“ Then you dye the egg and put on more beeswax . You repeat the process a few times , adding more and more detail . When finished , you melt all of the wax off over a candle flame , and the whole design comes to life . That ’ s the most exciting part of the class — that moment when students wipe their wax off , they get it .”
During Caito ’ s classes , students will learn how to design , dye and complete their own Ukrainian eggs , while also learning the historical and cultural origins of the art form .
“ I get men and women from all walks of life in these classes ,” she says . “ Tattoo artists , decorative wrought iron workers , carpenters ... they think the eggs are beautiful and want to know how to do them . There ’ s usually one or two students in every class who say , ‘ My grandmother did this , but my mother never did and I want to learn . I want to keep it alive in my family .’ That ’ s always cool to hear .”
For more information , contact the Penn Hills Library at 412.795.3507 . n
“ Teaching is a way for me to keep alive something that ’ s so special and unique , and share it with as many people as I can .”
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