Fingering Zen

Puzzle: Portofino Coast by James Coleman

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Artist: James Coleman
Painting: http://www.progressiveart.com/coleman/coleman_portofino_coast.shtml

Notes: Portofino is an Italian fishing village, and upmarket resort famous for its picturesque harbour and historical association with celebrity visitors. It is a comune located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is …

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Artist: James Coleman
Painting: http://www.progressiveart.com/coleman/coleman_afternoon_serenity.shtml

Serenity: the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness. [Definition]

Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 60.5 cm x 46 cm

Notes: I brought this puzzle with me from Ireland in 2008. 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.

Molly Malone: “Molly Malone” (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” …

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 43.5cm x 27cm

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.

Canadian Parliament: The Parliament of Canada (French: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill …

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, All Aboard series, 2012, #40562-2
Artist: Ron Niebrugge

Puzzle: I found it easiest to start from the water and the clear line between the water and the rocks to define a horizontal guide. From that point on, the railroad, the black locomotive, the carriages, and various green and rocky regions are equally logical to do, since not many of them provide …

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69 cm x 39.37 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, All Aboard series, 2012, #40562-3
Artist: Barrie Neil

Puzzle: The blue of the sky and the mountains are an easy starting point, followed by the black-and-red locomotive, the SW sign, and the repetitive-window carriages of the train, and the bottom branching of the rails with white regions. Green and beige slopes on the left are logical stand-alone regions, and the rest …

Puzzle: Yosemite Falls in Sierra Nevada Park in California, USA

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.5 cm x 39.5 cm

Yosemite Falls: Yosemite Falls is the highest measured waterfall in North America. Located in Yosemite National …

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 60.96cm x 60.96cm
Producer: Ceaco, No.2943-6
Artist: Thomas Kinkade
Puzzle: This puzzle was a pleasure to do: the sunlit clouds and the boat are the logical starting points, as is the horizon. The foam on the waves separates the puzzle into several smaller regions, easy to complete. The waves just below the horizon are parallel to it, making that part …

Size: 500 pieces, 1 piece missing
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Celebration of Women series, #44296-4, 2008
Artist: Patricia Govezensky – “For me painting is a means through which I find expression of life’s joy and fulfillment, and I believe art, more than merely being a means of expression itself, also serves as a medium to help us to make peace with our lives …

Title: Birth Matters: a midwife’s manifesta
Author: Ina May Gaskin
Source: Veddma library
ISBN: 978-1-58322-927-9
Available online

Notes: As always, Ina May does not disappoint. This book brings forth a deep discussion of the importance of birth in lives of children being born, mothers giving birth, and families. It talks about demonization the midwifery profession has received with the rise …

Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 33cm x 48.3cm
Producer: RoseArt, 1997, No. 99999RA
Puzzle: Not a trivial puzzle due to the shape and fit of the pieces, but not significantly difficult as it is only 550 pieces. The most logical part to tackle first is the fence, providing vertical and horizontal guidelines to the variety of small flower patches behind it. Once the fence is done, yellow flowers and orange lillies are the …

Title: Book of Longing
Author: Leonard Cohen
Source: Veddma library
ISBN: 978-0-7710-2229-6
Available online

Notes: Leonard Cohen has the ability to engulf me in a sweet sadness of “pining for the fjords”. He brings me back to the narrow streets of Montreal in summer, branching out in metal staircases connected to outside of the buildings, intertwined with people’s explorations, discoveries, and grief. …

Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72cm x 59.69cm
Producer: Springbok, by Hallmark, PZL4458
Puzzle: The most logical starting point is the stem of the branch that has a distinct colour and splits the puzzle into two regions giving a central guideline. The purple leaf regions followed by the dark green ones and the light-blue and white ones are the next areas to attack. Black and dark purple patches , and out-of-focus branches …