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Tag: landscape
Photo: Slanted Trees, March 30, 2011
Puzzle: San Pietro by Rod Chase
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Artist: Rod Chase, Photorealist
Painting: The Glory of San Pietro
Notes: This view is from across the Tiber River looking toward St. Peter’s. I spent the evening photographing this scene during the twilight hours on our last night in Rome. The composition is based on one specific photo while dozens of additional photos were used to provide details for the architectural features. I especially enjoyed painting the reflections on the water, an exercise in abstract line and shape. The colors were muted to faded blues and Terra Cotta tones, which provide a more monochromatic color scheme representing the incredible history and beauty in Rome, and Italy in general. [Rod Chase]
Puzzle: Evening Light by David Miller
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 23 cm x 53cm
Producer: MasterPieces, Vertical Panoramic series
Artists: David Miller
Notes: David C. Miller is an internationally acclaimed marine artist who’s work has graced the covers of everything from greeting cards to jigsaw puzzles, but his best work has always been done on lexan and canvas. His use of acrylics have earned him acclaim from art critics as well as environmentalists. David’s personal pursuit has always been that of environmental preservation. His portfolio includes commissioned works for such prestigious foundations as Sea Turtles of the World, an environmental group protecting endangered sea turtles, and The Franklin Mint, part of the proceeds from the porcelain heirloom collectors plates goes to the Save The Dolphin program. His work is also shown in many prestigious Aquariums across the nation.
Coupling his artistic talent with a degree in technical drafting David began his career as a full-time artist in 1984, and received immediate recognition for his captivating marine subjects, portrayed with unique depth and three-dimensional perspective. [David Miller site]
Puzzle: Cobblestone Bridge by Thomas Kinkade
Size: 700 pieces
Dimensions: 86.36 cm x 30.48cm
Producer: Ceaco
Artist: Thomas Kinkade
Box: photo
Notes: Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. “Cobblestone” is derived from the very old English word “cob”, which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was “rounded lump” with overtones of large size. “Cobble”, which appeared in the 15th century, simply added the diminutive suffix “le” to “cob”, and meant a small stone rounded by the flow of water; essentially, a large pebble. It was these smooth “cobbles”, gathered from stream beds, that paved the first “cobblestone” streets.
Note that Cobble is a generic geological term for any stone having dimensions between 2.5–10 inches. A cobbled area is known as a “causey”, “cassay” or “cassie” in Scots. [Wiki]
Photo: Two Trees, Ottawa River, March 24, 2011
Puzzle: Safe Harbor
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 33cm x 48.3cm
Notes: Puzzle showing a lighthouse during the day and – when tilted – under the starry sky.
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles. Examples of lenticular printing include prizes given in Cracker Jack snack boxes that showed flip and animation effects such as winking eyes, and modern advertising graphics that change their message depending on the viewing angle. This technology was created in the 1940s but has evolved in recent years to show more motion and increased depth. Originally used mostly in novelty items, lenticular prints are now being used as a marketing tool to show products in motion. Recent advances in large-format presses have allowed for oversized lenses to be used in lithographic lenticular printing. [Wiki]
I do not have a record of the producer of the 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.
Photo: Ottawa River under Snow, March 24, 2011
Photo: Tree and Sky, March 24, 2011
Photo: Branches and Sky, March 24, 2011
Puzzle: Razzberry Creek Crossing by Carl Valente
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 48.1cm x 64.8cm
Producer: RoseArt, Borders series
Box: photo
Artist: Carl Valente – In the nineties, Carl began his magnificent “Homes of the Americana” series. This series includes Victorian farmhouses, manors of New England, villages on the lakes of the Midwest, log homes of the West, and colonials of the South. [Bentley Publishing Group site ]
Painting: photo
Photo: Trees and Lantern, March 24, 2011
Puzzle: A wave of colour, County Cork
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 68cm x 48.1cm
Producer: Mega Brands, Windows of the World series
Artist: Fine photography by John and Debora Scanlan
Notes: County Cork (Irish: Contae Chorcaí) is one of the twenty-six traditional counties of the Republic of Ireland and one of the thirty-two traditional counties in the island of Ireland. The southernmost of the Irish counties, it is located in the province of Munster. It is Ireland’s largest county and is the second most populous county, with a population of 481,295 in 2006. Named after the city of Cork (Irish: Corcaigh), Cork is colloquially known as “The Rebel County”. In recent times, the name has referred to the prominent role Cork played in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) when it was the scene of most of the fighting; in addition, it was an anti-treaty stronghold during the Irish Civil War (1922–23). [Wiki]
Puzzle: Shaped castles
Size: 1000 pieces, multiple pieces missing
Producer: Sure-Lox
Thank you to Renee for providing the size and the producer as I do not have the box for this puzzle anymore.
