Teardrop Foundation
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Blog Post #89
The Teardrop foundation — also called Saddlebag or Eye of the Needle — is a modern way of dividing an egg into four teardrop sections to create visually stunning pysanky. These guidelines are meant to simplify its complexity and hopefully inspire more pysanky-writers to give it a try it.
Equally divide the egg into four lengthwise sections by lightly drawing with a pencil two intersecting circles around the egg. The first circle divides the egg in half. The second, drawn perpendicular to the first, divides the egg into equal four sections.
The corner inset shows a top-of-the-egg view of the two intersecting circles, and the four sections they create.
Draw a horizontal line around the middle of the egg to create eight triangles: four above the line and four below it.
In every other triangle in the top section, draw a line that divides the space in half, from the top of the egg to the horizontal line. (Inset shows what these lines look like viewed from the top of egg.)
In the bottom section, in each triangle that does not contain a line drawn above it, divide the space in half by drawing a line from the bottom of the egg up to the horizontal line.
As shown above, draw a horizontal line that divides these triangular spaces, and the vertical line within it, in half.
A circle will be drawn in these triangular sections. The crossed lines will guide the curves of the circle so that it can be as balanced as possible within this irregular space.
The dotted line in the image above indicates the flow of the circle’s curve within each quadrant. Drawing each curved in each of these four quadrants will help the circle will fit neatly into the triangular space.
Due to the shape of the egg, the two quadrants nearest the middle of the egg are larger and contain a larger part of the circle. The smaller curves in the two quadrants near the top/bottom of the egg complete the circle.
With the circles complete, draw a line at each of the four intersecting guidelines around the egg’s middle, and one at the top and bottom of the egg. These intersection lines are drawn from one empty triangular space into another.
Note how the intersection line is equidistant from the two circles. This is true for the top/bottom of the egg as shown in the inset image.
Using a middle intersection line, following the curve of the circle, draw a line that is equidistant from the circle until it connects with the intersection line at the top.
To finish the bottom section, using the same intersection line, follow the curve of the circle as you draw a line that’s equidistant from the circle until it meets the bottom intersection line.
Repeat for each remaining intersection line around the middle of the egg. All four lines created in this step form the outer boundary line of the four teardrops including their points.
Erase the pencil lines that are no longer needed: The crossed lines within the circle, the horizontal line around the middle (black arrow), and portions of the original vertical lines that appear between the circle and the outer teardrop boundary line (red arrows). The inset shows the vertical lines removed at the top/bottom of the egg.
If all the circles were erased, the remaining pencil lines will divide the egg into four large teardrop sections.
In another variation, the guidelines as shown above can be used, featuring circles instead of teardrops.
The next step will transform the circle into a teardrop, with a teardrop band around it.
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(These three variations will be shown as finished pysanky in the next blog post.)
Draw a pencil line from the bottom of the egg up to the circle centered between the pencil lines that still exist, shown above as a black-dotted line.
Keeping in mind the equidistant spacing that was accomplished in a previous step, drawn two lines, indicated by the red dotted lines above, to form the V-shaped tip of the teardrop.
Erase the first pencil line (black-dotted) and the lower part of the circle, between the newly drawn V-shaped pencil lines, to complete the teardrop and band.
Transform each remaining circle into a teardrop in the manner described above.
The Teardrop Foundation Guidelines are complete. Visually check and adjust all pencil lines as needed before applying beeswax.
Next month’s post (Blog #90) will feature an inspirational story entitled: Eye of the Needle.
Peace Affirming Prayer
Peace fills my mind and flows through all my thoughts.
Peace fills my heart and flows through all my love.
Peace fills my soul and goodwill flows to all.
Peace fills my being and permeates all my activities.
Peace within. Peace without. Peace everywhere.
Peace in my mind. Peace in my heart. Peace in my soul.
Peace in me. Peace in my home. Peace in my country. Peace in my world.
Peace everywhere.
Amen.
Ukrainian folklore characterizes pysanky as a symbolic, talismanic writing that invokes a higher Universal Power for help, while believing with faithful certainty that It will. The contemporary version of this characterization is a paper-and-pen journaling practice called prayer writing that develops a personal relationship with God.
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