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Tina Puckett, owner of Tina's Baskets and Woven Art in Winsted, Connecticut is a nationally and internationally award-winning woven artist specializing in everything from intricate baskets and bowls to woven sculptures and wall hangings. Puckett has just announced that she is offering a series of year-round classes for teens and adults on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday and Friday nights. "There is a universal and enduring appeal of baskets and woven bowls. The sensation of making something with your hands from reeds and bittersweet vines is empowering, and I want to share that feeling in my classes," says Puckett.
As its name implies, Oriental Bittersweet hails from Asia. Celestrus orbiculatus Thub., commonly called Oriental Bittersweet, is native to China where it is most widely distributed with 16 endemic species. It is also native to Korea and Japan. As prolific as it is destructive, today, there are 30 types of Oriental Bittersweet found worldwide in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones of Asia, Australia, and North and South America, as well as Madagascar. About Oriental Bittersweet Horticulturally, Oriental Bittersweet's etymological name is Celastrus orbiculatus Thub. Celastrus comes from the ancient Greek word kelastros, a name for an evergreen tree, Orbiculatus is Latin and means disc-shaped, and Thub. refers to Carl Peter Thunberg who first documented this vine in Japan in 1784. Oriental Bittersweet is a deciduous woody perennial shrub whose vines are rampant climbers. The glossy green-toothed leaves of Oriental Bittersweet are round with a slightly pointed tip and can grow up to four inches long. In late summer the leaves turn a vivid yellow, usually before any fall foliage occurs making them beautiful spots of color in the landscape and easy to spot.
March 1, 2023 Winsted, Connecticut - Tina's Baskets and Woven Art has just announced the first-ever Rock and Mineral Show at Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, Connecticut on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Start your day exploring the labyrinthine halls of Whiting Mills at Tina's Baskets in Suite 305, on the right as you enter this amazing factory complex. Tina, a National and International award-winning artist will be in her studio (with George her ginger-colored cat) weaving her colorful wares that range from baskets, bowls, wall hangings and sculptures, to her newly released line of Hands, called “Perceived Languages.” A highlight of this weekend’s visit to Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art is the chance to enter a contest she is sponsoring. The winner will receive one of Tina’s artfully created baskets made with hand-dyed reeds and locally foraged bittersweet vine, a signature of Tina's baskets. As you make your way, to the main hall where the Rock and Mineral Show is taking place, you may find several other artisans that have thrown open their studio doors to celebrate this event, the first of its kind at Whiting Mills. In addition to baskets and woven art @ Tina's, you may discover a fascinating selection of curios, antiques, jewelry, herbs and tea, crystals, candles, and even a hobby shop. Rock and Mineral shows are popular the world over. At this show, you will find amazing rocks, gemstones, minerals, and fossils from all over the world from thirty professional dealers. There will be a wide array of rock specimens, cabochons, crystals, and healing stones, in addition to jewelry. If you work up an appetite, there will be sandwiches and hot drinks for purchase. Best of all, entrance to this show is free of charge. The combination of visiting the working studio of an award winning artist and learning what inspires her work and the chance to delve into the world of rocks and minerals, is the perfect way to chase the end of the winter blues away!
February 1, 2023 Winsted, Connecticut - Every relationship is important in life. On Valentine’s Day, sometimes words aren’t enough to convey messages of love, caring, and appreciation. The joy of giving on Valentine’s Day is thriving with possibilities at Studio #305 @ Tina's Baskets and Woven Arts, Whiting Mills in Winsted. This amazing studio owned by Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning artist, known for her woven art and dimensional weaving has some special gift ideas that can be found no where else. Puckett is also, once again, rolling out the red carpet for those in search of the exceptional Valentine’s Day gift. The studio is open every weekend in January and February (except Feb. 4 & 5) from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appointment. While browsing in Puckett’s studio, and chatting with Tina as she weaves her magic, enjoy chocolates and champagne. If you are on the hunt for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift basket to fill with goodies, this is the place, a real artists studio in fact, to check out! “I offer many hand woven baskets from reeds that I dye and bittersweet that I forage, in a variety of price points. Each basket is a one-of-a-kind piece that is woven with love, and is something that can be used time and time again and, most importantly, loved for years to come.” Best of all, the baskets are 14% off during the Sip and Shop event at Whiting Mills on February 11 th and 12 th . This is your chance to purchase a basket and fill it up with goodies. If you can’t make it to the studio, head to the website and order away. Tina is offering a 14% discount on all website purchases from February 1 to February 14, 2023. Shopping for your Valentine is not an easy task, especially when trying to avoid the clichés. A basket from Tina’s Basket’s and Woven Art shows your special someone that you truly care.
