Art Exhibition: Nina Ryan & Tina Puckett

CURVATURE: Clay & Weaving by Nina Ryan & Tina Puckett will be on display at the Norfolk Library for the month of December. Through sculptural clay vessels and vine-woven wall pieces, both artists speak a three-dimensional language in works that spring from the physical world and stretch into the abstract. Please join us for a reception for the artists on Sunday, December 6, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., graciously hosted by the Library Associates.

Nina Ryan writes: “Our world is physical. The December days are short and dark in our hemisphere because of the tilt of the earth and the specific curvature of the earth’s path around the sun.  My ceramic work is wood and soda fired, and primarily unglazed, marked only by fire moving around the form. It speaks of the aliveness of clay, and also of rock, specifically the granite and metamorphic rock forming the coast of Maine. These coil-built vessels express the rhythm and impact of forces that shape form – the way ice, wind, and sea wear and batter bold shapes in rock. Fire, in the huge tunnel-shaped Anagama wood kiln, is a molten current, painting the work with waves of accumulated ash.”

 Ryan has shown her work in the Berkshires at Chesterwood, The Berkshire Art Center, the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, and as a guest artist in the 2026 Berkshire Pottery Tour. Ryan also has completed a residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME. She fires her work in the Anagama kiln of sculptor Chris Gustin in South Dartmouth, MA, and lives in Stockbridge.

Master weaver Tina Puckett is a nationally and internationally award-winning woven artist, specializing in everything from intricate baskets and bowls to woven sculptures and wall hangings. A self-taught artist, she has been creating sculptured woven pieces for 45 years. Inspired by the natural beauty of Bittersweet vines, Puckett weaves both vines and reeds in a harmonious way that evokes emotion through texture and color. Her color palette is influenced by her experience as a child raised in sunny South America. She writes:

“The natural beauty of Bittersweet always sparks my imagination and is at the heart of the many pieces I weave. My imagination guides all that I do and it has become very attuned to the harmony of shapes, forms, and colors of the vines and reeds. I am also influenced by the beauty of our natural world and wonder how to weave it. Perfect examples of my interpretation of nature are my woven wall sculptures of flowers and landscapes. I mix my own dyes and enjoy building a palette for the reeds that will shape textures and forms with color. “

Tina Puckett is the owner of Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art in Winsted, Connecticut. Her work has been shown at the Cheongju International Craft Biennial, South Korea; the Fuller Craft Museum, Hill-Stead Museum, Bruce Museum, Slater Museum, and Westport Arts Center; River Street Gallery, Doncaster Gallery, Artwell Gallery, Good News Cafe Gallery, Pen and Brush Gallery; and the Washington Art Association and Kent Art Association, among other venues.