Fine Craft Archives - The Cutting Garden

September 18, 2023September 18, 2023

The Maiden, the Mother, the Crone

The Triple Goddess in Marble and Clay

Join Eileen Bernstein to enjoy and discuss her work on October 8^th from 1-3 pm at Domesticities in Youngsville.

Who is the Triple Goddess? She represents all aspects of the female life. She is the virgin maiden at the beginning of life. She is the mother, full of strength and power. She is the crone who has learned life’s secrets and lights the way for others.

Eileen Bernstein interprets the Triple Goddess in clay and stone. She has found an innate connection with these materials which is inspired by the paleolithic Venus of Willendorf to 20^th Century modern sculpture. She hopes that her work imbues both childlike spontaneity and homage to ancient work.

Eileen has been dabbling in clay for over a decade. Her functional pieces led her to create more sculptural forms, primarily hand built female forms. Many of her clay pieces are fired using alternative firing methods such as wood, soda, and salt. This past year she had the opportunity to sculpt marble for the first time in Italy. She is thrilled to present her three marble sculptures as well as her ceramic sculptures.

The show will be on display from September 29th through October 27^th.

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

Mad Ads and Funny Phrases opens May 6th

We’re pleased to welcome back Barbara Winfield’s fun work! We’re absolutely sure that Barbara has way too much fun creating these pieces, and we’re glad that she does!
Imagery taken from 1930s and 1940s advertising is combined in witty ways and presented on an abstract background.
Join us at the opening reception on Saturday, May 6th from 3 – 5 pm.

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021

Celebrate Paint and Pop June 19 – July 5th

Local artist Barbara Winfield was busy over the last year, creating a series of pieces that will bring a smile to your face. Please join her for an opening reception on June 19^th from 3-5 pm here at the shop.
Barbara explains her process, saying “For the past several years I have been collecting imagery from both popular and mass culture, such as vintage mid-20th century magazine advertising and iconic comic book art.
I chose imagery that is both nostalgic, amusing and a reflection of American society post WWII. Although many of the images are vintage, they also depict feeling and emotions that resonate today.
These works combine two major mid-20th century art movements: Abstract Painting and Pop Art.
First I chose an image that amuses me, and then created a colorful background painting to frame the image.
Although certain paintings are inspired by Abstract Expressionist women artists of the 40’s and 50’s downtown NY art scene, I discovered that in the end the iconic images I chose actually told me what colors and patterns to use for each image.
My goal is to create art with amazing visual effects that are pleasing to the eye, nostalgic and fun to look at.”
The reception will be held inside and outside, ensuring that all who attend will have an opportunity to see the work while maintaining a respectful distance from others. Masks will be required inside.

Barbara Winfield is an artist and writer specializing in Art & Interior Design. Her experience includes full time editorial positions at several national home furnishings magazines. Ms. Winfield is the recipient of The Dallas Market Center Editorial Award. She is also the author of two home design books, The Complete Book of Home Details, and Dream Log Homes and Plans, Ms. Winfield has taught “Color for Interiors” for twelve years in the Interior Design Department of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She has shown works at The DVAA annual “Art in Sixes” for the past two years. Starting as a weekender in 2001, she now lives full time in Jeffersonville, NY.

Barbara’s work will be on display at Domesticities, 4055 State Route 52, in Youngsville through the July 4^th weekend.

May 12, 2019May 12, 2019

“Betty and Me, A Prelude” opens June 1st

Youngsville, NY – “Betty & Me, a Prelude” will open Saturday June 1^st at Domesticities in Youngsville. This very local show features pastels by Elizabeth Harms and bentwood sculpture by Kevin Gref, artists who live and work in nearby Jeffersonville. The opening reception begins at 4 pm.

Elizabeth Harms received her MFA and BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been exhibiting her paintings and pastels for more than 30 years in various solo and group exhibitions. Solo exhibitions include New York’s Paul McCarron Gallery, Condeso/Lawler Gallery and 55 Mercer; Jersey City Museum and Jupiter Gallery in New Jersey; Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute and Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance in Narrowsburg, New York. Of her work, she says, “All of my work is truly, purely abstract or non-objective or non-representational. Many times I have been stimulated by the colors or shapes in nature. The environment is always a constant source of inspiration and can be something as simple as the light and shapes of snow on the hills in winter.”

