Size: 550 pieces, 26 missing
Dimensions: 61 cm x 46 cm
Painting: original
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark, #2333-13
Artist: Don Maitz
Puzzle: Good puzzle to leisurely put together, even with so many pieces missing (I got it second-hand, and I think this is the most incomplete puzzle I’ve ever assembled). Good places to start are the wizard and dragon’s flame, the boundary of the wings against the background, and the dragon’s head and neck. Wing section borders serve as horizontal guides.
Size: 550 pieces, In 2013, I’ve put together another copy that was missing 3 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 61 cm
Producer: Master Pieces, #60105
Artist: Judy Gibson: Animals find their natural habitat in the artwork of Judy Gibson, whether depicted in soulful portraits, snuggled in cozy home settings, perched on snow-laden branches or engaged in spirited competition. Born in Paris, Texas, Gibson draws much of her inspiration from her deep love and respect for animals. In her teens, she painted portraits of prize bulls and horses for area ranchers, and still loves painting symbols of the Southwest. She works in oils, and also enjoys the spontaneity of watercolors. Gibson’s heartwarming art has adorned tapestries, jigsaw puzzles, wallpaper, computer screen-savers and numerous other products. [Art.com]
Painting: http://imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-print/judy-gibson-sonata-by-firelight_i-G-10-1010-UUYW000Z.jpg
Puzzle: Good regions to start are the white cat, the music sheets, the flower bouquet with the ivy, and the shawl, and the candle holder. The orange separator of the piano lid isolates the top left corner. Flames for the candles and the fireplace are easy to locate, as well as the bust and the wine glass. The keys of the piano, the rug near the fireplace, and the curtain can follow, and the rest of the pieces are trivial to place. Easy and pleasant puzzle to do.
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73 cm x 48.57 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, 2011, #50403-2, tin box
Artist: Josephine Wall
Puzzle: “High above the clouds, an angel rides her precious steed, accompanied by her entourage of butterflies. Carried by a winged unicorn whose powerful wings contain a heavenly kingdom, where a host of angels play their morning glory instruments, she holds tightly onto his flowing mane. As he flies the tips of his wings create new galaxies. ” [Josephine Wall site]
Yet another Josephine Wall puzzle, detailed and intricate as always. Lots of subtle shades and distinct textures. This is a puzzle to do over the course of several evenings, at a leisurely pace. Good places to start are the unicorn’s head outlined against the background, and the top borders of the wings. The bright green and yellow areas, the figures under the wing, the butterflies, the ripples of the dress, and the starry-textured top right corner are distinct as well. With the Sure-Lox pieces, the puzzle assembles well.
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Celebration of Women series, 2008, #44296-3
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 through positive and enthusiastic sentiments and regard for the brighter aspects of our existence, escaping form protest, cynicism and selfishness.”
Patricia Govezensky was born in Tel Aviv in 1961 and was raised in Jaffa, a picturesque quarter known for being the site of the oldest port in the world. Patricia, a sensitive artist, brings to her canvas the immortal effeminate women, combining her tender touch & simplicity with magic moments of beauty in delicate domain. [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: From the same series as Ladies Night and Apple Picking, this vibrant puzzle is a pleasure to do — it only took me a leisurely two hours from start to finish. The borders between neighbouring colours are well-defined and the textures are distinct in different parts of the image, so the assembly is a breeze.
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: Lafayette Puzzle Factory, Goldenline Fairies series, APL33650LK0812, #0213
Artist: Nadia Strelkina
Painting: photo
Box: photo
Puzzle: From the same series as Fairy Key, this is a beautiful puzzle – a pleasure for the eye. I suggest starting from the lighter coloured part of the dress and the light background around the fairy, the exposed skin, the torch fire, and the castle at the bottom right. The lighter background border with the dragon wings, the purple ends of the dress, the tree in the top left, and the flowers in the fairy’s hair can follow. The boys in the bottom left, the ships on the river, and the rest of the fairy and the dragon can then complete the assembly.
Size: 234 pieces
Dimensions: 15.24 cm x 10.16 cm
Producer: TDC Puzzles, Item #7180
Artist: Sally Caldwell Fisher
Package: photo
Puzzle: “The World’s Smallest Jigsaw Puzzle. This puzzle has 234 of the smallest pieces ever to be die-cut. Tweezers are included to help you with this ultimate puzzle challenge. Good Luck!” [Puzzle box]
Similar to the Times Square puzzle, this puzzle had pieces that were too small to fit well and make the assembly enjoyable, but I liked it more due to the beauty of the image itself. I have assembled the colourful sails first followed by their reflections. The rest of the water was easy to complete due to ripples indicating direction, and the white of the clouds helped with the completion of the sky.
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: LPF Ltd., Holographic puzzle, #3921
Artist: Ciro Marchetti has had a successful graphic design career that has spanned working in Europe, South America and the US. He is a five-time recipient of the distinguished Photoshop GURU award, and three time winner of the Worldwide Photoshop Competition presented by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. The current content and style of recent illustrations directly reflect his sources of interest and inspiration, allowing him to create richly detailed images that conjure up retro- tech worlds of fantasy and imagination. [Puzzle box]
Puzzle: After looking everywhere for over 2 years, I have finally located this beautiful puzzle on the Bits and Pieces site. It is by Ciro Marchetti, from the same series as City of Wands, Above the Clouds, and Shangri-La Winter.
