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Tag: nature mort

Raspberry Tart

Raspberry Tart
Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 68 cm x 48 cm
Manufacturer: Mega Puzzles, No. 50931ABN, A 24024 PP
Photographer: zoryanchik / Shutterstock
Original: photograph
Puzzle: Bright and uplifting, this puzzle is an eye candy. Some challenging areas where similar colours are blended in slightly different ways. Easiest places to start are the green leaves, the pink tin, the bright red berries, the white plate and the chocolate tart. Large areas of uniform pattern and colour would benefit from good lighting.

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Puzzle: Song of the Southwest, Artifacts from the Hartman Collection

Song of the Southwest, Artifacts from the Hartman Collection, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 50.80 cm x 50.80 cm
Producer: Springbok, Hallmark, PZL2206

Puzzle: Beautiful, earthy colours showcasing unique artifacts — I loved this puzzle so much, it is now decorating our guest room wall. With a variety of textures and colours, it was a pleasure to put together.

Since there are so many areas of pattern, good areas to start are the only few solid colour patches of the wall, the green plants, and the red of the carpet. After that, turquoise jewellery pieces, the icon, and different bowls can be assembled separately. It’s fun to bring them together afterwards, and fill in the gaps with the carpet patterns.

Puzzle: Brown and Hopkins General Store, Chepachet, RI

Brown and Hopkins General Store, Chepachet, RI, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 35.24 cm x 50.48 cm
Producer: Milton Bradley (MB) Puzzle, Croxley series, 1995, 4611-3

Puzzle: First puzzle assembled in our new place — after all the moving and organizing, it was nice to get lost in the antique feel of this cozy store. The pieces fit together well, the puzzle is small enough to be simple to do, while a bit of challenge is being added by small repetitive detail of the merchandise shelves.

A good place to start is the wheel and the wooden bottom part of the display. The counter top separates the picture into top and bottom parts and provides a straight line guide around which the puzzle can be build. The colourful dishes with candy, the black boxes under the counter, the bench and the floor are good to tackle next. Then all that remains is to play with the tiny cans on shelves.

Puzzle: Mixed Berries Collage

Mixed Berries Collage, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.5 cm
Producer: TCG, Sure-Lox, Collage series, 2014, #44719-4
Photographer: Alix Mullins

Puzzle: From the same series as Shell Game, this deliciously-looking puzzle is a bit more complicated, due to many repetitions of similar colours and texture patterns. I liked starting with the green leaves and distinct colours — light blue of the bottom blueberries, bright yellow, peach and orange fruit, and the cherry stems in the bottom right and top left. For the rest, the assembly was leisurely, larger strawberries coming together first with smaller berries later filling in the gaps. The Sure-Lox pieces make the assembly quite enjoyable.

“Sure-Lox™ is a trusted quality brand. This collection of puzzles features extra thick puzzle pieces that are fully interlocking and uniquely shaped. Sure-Lox™ puzzles come in a durable, restorable box! All designed to make puzzling more fun! Image is everything!” [Puzzle box]

“Lose yourself in the entrancing imagery of the Collages artistic puzzle collection. Enjoy the challenge of piecing together these fun and playful collages of beautifully photographed subjects, like mouth-watering foods, creative crafts and more! Rich with vibrant colours and exceptional detail, these collages make for incredible works of art.” [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: Shell Game

Shell Game, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.5 cm
Producer: TCG (formerly The Canadian Group), Sure-Lox, Collages series, 2014, #44719-6
Artist: Lisa Fondo

Puzzle: Lovely puzzle – not trivial, but quite enjoyable with a variety of textures and shades of blue and purple. This is one of my son’s favourites – even before it was completed, he has asked that we put it up above his bed where it now resides.

Lots of ways to approach this puzzle: I have started with the large shell, assembling the smaller shells in parallel, and larger pieces of glass, followed by the dried seaweed on the right. After that, it was the matter of filling up every nook and cranny with little pieces of colour and pattern. Slow and indulgent, this puzzle requires a keen eye.

“Sure-Lox™ is a trusted quality brand. This collection of puzzles features extra thick puzzle pieces that are fully interlocking and uniquely shaped. Sure-Lox™ puzzles come in a durable, restorable box! All designed to make puzzling more fun! Image is everything!” [Puzzle box]

“Lose yourself in the entrancing imagery of the Collages artistic puzzle collection. Enjoy the challenge of piecing together these fun and playful collages of beautifully photographed subjects, like mouth-watering foods, creative crafts and more! Rich with vibrant colours and exceptional detail, these collages make for incredible works of art.” [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: Paint pigment in the sun in Kathmandu, Nepal

Paint pigment in the sun in Kathmandu, Nepal, med

Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 63 cm
Producer: Ceaco, package of 2 puzzles, 2013, #3210-1
Photographer: bezikus
Original: photo

Puzzle: Together in the package with Untitled. How I wish the puzzle manufacturers clearly indicated the picture title and author. It’s so simple, yet some omit the titles whereas others indicate over 6 photographers for the full puzzle series instead of indicating the author for the one image in question.

