About Kate
For more than 45 years, Kate has been creating pysanky, carrying forward a tradition that has been part of her family for generations. What began as a childhood ritual grew into a lifelong creative practice and a deep appreciation for the patience, symbolism, and craftsmanship behind every egg.
Kate first learned the art at age four, sitting at the table with her mother and grandmother - three generations working side by side. She spent countless evenings and weekends learning the rhythms of the craft, and by high school she had become an accomplished pysanky artist in her own right. She has continued to explore and refine the form ever since.
Kate’s family heritage is Slovak. Wax-resist decorated-egg traditions have long been practiced across Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovakia and Ukraine. On this site she uses the Ukrainian name pysanky, both because it is the tradition most widely associated with the art today and as a way of honoring the extraordinary cultural heritage of Ukraine.
Born and raised in the St. Louis area, Kate attended Mizzou before life took her to places as varied as Costa Rica, Alaska, and several western states. Eventually she found her way back to St. Louis to be close to family. Through all of those moves, pysanky remained a constant - a thread connecting creativity, family, memory, and home.
Today, Kate creates both traditional and original designs on chicken, goose, and ostrich eggs, from smaller pieces to highly detailed works that can take dozens of hours to complete. She also enjoys sharing the tradition with others and has taught both studio classes and private sessions for small groups in their homes.
Kate is a full-time healthcare provider in the St. Louis area and lives with her husband and two wonderful dogs. Pysanky is only one part of her creative life. An avid rockhound, she also transforms semi-precious stones gathered during her travels through the American West into handcrafted fine sterling silver wrapped jewelry. Explore that side of her work through the link below.
