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Meet the Pysanky Collectibles Artists
Nina Badulak-McDaniel
My name is Antonina Badulak-McDaniel, and I am Master of Pysanky Artist Helen Badulak's daughter. I am also a Ukrainian Pysanky artist. My first exposure to Pysanky occurred 35 years ago when my mother dragged me to her first craft show. Since then, I have been attending shows, demonstrating at various church and group functions, and also teaching anyone interested in learning.
But, I did not start to do the art of Pysanky full-time until I turned 35 years old. I realized that the art is not just a part of my culture but also an expression of my mother, and I wanted to learn all her craft secrets. The best way for me to do this was to become my mother's apprentice and learn all that she had researched and practiced extensively during her years of experience.
All of my designs are unique, original creations. While my mother's designs are intricately traditional, I put my own spin on the traditional designs. I use a stylus to create most of my Pysanky, but I also do some eggs by applying wax with the head of a straight pin, as they did centuries ago. But, instead of removing the wax, I mix it with crayons before application and the end result is a vibrantly colored egg with texture.
Currently, I not only practice the art of Pysanky, but I have also started learning and creating other eggshell folk art. I find it fascinating to learn and experience other ethnic backgrounds.
Some of my most notable accomplishments include:
- I have exclusively appeared (with out my mother) in the Kansas City Star, Kansan, Patriot, Boyertown Times, the Springford Reporter, Voices (Reading Eagle), and The Morning Call.
- My eggs are exhibited in the Heritage Museum at Manor Junior College, Jenkintown.
- I am a juried member of the Reading Berks Chapter Guild of Craftsmen.
- At Owen J. Roberts, I taught the art of Pysanky to an adult evening class.
Kristina Schaeffer
My name is Kristina Schaeffer, and I have been doing the art of Pysanky part-time since1997. I began learning the batik method used in decorating the eggs at age 2, in 1982, under the guidance of my mother, Nina Badulak-McDaniel, and grandmother, Helen Badulak. I attended my first show when I was three months old. Since then, I have demonstrated, assisted teaching, and appeared in newspapers so many times I can't count or record them; half of these activities I can't even remember, as they predated my teenage years.
I am currently an apprentice to my mother and grandmother, and I am learning everything I can about the art while practicing the steady hand both women have worked so hard to attain. I hope that if nothing else, I can teach my children a small piece of my cultural heritage with the eggs and the stories behind them.
I follow in my grandmother's footsteps and I prefer to do the intricate, traditional designs, mostly in yellows, reds, and blacks. I do get a thrill, though, from experimenting with different color combinations.
I am not juried by my fellow artists yet, but I continue to practice and I hope that in the near future I will have advanced enough to be a juried craftsman.
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