This lovely puzzle was picked by my four-year-old and he enjoyed helping me put it together. The top six bags are very easy to assemble since the colours are distinct and borders clear. The bottom four are a bit harder, although pretty quickly different shades of red and different textures stand out. Beautiful vibrant puzzle – a pleasure to do.

Puzzle: Déjà view

Deja view, med

Size: 500+ pieces
Dimensions: 61.5 cm x 46.5 cm
Producer: Unknown – I do not have the box anymore, if you know the producer and the series, could you please share?

Puzzle: Not a trivial puzzle to do due to many similar regions and the lack of large uniform colour patches. One could start with the bright accessories – the ribbon, the bouquet, small flowers, the butterflies, the feather, the hair piece, and the round peacock feather. The brighter white and yellow postcards and letters can be filled in afterwards, as well as the black photos and the photo in the black oval frame. For the rest of the puzzle, it takes a bit of time to complete, but as the pieces are large and it’s not a big puzzle, I would not say it is hard.

Puzzle: Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series

Puzzle: A Mother’s Cupboard series puzzle (there is another Blue by You one), small and simple to assemble. It’s easiest to start with the shelf, since it splits the picture into two regions. The brighter pink and blue cups, as well as the hanging cups handles can be assembled next. Since the puzzle is small and the pieces fit together well, the rest should be easy enough to complete.

Puzzle: Blue by You

Blue by You, med
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series

Puzzle: A Mother’s Cupboard series puzzle (there is another Afternoon Tea one), small and simple to assemble. The good regions to approach first are the basket, the wooden box, the flowers, and the horizontal shelf. After that the rest of the pieces are quite similar and might take a little time to place.

Puzzle: Lakeside Retreat by John Powell

John Powell - Lakeside Retreat, med
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Artist: John Powell has worked in the arts through out his life. Born in Hollywood, California, he began to paint at the age of 16. Over the past 35 years he has melded his life experiences into a signature style of painting. His paintings are precise and intricate, laced with lyrical realism and expressing his love for color, flowers, gardens, pottery and art from around the world, interesting fabrics and visions of his travels.

Painting: original
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, 2013, #44724-1

Puzzle: Beautifully-complex puzzle with many colourful regions. There are many ways to approach it: some of the easier parts to assemble first are the turquoise flower pot, the blue box in the bottom right, the red cloth draped over the bench, the checkered rose tablecloth, the pears and their bowl, the large and smaller red vases, the yellow flowered tablecloth, the bottom left corner, the flowers in the vases, and the river in the background. There are many other smaller distinct regions that can then be positioned in place.

Puzzle: Nature mort in rose

Nature mort in rose, med

Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 60 cm
Producer: unknown

Notes: I’m missing the box for this puzzle and am unable to find the real name of it or the producer. If you have that information, could you please let me know?

Puzzle: An easy puzzle to do with pieces fitting well together. Distinct colour ranges on the yellow drawing, the rose curtain, the pillars, the blue of the window, the vertical guides of the candle and the books, as well as the horizontal guide of the table edge, split this puzzle into easy-to-manage regions. The pieces are large and the colours distinct enough to enjoy even in suboptimal lighting.

Puzzle: Citrus nature mort

Citrus nature mort, med
Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 61 cm x 46 cm
Producer: Ceaco, Culinary Classics series, 1999, #2319-6

Notes: A lovely and zen puzzle to assemble. There are many ways to approach it: I have started with the tallest bottle and the tall jar with orange contents, followed by the red flowers and the blue fence in the background. The red peppers, white towel and garlic, the basket, and cut up lemons and limes followed. The fruit in the basket and under it came after, and the rest of the pieces came together easily then.

Puzzle: Collector’s Cupboard

Mother's Cupboard, med

Size:  500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 35.5 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Mother’s Cupboard series

Puzzle: Some days I like nature mort compositions. This one is not completely trivial, since there are so many white areas and most cups look similar, but it is small enough for that not to present too much challenge. The shelf is the easiest place to start, as it separates the puzzle into two areas providing a good horizontal guide. The distinct colour areas such as lavender and blue cups, as well as the round edges and patterns on the plates are easy to assemble, as well as the glasses on the bottom shelf. The wall pattern and the rest of the cups can follow.

Puzzle: Summer’s Light by John O’Brien

John OBrien - Summer's Light, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51 cm x 69 cm
Artist: John O’Brien
Producer: Empire, Puzzle Makers, Rooms with a View collection, #64020-001

Puzzle: Beautiful puzzle, gentle colours, the pieces fit together well. The repetition of the window parts makes for a bit of a challenge to assemble the  largely-similar window grids, but there is enough variation in the room furnishings bordering the backdrop to make the assembly enjoyable. I have started with the window tops and continued with windows themselves, although it might be easier to first focus on the armchairs and sofa, corner tables, plants, the rug and the floor. Either way the large sections separating the windows provide good vertical guides whereas the rug pattern and the rug/floor border make for horizontal guides that can direct the assembly.

