Paul Corinchock and Georgine Postupack Borchack are serious about preserving a rich tradition.

Part of the reason is the sheer beauty. But just as important is its deeper meaning.The two artisans joined forces to teach the intricate art of pysanky during an eight-week wintertime course held at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center.A group of 25 took up the challenge to create art based on a custom that reinforces the promise of new life.Corinchock said the magic begins with an egg, but not just any egg. Start with one that's fresh and untainted by processing."Get your eggs from local farms," he said. "Put it in vinegar and water and then pat it dry. You want it at room temperature."Corinchock, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Tamaqua, learned the intricate pysanky art many years ago from Borchack, a nationally recognized expert."It's a tradition that goes back to pagan times, before Christianity," said Borchack, dating the tradition to at least A.D. 988."It represents the bread Christ gave us," she said. "In Ukraine, three eggs put in a basket represent life, death and resurrection."Borchack, 75, whose professional background is in cosmetology, designs and creates some of the finest pysanky eggs in the field.She's taught pysanky at Penn State Misericordia University, Marian High School and the Hazleton Art League, along with giving private lessons.Her handiwork is so revered that Borchack's pysanky eggs have been snatched up by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where they've been part of the collection since 1992.The kistkaBorchack and Corinchock pick up a kistka, or stylus, and through their fingertips flows the magic of texture, design and ornamentation.They create a cacophony of color, producing breathtaking work.Borchack has even replicated what some might see as the wonder of a Michelangelo masterpiece reduced to the size of an egg.In total, she has created over 10,000 elaborate pysanky design eggs.Borchack and Corinchock don't use decals. Nor are stencils involved.The work is done entirely freehand. Their fingers glide over an egg as if playing a harp inspired from above."One thing to remember is to turn the egg, not the kistka," she says, giving students a tip about control.As students turn the eggs with one hand, they apply a wax design with the other.Wax lines are drawn using the kistka, which has been dipped into hot beeswax.The egg with its wax pattern is then dunked into dye.Those steps are repeated, each time applying more beeswax and dunking into different color dyes. When finished, the wax is removed with the help of heat, unveiling the finished design. The egg is then pierced with a sharp instrument and the yolk removed.A finished egg can be varnished using Varathane.Natural originsOriginally, water-based paints made with vinegar were used, often utilizing color from tree bark, or maybe flowers, leaves and onion skins.Even vegetables such as red beets were popular as a color source, and still are. However, chemical dyes available today offer convenience.Those who create pysanky don't say they paint eggs. Instead, they say they write.In fact, the word pysanky means artistic writing. Pysanky is the plural form; singular is pysanka.Borchack believes it's only natural for pagan people to have invented the art.People long ago felt that eggs symbolized the release of earth from the darkness of winter.Various customs emerged. For instance, eggs were decorated and buried to guarantee a good harvest.Each tribe had its own customs and designs. Same for each country. Sometimes the egg decorating process varied."A Lithuanian egg is etched," Borchack said.With the growth of Christianity, eggs became a symbol of Christ's Resurrection.For Borchack and Corinchock, the pysanky tradition also honors family roots.It's a tradition also cherished by Corinchock's wife, the former Lisabeth O'Malley of Tamaqua, who participated in the sessions.Each is unique"No egg is ever the same," said Borchack."Every color, every line has a meaning. For instance, yellow means a good harvest."One simple egg in four or five colors can take 90 minutes to finish.However, Borchack's most elaborate ostrich eggs take much longer, nine months. Her Michelangelo-style egg took three years to complete, with each stroke painstakingly applied using a two-or-three-hair artist's brush.The smallest egg decorated is the finch egg, at a fraction of an inch. The quail egg, too, is very small, providing a special challenge.Borchack encouraged her six children to dabble in pysanky.Corinchock, too, is an ambassador for the art, and commonly gives away his creations as gifts.Both welcome folks of all ages and all ethnicities to give pysanky a try.While pysanky is popular at Easter, many pysanky writers also produce decorative Christmas eggs, too.Pysanky admirers express amazement at the intricate patterns and vibrant colors.They marvel at the kaleidoscope of patterns and in religious-themed pieces with classical touches.If heaven is a place of beauty and color, then pysanky, in its highest form, might just give us a glimpse of the beyond.In fact, there's an old legend regarding the mystique of pysanky, and it hints of divine inspiration.Long ago, our ancestors said that as long as pysanky exists, peace will prevail on earth and the world will not end.If that's the case, then pysanky must continue. It must never be forgotten."It's a gift from God," said Borchack.And it might just be a glimpse of heaven, too.