Home Posts tagged "landscape" (Page 3)

Tag: landscape

Puzzle: Winter Worship

Winter worship, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: A simple puzzle to do due to its small size. The orange of the buildings, and the flowing green of the river are good places to start, and the bridge railing serves as a horizontal guide separating the picture into two regions. The borders of snow-laden trees, the building, and the sky makes the top easy to assemble, and the rest of the puzzle shapes itself around the bridge and the river. Festive and pleasant to the eye.

Notes: Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English weorþscipe, meaning worship, honour shown to an object, which has been etymologised as “worthiness or worth-ship”—to give, at its simplest, worth to something. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Garden’s Gate

Garden's Gate, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Puzzle: A serene puzzle to do, and being smaller with well-fitting together Sure-Lox pieces, is not too challenging. The red of the maple leaves on the tree, the lantern, the gate, the bright white/yellow regions of sunlit sky, and the wall with smaller rocks are good places to start. Once the wall is complete, tree trunks and leaves, as well as darker tree areas can be filled in.

Puzzle: Greenhouse

Greenhouse, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 54.5cm x 70cm

Puzzle: Beautiful hydrangea domes make this puzzle a serene one to do. The easiest place to start are the walls and the roof of the greenhouse, the paths, the evergreen tree, and the lighter blue flowers at the bottom. The fern-like blooms, the yellow regions, and the tulips are distinct to put together as well. The rest of the puzzle can be done in any order. Good lighting is a plus.

Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of this puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.

Puzzle: Autumn Lake by Darrell Bush

Darrell Bush - Autumn Lake, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 50.8 cm x 68.58 cm
Producer: Karmin International, The art of Darrell Bush series, 2004

Puzzle: Beatutiful puzzle in vibrant colours with many distinct regions – a pleasure to do. Good starting points are the sunlit sky and water, the birds, the horizon line and the water: since there are many horizontally-separated water colour regions, that part is a breeze. The house, the bright lantern with surrounding grass, the birch tree, the boat and the dock allow the rest of the pieces fall into place.

Artist: Darrell Bush – Awared-winning artist Darrell Bush brilliantly captures the unspoiled, simple beauty of the outdoors. From a North Woods campsite to a polished wooden runabout resting on a quiet lake, Bush’s acrylics suggest that these peaceful settings are only a memory away. He familiarizes the viewer with outdoor and wildlife subjects while often adding a touch of nostalgia.

In 1984,after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in commercial art from Northern Illinois University, Bush moved to Minnesota and worked as a commercial illustrator for five years. “It was during this time I began pursuing a second career, my true love, wildlife art,” he said. In 1987, he won his first major award, the Idaho Uploand Game Stamp Competition. In 1990, he became a full-time artist and one year later signed with Hadley House.

Since then, Bush’s success has escalated dramatically. He received international recognition when he was chosen for the September, 1996 “Wonders of Nature” exhibit in Hong Kong. U.S.ART named him among America’s Most Popular Artists in 1995, 1996 and 1998.

He and his family reside in Moline. [Puzzle box, mistakes omitted]

By the same artist the other puzzles available in the series are: “Crescent Moon Bay”, “The End of a Perfect Day“, “Twilight Calm”.

Puzzle: Gateway Solitude

Gateway Solitude, med
Size: 500 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 33.9 cm x 45.4 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock foam puzzle series, 2003, 22406

Puzzle: I felt like assembling a foam puzzle which I haven’t done lately. The fit is unique and takes getting used to, but quite pleasant. A good starting point was the walkway, since it provided a vertical guide and split the bottom of the puzzle into three distinct regions. The gate and the brick pillars came afterwards, followed by the flower bunches, the trees, and the sky. Simple and enjoyable puzzle to do.