Notes: Shaped puzzle on black background depicting multiple castles in a single collage, surrounded by a white border.
A castle (from Latin castellum) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified, from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility, and from a fortified town, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Grand Teton Mountain, Wyoming, USA
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: Grand Teton, at 4,199 m, is the high point of the Teton Range, and the second highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The mountain is entirely within the Snake River drainage basin, which it feeds by several local creeks and glaciers.The Teton Range is a minor range of the Rocky Mountains, which extend from southern Alaska to northern New Mexico.
The origin of the current name is controversial. The most common explanation is that “Grand Teton” means “large teat” in French, named by either French-Canadian or Iroquois members of an expedition led by Donald McKenzie of the North West Company. However, other historians disagree, and claim that the mountain was named after the Teton Sioux tribe of Native Americans. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia. The bridge is locally nicknamed “The Coat Hanger” because of its arch-based design.
Under the directions of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by English firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough, and opened in 1932. According to the Guinness World Records, it is the world’s widest long-span bridge. It is also the fifth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, and it is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres from top to water level. [Wiki]
Puzzle: 1000 Islands
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 80 km downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario. The U.S. islands are in the state of New York. The islands, which number 1,793 in all, range in size from over 100 km2 to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, to even smaller uninhabited outcroppings of rocks that are home to migratory waterfowl. The number of islands was determined using the criteria that any island must be above water level all year round, have an area greater than 1 square foot (930 cm2), and support at least one living tree. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Via dell’Amore by Rod Chase
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm x 35.56cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Artist: Rod Chase
Video: The Love Story behind Via dell’Amore
Notes: The Cinque Terre towns were extremely isolated until the last century. Villagers rarely married anyone from outside their town. After the blasting of the second train line in the 1920s, a trail was made between the first two towns: Riomaggiore and Manarola. A gunpowder warehouse was built along the way, safely away from the townspeople. (That building is today’s Bar dell’Amore.)
Happy with the trail, the villagers asked that it be improved as a permanent connection between neighbors. But persistent landslides kept the trail closed more often than it was open. After World War II, the trail was reopened, and became established as a lovers’ meeting point for boys and girls from the two towns. (After one extended closure in 1949, the trail was reopened for a Christmas marriage.) A journalist, who noticed all the amorous graffiti along the path, coined the trail’s now-established name, Via dell’Amore: “Pathway of Love.” [Smithsonian.com site]
Puzzle: Middleton Place Garden
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.69cm x 39.37cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Puzzlers Collection series
Notes: Middleton Place is a plantation in Dorchester County, directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston and about 24 km northwest of Charleston, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Built in several phases throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the plantation was the primary residence of several generations of the Middleton family, many of whom played prominent roles in the colonial and antebellum history of South Carolina. The plantation, now a National Historic Landmark District, currently functions as a museum, and is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States. [Wiki]
Puzzle: Garden Party
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.4cm x 35.5cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, Wonderful World series
Notes: A garden party is a social gathering with food provided, in the open in a park or a garden. Unlike a picnic or barbecue, which are informal, a garden party can be a prestigious event. For example, invitations to parties of the British Sovereign, held at Buckingham Palace Gardens, are a great honour, and are very rare except for those in traditionally invited high offices.
Many games are traditionally played at garden parties. In Champs-Élysées, Paris, there is an annual Garden Party on 14 July on the occasion of Bastille Day. [Wiki]