Puzzle: Venetian Interior by John O’Brien

John OBrien - Venetian Interior, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51 cm x 69 cm
Artist: John O’Brien
Producer: Empire, Puzzle Makers, Rooms with a View collection, #64020-001

Puzzle: This puzzle is a pleasure for the eye. Lots of vibrant colours and small details. The pieces fit together well. The easiest regions to start are the vertical guides of the balcony doors and the white tall window, the street with the sky and buildings, the paintings and their frames, the dark red border decoration at the top of the walls, and the green of the walls themselves. The cupboard, the chairs and love seat, and the fireplace can come next, with the rug pattern to follow. The rest of the small details can then be filled in.

Puzzle: In the Concert Room by John O’Brien

John OBrien - In the Concert Room, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51 cm x 69 cm
Artist: John O’Brien
Producer: Empire, Puzzle Makers, Rooms with a View collection, #64020-001

Puzzle: Leisurely puzzle to make, with pieces fitting together reasonably well. Many possible places to start: vertical guidelines of the gold embellishments on the white walls, the opening into the street with buildings and draperies, the border of the floor and the rug, the red regions of the furniture and the darker regions of the paintings, the fireplace, and the side tables with flower vases. The harp and the piano, the furniture pieces, and the rug can then follow, and the rest is relatively simple. Lots of little details, visually a very rich puzzle for the eyes.

Notes: A concert hall is a place where concerts of classical music take place. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Still-life with flowers

Still-life with flowers, med

Size:  1000 pieces
Dimensions: 49 cm x 68 cm
Artist: possibly Abraham Hendriksz van Beyeren (unsure, since puzzle box does not list the artist)
Producer: Jumbo International, #00023

Puzzle: A very rich puzzle in terms of colours and arrangement. One of the ways to approach it is to start with the larger areas of similar colour: red flowers, yellow ones, large pink and striped ones. After that, the vase and the table, as well as larger green leaves, blue stand-alone flowers, the butterfly, and the pastel flowers can be tackled. The pillar in the left top quarter separates the top area into three distinct regions and can be used as a vertical guide. The rest of the arrangement fills out easily from there. Overall, a very enjoyable vibrant puzzle, made with good quality paper.

Notes: Floral design or floral arts is the art of creating flower arrangements in vases, bowls, baskets or other containers, or making bouquets and compositions from cut flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental grasses and other plant materials. Often the terms “floral design” and “floristry” are considered synonymous. Florists are people who work with flowers and plants, generally at the retail level. Floristry differs from floristics, the study of distribution and relationships of plant species over geographic areas. Floristry also differs from horticulture, which more broadly relates to the cultivation of flowers and plants so they will remain fresh as long as possible, and would be desirable for purchase, which also involves knowledge of customers’ requirements and expectations. The ability to create a variety of floral designs such as wreaths, bouquets, corsages, boutonnières/’buttonholes’, permanent arrangements and other more complicated arrangements is also important. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Symphony in Red by Nava Grunfeld


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Hasbro, MB Puzzles, Big Ben, Artist Series, Nava Grunfeld, 2008
Puzzle: This puzzle is not trivial, but not significantly difficult either. Large blue dish with white spirals and smaller blue dish give a good outline to the top half of the puzzle. Lemons can be filled in afterwards, as well as the lilac-coloured flowers. From that point on, green, yellow, orange, red, and brown patches are equally challenging: I ended up finishing with the tulips, but perhaps a reversal might have been easier.

Artist: Artist Nava Grunfeld was born in Sweden and grew up in Israel, where she began to closely observe nature. She is known for her bold watercolor paintings of still life objects, fruit and flowers. Her technique of layering multiple veils of transparent color onto each painting brings a luminous quality to her work. Like a stained glass window, the white of the paper acts as the light source that glows through the colors. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: Wild flowers & summer wine


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.57cm
Producer: Sure-Lox, The Canadian Group, Canvas Collection series, 2011, #44716-1
Artist: Stephen Darbishire/Rosenstiel

Puzzle: There are multiple regions of the puzzle that can be done independently: fruit, cheeses, yellow/green grass, blue cloudy patch of sky, wooden table parts, bottom of the window, and the chair cushion. From that point on, the window frame, the bright tablecloth top and plates, the lilac of the mountains, and the dark blue/purple of the tablecloth can be completed. The tree branches,  the white of the sky, the remaining bouquet, and the dark curtain and bottom left corner remain. Very pleasant and calming puzzle to do, due to a variety of patterns, vivid colours, and serene imagery.

Wild flower: A wild flower is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the way it appears in the wild as a native plant, even if it is growing where it would not naturally.