4.29.2021 – Online meetings

Jewish Guild of Folk Craftsmen – April 29, 2021 meeting.

Leonid Grinberg – demonstrated his craft cat, made by his son, who bounded some bottles by hooks.

Mark Rabinovich – Demonstrated painting, drawn during pandemic while the weather was fine.

Autumn in Marine Park

Mark drove to Marine Park, section of Brooklyn where there is such a natural preserve – where it’s possible to immerse yourself in nature. Just a few steps from a parking lot and salt marsh surrounds you with its plants and animals. Looking of Marks pictures I feel the touch of pure nature, which is far from cities, transit, noises. And only name of the work “Autumn in Maria’s Grove” reminds me about the nearness of like-named neighborhood in Brooklyn. “Maria’s Grove” is a neighborhood in Moscow – and the picture does not only convey the beauty of nature, but also tries to draw a line of similarity between prior life in the country of birth, and here as an immigrant in USA.


The nature is beautiful everywhere. When two locations in different parts of the world fall in similar geographic conditions, with nearly the same climate – they may look alike, no matter how far are they from each other. And how it’s blessing for us, Russian immigrants that Marine Park Salt March, can remind some points in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova where we were born and raised. And this Salt Marsh in not an only such place. Now we experience the same beauty, here in America.

Other works of Mark include single man, sitting on a bench in one of parks in Brooklyn, pandemic dog walk, Valentine’s Day still life, neighbor’s rose, Long Island Beach in Autumn, Mark uses watercolors for his pictures. After presenting his pictures, Mark read his poem aloud. This poem tells that even though pandemics in still not over yet, the best way to spend time is to visit parks, nature, gather in restaurants (whenever it’s safe) and the most important is to smile all the times.

Maria Kleynerman/Abrosimova  – Tells that for almost 20 years she was always inspired by works of our Jewish Guild artist, and finally wanted to try something herself. And here she chooses beading and hand embroidery. She experienced sewing, stitches, then moved to very small beading. She explained details on how delicate is her work. And now she demonstrates her picture of Irises, made out of beads. This work was done during the peak of pandemics in 2020 – where it was really a problem to get the essential products for craftsmen. But nerveless, Maria not only managed how to get them but also did this painting.  It was a challenge to match beads with the background, and it was very delicate process, only the German and Czech beads are good for this. She demonstrated other beautiful works as red poppies, copying Van Gogh (starry night). She did it using diamond painting techniques. Very meticulous work, which takes a couple of months. She also demonstrated her still live painting in beads.

Some of her works were made in Long Stitches. The painting is beautiful, and it requires a lot of meticulous work and patience in order to be done. And the best and the last work, Maria demonstrated for this expo – was a land and sea landscape.  The next presenter was Maria’s husband, Yakov Kleynerman.

Yakov Kleynerman – Living in Kiev he participated in the club of Nature and Creativity, participated in all the city expos, with his art works. Another great achievement of Yakov, was participating in the expo dedicated to the 1500th anniversary of Kiev. And a couple of times, Yakov exhibited his works in a house of national creativity. His most interesting work was made of grape roots, which He found during his vacation in Kerch, Crimea. What’s he created from this gift of nature, is really a work of art. Other works of Yakov include chandeliers made of wooden branches. There is one more chandelier or lighter kind of wood. It’s adorned by music symbols. All this beauty of made of fallen oak In the state of Virginia. He also demonstrated a work, which consists of bird sculptures, he have made of wood. The story of this work starts in Catskill mountains. The work is beautiful, but as Yakov tells – that the most important job is search for right peace of wood to work with. You have to walk all day through woods, in order to find something interesting which will inspire you by its’ shape to work with. In USA it’s as dangerous as hunting, due to many reasons. His work is dedicated to Quasimodo and Esmeralda.  Then the discussion was full of technical aspect of the process. Yakov never gets exhausted to look for materials he needs for his works, in woods, on beaches, even in the seas, everywhere. That’s the approach of real master.