For the past 15 years,
West has enchanted his family and close friends with his
artistry, even though he has no Ukrainian blood in his heritage. It was, in
fact, an article in a magazine featuring the beautifully colored eggs that
piqued his interest and lured him into trying his own hand at the time-honored
folk art. For years he quietly satisfied his own desires for creative output,
until four years ago when a friend saw the scope of his work and offered to
buy
one of his eggs on the spot. West then decided to devote more of his time
to the
pursuit of this craft.
Living in the Beautiful
and Inspirational community of Kaneohe, West uses the traditional
kistka, a simple tool composed of a metal cone mounted on a wooden stick and
filled with wax, to create his amazingly complex patterns. He then uses
permanent aniline dyes to impart the brilliant colors.
The amount of time it takes
to complete a piece can range between 3- 80+ hours,
depending on the complexity
of the design and the quantity of colors used.
