky: Decorated eggs from
Psanky are decorated Easter Ukraine
eggs from the Ukraine in
Eastern Europe.
Traditional psanky carry
mythical and Christian
symbols
The egg itself symbolizes
Christ and his Resurrection,
and the rebirth of new life
in spring.
Wavy lines indicate the
waters of forgiveness.
Circles can mean the sun or
moon. Those that circle the
egg remind us of eternal
life.
Triangles represent the
Trinity
 Symbols in psanky
Crosses represent Christianity
or the crucifixion.
Fish represent Christ and the
nourishment of the spirit.
Sheep point toward the Good
Shepherd.
Horses, reindeer, and deer
promise prosperity.
Birds, especially birds in flight,
represent freedom.
Fruits, grains, and baskets
represent fertility. Pine needles
mean for health and youth.
Other plants stand for
happiness, joy (especially when
combined with bright colors),
and plenty.
 Faberge eggs
The great tradition of giving eggs for Easter goes back to ancient
times.
In Russia, the tsars always presented painted eggs to their people
they trusted.
These eggs are called Faberge eggs, and the company that created
them made eggs decorated from gold, silver and precious stones.
The first Faberge egg was produced in 1884 for the tzar Alexander
III. He wanted a very special egg to be made and decorated for his
wife, the tzarina.
 The history of Faberge eggs
Faberge eggs are the most The first Faberge egg, 1885.
famous jewelled eggs made by
Peter Carl Faberge and his
assistants between 1885 and
1917.
In 1883 the Russian Czar,
Alexander, commissioned
Faberge to make a special Easter
gift for his wife, the Empress
Marie.
The first Faberge egg was an egg
within an egg. It had an outside
shell of platinum and enameled
white which opened to reveal a
smaller gold egg. The smaller egg,
in turn, opened to display a golden
chicken and a jeweled replica of
the Imperial crown.
 The history of Faberge eggs
The Faberge eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones
decorated with combinations of enamel and gem stones. The term
"Faberge Egg" has become a synonym of luxury and the eggs are
regarded as masterpieces of the jeweler's art.

From 1885, the eggs were produced almost every year.

Fifty Imperial Faberg Easter eggs were made and presented to

Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia. A further two eggs
were planned but not delivered, the Constellation and Karelian Birch
eggs of 1917.

The Imperial eggs enjoyed such fame that Faberg made some 15
known eggs for private clients. Among them is a series of 7 eggs
made for the industrialist Alexander Kelch.
 Faberge eggs
An open Faberge egg, The Rose Trellis
showing a surprise inside!
Faberge egg,1907.
 The Lilies of the Valley egg
The Lilies of the Valley Egg was
an 1898 gift from the Russian
tsar Nicholas II to Empress
Alexandra Fyodorovna.

This Faberge egg is enameled in

a lush rose-pink against a gold
ground, and supported by multi-
colored gold diamond-set leaves.
From this quadruped metal base,
the egg itself appears to have
been dropped into a patch of
lily-of-the-valley, with green
enamel leaves, engraved gold
stems, and pearl flowers, the
petals marked by tiny rose-cut
diamonds.
 More Faberge eggs
The Fifteenth Anniversary Egg,
a Faberge Imperial Easter Egg
presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his
wife the Empress Alexandra
Feodorovna as a gift for Easter in
1911.
The Gatchina Palace Egg, 1901
When opened, the Egg reveals a
miniature replica of the
Gatchina Palace, the Empress's
principle residence outside St.
Petersburg
Faberge's workmaster, Mikhail
Perkhin, was so detailed in
creating this egg that you can
see the palace, discern cannons,
a flag, a statue of Paul I (1754-
1801), and elements of the
landscape, including the trees.
 The most expensive Easter egg
ever!!!
Winter Egg
1913

Gift from Nicholas II

to Maria Fyodorovna

Height: 10.2 cm

Cost when bought in 1913: 24,600 rubles.

Price when last sold at auction in 1994:

$9.58 million!

Composition of the egg: the body is set

with 1,300 rose-diamonds, the borders
with 360 brilliants, and the small basket
with 1,378 rose-diamonds.
 Have a go!
On your table you will find a
hard boiled egg, some acrylic
paints, some wax crayons, some
oil pastels, pencils, ribbons and
an egg shaped template
[http://milliande.smugmug.com/p
hotos/494715989_eiRmZ-
X3.jpg]

Draw your design and add some

colour on your template, and
when you are happy with this
plan, lightly sketch the design on
to your egg.

Decorate and paint your egg, and

then we will work together to
attach ribbons etc.