Notes: IntroducingPerfalock, the first puzzle that goes anywhere without going to pieces! Make it, move it, mount it, and it won’t fall apart. Precisely crafted out of flexible foam, Perfalock pieces fit together so perfectly you can barely see the seams! Its unique backing material means that Perfalock puzzles stay together without messy glue. Perfalock from Wrebbit. We make great puzzles happen. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 36.0 cm x 49.3 cm
Producer: Ravensburger, Otto Maier Verlag, 1984, #14 138 8

Puzzle: Yet another puzzle of this beautiful castle, in addition to the 500-piece, the 1000-piece, and another 500-piece puzzles I’ve assembled previously. This one features clear photography, good angle, and pieces that fit together well. The easiest places to start are the sky and clouds, the orange part of the castle, the green of the grass, the boundary between the castle and the sky, and the sky and the trees, followed by the rest of the castle. The houses in the background and the trees around the castle can then follow.

Puzzle: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12 cm x 66.52 cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles, Hasbro, 2007, 04962-N03

Puzzle: Beautiful serene puzzle to make.  Despite its size, the assembly flows smoothly due to distinct separate regions of colour separated by clear borders. The lavender of the sky, the yellow, purple, and black mountains, their clearly separated reflections and the horizontal divide of the water edge are a breeze to put together. The blue of the water, the rock regions, the green grass patches, and the guide made by the log, let the rest of the pieces fall into place.

Notes: Banff National Park is located in the province of Alberta in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. From that humble beginning was born Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park and the world’s third. Spanning 6,641 square kilometres of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world’s premier destination spots. [Banff National Park site]

Puzzle: Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group

Notes: Beautiful landscape, very serene to make. Not completely trivial due to large regions of similar colours, but with Sure-Lox pieces fitting well together, still a pleasure to do. Starting with the grass regions is easiest, filling in the houses, and then dealing with the boundary regions between mountains, the ice, and the sky, provides enough guides to fill in the remainder of the pieces.

Puzzle: Love each day

Love each day, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51 cm x 69 cm
Producer: Empire, Puzzle Makers, #620205

Puzzle: Not a completely trivial puzzle to do due to variation in puzzle piece format and similarities of the coloured regions, but quite enjoyable. The easiest parts to do are the uniform white of the path, the bench, and the fence, the green of the grass, and the blue-white of the sky. The willowy tree is a good region to tackle next, as well as the groups of similarly-coloured flowers. The trees in the background can come last.

Puzzle: Ludwig’s Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Ludwig's Castle, Bavaria, Germany, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.5cm x 35.5cm
Producer: Leap Year

Puzzle: Not a bad puzzle as far as the picture goes, but the manufacturing process appears to be faulty: many pieces are bent out of shape and do not fit together well, taking away from the assembling experience. The puzzle itself is relatively easy to put together: the sky, the fields, and the castle are good places to start. The trees are a little more challenging, so good lighting is good to have for assembling the bottom part. Overall, nothing special: showing more castle and less of the tree area would make this puzzle more enjoyable. There are better puzzles depicting this castle, I’ve previously put together two: in 1000 pieces and 500 pieces.

Notes: Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 46.5cm x 36cm

Puzzle: Colourful puzzle, relaxing to assemble at the end of a tiring busy day. The sky, the water, and the house are easiest to start with, followed by the leafy bank and the red trees. The tree trunks can help assemble the rest of the trees, and the reflections are distinct enough from the trees themselves to be filled in easily as well.

Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of this puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.

Puzzle: Bellagio by Julian Askins

Julian Askins - Bellagio, med

Size:  750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Artist: Julian Askins

Notes: Beautiful zen-inducing puzzle with its bright colours and serene scenery. The easiest places to start are the solid colour areas of the sky, the patio with the colonnade, the mountain/sky border, and the blue of the water. The houses can also be assembled easily, guided by the colour contrast and vertical separators. The red flowers and the bright rounded tree with its base can follow, and the rest of the pieces fall into place after.

