From 1984 to 2007, FLAX produced a wildly popular mail order catalog selling a combination of art supplies and creative gifts. Put together by the FLAX family, these catalogs were a work of art in their own right. Once a year, a "Call to Artists" was put out. The winning designs were chosen to be featured on the cover of a FLAX catalog, going out to 1.2 million people around the country, along with a $1,000 FLAX Gift Certificate. No small prize indeed! The only rule was that the design must incorporate the familiar FLAX “F” logo, the more imaginatively portrayed, the better. These competitions were a way for FLAX to get to know its customers through their art. We often go back to our archives, pulling out old catalogs, newspaper articles, and photographs for inspiration. It was during one of these recent trips to the archives that we came across this Spring catalog from 1991.

Artist Jane Pollak had been painting Ukrainian decorative eggs using an art practice called pysanky since the early 70s. The practice involves applying beeswax to an egg with a stylus or kistka, and then subjecting the eggs to a succession of dye baths and waxing to create intricate and colorful patterns. Jane started creating her eggs with traditional Ukrainian easter egg designs. Steeped in symbolism, each line, color and symbol has a meaning that the person who makes the egg intends for the person who receives it. Traditional patterns include complex geometric formations, floral motifs, animals, plants, religious symbols, and even cosmographic sun and star motifs. Traditionally, colors were limited to reds, yellows and oranges, those colors available in natural dyes prepared from plants, roots, bark, berries and insects.

(Photo from Luba's Ukranian Egg Decorating Kit, sold at FLAX)

As Jane Pollak grew more versed in this artform, she began looking to her surroundings for design inspiration. The 70s brought America’s bicentennial year and a renewed interest in American quilt designs. Pollak began first by incorporating stitching on her eggs, and was soon including entire traditional quilt patterns. She also looked to clothing and really anything with a pattern for inspiration.

(Photo on left from Jane Pollak's book, Decorating Eggs: Exquisite Designs with Wax & Dye on Egg design)

In the 80s, our FLAX Catalog was brought to Pollak’s attention with our “Call to Artists” cover competition. She set to work figuring out how to put our iconic flax “F” on her iconic eggs. Lo and behold, her work was chosen to be featured on the cover of our 1991 catalog. This spurred a call from the Director of Retail Operations at the Guggenheim Museum, saying he had to have her work, as well as a commission from Steve Jobs. Her decorative eggs became so popular, that FLAX did a rerun of her cover in 1993, and even sold a few eggs and prints of her work!

Jane Pollak has gone on to publish a widely distributed book, Decorating Eggs: Exquisite Designs with Wax & Dye, as well as a handbook for entrepreneurs and small businesses, Soul Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur. She now works as a professional speaker and mentor, coaching other creative women to turn their passions into successful businesses. FLAX is delighted that we were able to play a small role in Pollack’s creative journey. Our mission to inspire and support creativity has carried through three generations of the FLAX family. Looking back on stories like these bring us motivation to work towards inspiring and supporting new generations of artists. You can learn more about Jane Pollak’s journey in her TEDx Talk below. Visit her website at www.janepollak.com.

Try your hand at Pysanky!

If you are interested in setting out on your own journey into the art of Ukranian Egg painting, visit our stores to pick up Luba’s Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Kit, a great beginner's basic kit for making Pysanky. It contains all the special tools needed to take that first step, including dyes, beeswax, a kistka (writing tool), 21 designs and full instructions. Sold at both our Oakland and San Francisco store locations for $12.65 per kit. This kit is only available at FLAX for a short time in the Spring, while supplies last. Get yours today!