January 15, 2023 Westport, Connecticut – Tina Puckett, a national and international award winning Connecticut artist has been invited to make a presentation at the Westport Library on January 5 at 6:30 p.m. in conjunction with the show currently hung in the Library’s South Gallery called “Speak to Me,” on view through February 28, 2023. During this thirty minute presentation, guests will learn about Puckett’s life changing journey into the world of basket making and three dimensional woven art. As a self-taught artist, her story is intriguing and insightful into the mind’s eye of an artist. A highlight is learning how Puckett creates woven art from the harvesting of bittersweet vines to the hand dying of reeds that result in her unforgettable whimsical and intricate designs. There will be a question and answer period after the presentation. Light self-serve refreshments will be available in addition to wine and seltzer. Afterward, guests are invited to view Puckett’s pieces of woven art that are on display. A Garden of Flowers, an organic look at flowers using Puckett’s popular Dimensional Weave, while Whimsical circle pattern plays hide and seek with the bittersweet vines. Waves of Many Colors is a dramatic wall hanging with the reeds giving the illusion of the ebb and flow of the waves as they crash against the shore. Smile, achieves a sense of harmony and balance that is sure to make you smile. The Gallery is open Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
November 15, 2022 Winsted, Connecticut - The holiday spirit is alive and well in Studio #305, Tina's Baskets and Woven Arts, at Whiting Mills, Winsted, Connecticut. Master weaver, Tina Puckett is a national and international award-winning artist known for her woven arts and dimensional weaving. The studio is open on weekends this holiday season giving folks the chance to shop in a highly acclaimed artist's studio with the added bonus of meeting Tina, watching her weave, and learning what inspires her sought-after woven pieces, which are available at a variety of affordable price points. Finding the perfect present can be a tricky business - and yet a local artist Tina Puckett weaves baskets, bowls, wall hangers, and sculptures that are pieces of art. Tina's Baskets & Woven Art is sure to satisfy even the most discerning on your holiday list. Visiting her rustic art studio is an adventure in itself, especially if you are on the hunt for something special that is sustainable, ready to be used time and time again, and loved for years to come. Many things make Tina's Baskets and Woven Arts, unusual. Each piece is inspired by Tina’s imagination and the natural beauty of bittersweet vines that she weaves into the dynamic shapes with hand-dyed reeds that create a mélange of colors that will not be found anywhere else. What enhances the character of each piece is the addition of the bittersweet vine that is foraged by Tina in the woods near her studio in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut. Tina's atmospheric studio # 305 is located in Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street in Winsted, Connecticut and will be open and welcoming the public on Friday, November 25, Saturday, November 26, and Sunday, November 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the following weekend, Tina's Baskets & Woven Art will be participating in the highly anticipated Whiting Mills Holiday Open Studios on Saturday, December 3, and Sunday, December 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to Tina's studio, visitors will also have the opportunity to visit other studios that are not normally open. The holiday merriment at Tina's Baskets & Woven Arts continues for two more weekends on Saturday, December 10 & 17, and Sunday, December 11 & 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information please email tina@tinasbaskets.com or visit the website.
November 9, 2022, Winsted, Connecticut - Tina Puckett, owner of Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art has been awarded nationally and internationally is displaying her work at four locations this holiday season. At the heart of all of Puckett’s baskets, sculptures, wall hangings, and “Dymentional Weaves” is the bittersweet vine that she forages throughout northwest Connecticut. Her work comes at a variety of price points and is highly sought, making her work a special holiday gift. Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art will be participating in the prestigious Artists Collective of Westport’s “Small Works Holiday Show” on December 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and December 15 – 18 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gallery at the Westport Playhouse located on 25 Powers Drive in Westport. The Artists Collective of Westport is a group of creative individuals that display their work at a variety of galleries and pop-up shows that draws visitors in because it is a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art is debuting her latest works – Universal Language don in her Dymentional Weave. Beginning on December 22, 2022 and running through, February 14, 2023, Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art will be participating at the Brice S. Kershner Art Gallery, in a show titled, “New Beginnings After the Pause,” at the Fairfield Public Library at 1080 Old Post Road in Fairfield, CT. There will be a reception on December 22, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. where guests can meet the artists to find out what inspires their work. The Gallery is open Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Branching out of Connecticut, into New York, Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art will be participating in the Spencertown Academy Art Center show, “Crafts by Any Other Name,” on Saturdays and Sundays through December 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a fine selection of baskets, bowls, and wall hangers available. In addition to Tina Puckett, other participating artists include ceramicist, JoAnn Axford, artist, Shaari Horowitz, woodworker Alistair Jones, quilter, Katharina Litchman, and metal artist, Munya Avigail Upin. Spencertown Academy is known as a hive of creative activity that offers a variety of signature events and gallery shows, including this show that offers a variety of superlative work. Spencertown Academy is located at 790 Rte. 203, in Spencertown, New York. The holiday merriment continues, year-round at Tina’s studio located at #305 Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street in Winsted on Saturdays and Sundays through December 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. A visit to Tina’s atmospheric studio gives folks the chance to chat with the artist to find out what inspires her work and watch her weave her wondrous wares.