Puzzle: Grand Baie, Mauritius

Grand Baie, Mauritius, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 66.52 cm x 51.12 cm
Photographer: Schmid Reinhard
Producer: Hasbro, MB Puzzle, 2010

Puzzle: Beautiful, bright, mood-lifting puzzle (although now I’m pining for the fjords, or rather for Caribbean oceanside). The easiest places to start are the grass, the ocean, the sky, the palm trunks, and the umbrellas. The fruit of the palms, the red flowers in the background, and bright yellow palm leaves can come next. The remainder of the puzzle can be filled in from there, guided by the vertical palm trunks and regions of the sky.

Notes: Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres off the south-east coast of the African continent. The country is home to some of the world’s rarest plants and animals. The island of Mauritius was the only home of the Dodo bird. The bird became extinct fewer than eighty years after its discovery. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Caverns

Caverns, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.6 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Scenic series, #40605-25

Puzzle: Complex due to similarity of structures pictured and a limited palette of colours, this puzzle is still a pleasure to do with the contrasts of blue, black, and yellow/brown areas and SureLox pieces fitting into place well. This puzzle will take a bit more time than a typical SureLox 1000 piece one, and good lighting is a bonus. I have started with the blue and bright yellow areas, followed by black ones, and from there, filled in the remainder.

Notes: It is unfortunate that no information is given on the box on where this photo was taken. If you are familiar with where this is, I would love to know.

Puzzle: Sunlit Patio by Ming Feng

Ming Feng - Sunlit Patio, med
Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 60.96 cm x 45.72 cm
Producer: Hasbro, Milton Bradley, Picture Perfect series, 2002
Artist: Ming Feng

Puzzle: I like the feel of these pieces and the way they snap together. The easiest way to approach this puzzle is to start with solid areas of colour: the floor, the chair, bench, and table, and the door. From that point on, it’s a matter of separating areas with similar flower and leaf colouring and assembling those. A very pleasant and calming puzzle to do.

Notes: Beautiful puzzle cut with gaps being nearly invisible. Pieces fit together perfectly and there is no paper dust. A pleasure to assemble, glue, and display.

Puzzle: Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland

Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland, med

Size:  1250 pieces
Dimensions: 72.4 cm x 61.8 cm
Producer: Waddington Sanders, 1987, #116-3

Puzzle: This puzzle is best done leisurely, as it is large and there are quite a few distinct regions. I have started with the windows and the ridges between floors and parts of the building to define the vertical and horizontal guides. The flowers and the street as well as the roof/sky line can be made easily as well. The rest of the walls with frescoes take a bit more time, and good lighting is a plus. The pieces fit together reasonably well.

Notes: Stein am Rhein is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The town has a well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses. The medieval part of the town has been pedestrianised and many of the medieval buildings are painted with beautiful frescoes. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Long Fellow House

Dominic Davison - Long Fellow House, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Artist: Dominic Davison
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Country Manor series, 2011, #44612-1

Puzzle: A wonderful puzzle to do: Sure-Lox pieces fit together very well, as usual, and there is enough challenge while guide regions are available to provide a logical succession of assembly. One can start with the path to the front door of the building, separating the bottom half into two regions. The house and the well provide good anchoring regions. The grass and the patch of sky can be assembled easily. The tree trunks provide additional vertical guides. The rest of the regions take a bit more time to assemble. Good lighting is a bonus for the tree leaves.

Puzzle: Waterfall in a garden

Waterfall in a garden, med

Size:  750 pieces
Dimensions: 43.81 cm x 58.42 cm
Producer: MB Puzzle, Oxford series, 1999, C4848-18

Puzzle: Despite the large regions of green leaves and small flowers, this puzzle is relatively easy to do due to the waterfall separating the two parts at the top, and to the small number of pieces. Waterfall, the rock behind it, the basin, and the yellow spot are a good start. From that point on, darker regions, flowers, and trees can follow. Not a trivial puzzle, but quite enjoyable. Good lighting is a plus.

Notes: No discernable name on the puzzle box.