Kevin Gref received his BFA from University of Buffalo, specializing in Sculpting. After retiring from a career as a carpenter, he returned to his artwork with the opening of his studio Jeffersonville Steamworks in 2013 where he began to experiment with steam-bent white oak, cherry, and other hardwoods. His work has appeared in group shows at the Orange County Art Society, Catskill Arts Society, and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, was featured in the Broadway production of Harold and Maude and also is part of the private collection of actor Mark Ruffalo. Gref presently is working out of the studios of accomplished abstract painters Elizabeth Harms and Douglas Craft.

Their work will be on display through the end of June.

November 12, 2018November 21, 2018

Winter Show opens November 17th

Ann Higgins, Elise Hornbeck, Valerie Taggart, Laverne Black and Kate Hyden, have created an early winter show featuring their vibrant watercolors and drawings of landscapes, wildlife, flowers and faces. This professional group of local artists and friends meet regularly, getting together to paint, share their expertise and have some fun.
Join us for an opening reception Sunday, November 18th at 1 pm. The show will run until December 16th.

Don’t know these artists?
Ann Higgins is a former Liberty, NY teacher, a founding member of the Catskill Art Society, a signature member of the North East Watercolor Society (NEWS) and a renowned artist who continues to exhibit her work from the Adirondacks to Connecticut.
Elise Hornbeck has a passion for drawing and painting the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains, including the old covered bridges and barns of New York State. She is also a signature member of the North East Watercolor Society and has exhibited locally and throughout the region.
Valerie Taggart is a former Art Teacher with an MA in Painting/Printmaking from SUNY Oswego. She is also a signature member of the Northeast Watercolor Society. Watercolor is her favorite medium, about which she says “it allows for direct and immediate expression.” Invoking the quiet solitude of rural life, she strives to create a sense of place in her work.
LaVerne Black grew up on a small farm in Sullivan County and she holds dear the rural landscape and country lifestyle. She has exhibited widely throughout the region and in NY City. For many years she roamed the countryside photographing the rural scenes that were rapidly disappearing. She has returned to painting, drawing upon her photography for inspiration.
Kate Hyden has a degree in Painting from FSU and is a resident of Livingston Manor, NY. She is a member of the North East Watercolor Society, Catskill Art Society and has exhibited in the area for the last several years. She is also a member of the Sullivan County Audubon Society. Her love of birds is reflected in her work. She created and participated in the three Audubon and Friends Too exhibitions in Sullivan County.

April 23, 2018April 23, 2018

Ann Higgins Retrospective Exhibition and 90th birthday party! May 12th, 1-3

When Kate and Valerie asked us to host this party and show, I was thrilled and honored. I’ve been a fan of Ann’s work since the moment I saw one of her watercolors. We first met when I was looking for merchandise for our yet-to-be-opened store. She was living in Claryville at that time, and I had a wonderful afternoon visiting her studio and chatting with her and her friends.
Bio — A Grahamsville artist, Ann Higgins is a former Liberty, NY teacher, a founding member of the Catskill Art Society, a signature member of the North East Watercolor Society (NEWS) and a renowned artist who continues to exhibit her work from the Adirondacks to Connecticut.
Ann’s multimedia works reflect her keen observation and love of nature. Whether in a landscape, a pet portrait or other subject, her skill and distinctive style are always a joy to behold. She has exhibited locally at the Liberty Museum, Catskill Art Society, and DVAA, in NEWS member and international shows and in every Audubon and Friends Too show as well.
Ann stays active. If she’s not at the gym, gardening or playing her piano, she writes the NEWSletter, takes walks with her cat, publishes a calendar of her drawings every year and still makes time to paint with friends every week. And those are just the tip of the artist’s iceberg! She continues to be a world traveler and to chronicle the vistas she finds on her journeys in her sketchbook.
Kate Hyden, one of the “Friends of Friday” a group of artists who gather regularly, says “there is no single thing that most endears Ann to her friends and her family, be it her wry sense of humor, her kindness, her generosity, or even that all-encompassing spirit of joy which infuses her work and touches all who meet her.”

The exhibit will be up from May 12 – June 10^th.

January 22, 2018January 26, 2018

Why we opened this place

It’s pretty simple, really. We wanted a way to combine our appreciation for old things, our admiration for fine craft, our belief in a fair and equitable global marketplace and our love for growing things. An 1870’s building housing a shop carrying the things we love combined with a garden on a main drag was just the ticket.