Reminiscent of Elvish tree-cities, this puzzle is stunning. Not trivial to put together due to the shimmering pieces, large tree foliage area, and similarity of the city pillars, but its assembly makes for a serene experience, resulting in a beautiful picture. It is now decorating the wall in my studio.
For an assembly order, I would suggest the red mushroom caps and the deer, followed by the owl and the purple and red flowers and berries at the bottom. The green roofs of the city can come next, followed by the mountain border with the sky. From here, it takes a while to assemble the city buildings, followed by the trees, and sky. I just put on a good audiobook and lost myself in pattern matching for a while. I absolutely love Ciro Marchetti’s city concepts.
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 68cm
Producer: Lafayette Puzzle Factory, Goldenline Fairies series, APL33650LK0812, #0213
Artist: Nadia Strelkina
Painting: photo
Box: photo
Puzzle: From the same series as Prisoner, this is a lovely colourful puzzle – a pleasure to do. The best places to start are the skin (face, neck, and hands), the moon, orange and yellow regions (tiger, light, window and gates), brown carriage near the moon and white carriage with a pegasus in the middle right, red dress and cape, castle roof and sky boundary, and the carriage in the bottom left. The darker colours at the bottom, the blue hues of the castle, the swirling mist, and darker blue and black of the top corners can come next. The colourful pieces of dress, trees, and remaining regions can then complete the picture. This puzzle has larger pieces and golden highlights.
Size: 504 pieces
Dimensions: 45.7 cm x 27.3 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox pieces. Company unknown – I do not have the box anymore. If you have this information, please do share. There were 4 puzzles in the box: Autumn in Paris, Buca Francesco, Rue Lafayette Paris, and Sunset Blaze – all by the same artist.
Artist: Viktor Shvaiko
Puzzle: I have assembled a 1000-piece version of this puzzle a few years ago. It is a lovely and easy puzzle to do. The best regions to start are the yellow and blue sky, the mountain range, the sign over the sky, and the vertical guides of the building/sky border, the arches, and the door frame. The bright red chair, the orange ledge in the bottom center, the letters above the entrance, the terrace floor and the table are easily put together. The border of the city and the mountains, as well as the red-roofed houses can come next, followed by the flower arrangements around the arch. This leaves the green of trees and grass, the building interior, and the flowers growing around the ledge. Beautiful scenery.
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26cm in diameter
Producer: American Publishing & Television, Candu Toy & Sport Co. Inc, 1995, Rose Art Industries, Made in USA, No. 6524 (thank you to PuzzleMan for the producer information)
Artist: Jim Kirwan
Painting: original
Puzzle: A beautiful painting bringing to forefront the issues of ecology, consumerism, and the police state. The artist explores the two sides of the coin: how we see the idyllic society and what it costs in the environmental damage and lack of freedoms.
A fun puzzle to do, not very trivial for a beginner, mostly due to nearly-uniform colouring of the puzzle border pieces, and a large uniformly-patterned area in the bottom half. Easiest places to start are the “no”, “don’t”, and “stop” signs, yellow and blue outburst in the bottom left quarter, the horizontal separating black band between the top and bottom halves, and the smaller circle with two halves. In the top half, the sky and the sea, the sailboat, the tree and mountains bordering on the sky, and the red window are good as starting regions. The yellow leaves and the buildings in the top half and the smoke and brighter red and yellow spots are easy to distinguish. Once all these are in place, the puzzle is small enough to make the rest manageable.
Notes: “The symbol for Ecology was created by Euripides; it was a simple circle with a single horizontal line through the middle. In this version of that idea the world is portrayed in two extremes: in the upper portion of the painting the world seems almost idyllic; proportional; and livable with breathing room, clean water, and real possibilities without apparent limits.
In the lower half, concealed from what we think of as our opportunities; we can see what we have made of that bright vision of that fantasy world above. Pollution, oil pumps, the roots of the world amid the chaos of our failures and the trash we so abundantly produce in mega-volumes. That is what we have allowed ‘the developed world’ to become: A world composed of “NO” and “DON’T” and “STOP.” It is a world without light or grace or freedom of any kind. It is the underbelly of unchecked capitalism as we practice it and as we worship the material- philosophy with an incessant and nearly religious ‘consumerism.'” [Jim Kirwan on Rense.com]
Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 33cm x 48.3 cm
Producer: Warren Industries, RoseArt, Magic Effects Collection, No. 97155
Artist: Claude Monet
Puzzle: A beautiful painting, this puzzle would be very pleasant if the makers had left out the “magic effects” of the shiny pieces that change hue based on the viewing angle, and had focused instead on the cut of the pieces. Not only does the shine make it hard to assemble this puzzle in anything but perfect bright daylight, it is not completely clear when the two pieces fit together, introducing a chance of error, especially in the uniformly-coloured regions such as the sky and the sea.
Thus, I do recommend bright daylight. The puzzle is small which does help make it more manageable. One can start from the flags and the flag poles, setting up two vertical guides and separating the top of the picture into thirds. The horizontal guides of sea and sky, and sea and railing, once assembled, are also helpful. Bright spots such as umbrellas, the red fence, the stone underfoot, and the vibrant flowers can be completed next. The black of the larger ship, people’s figures, the red fence, and dark green grass along the stone border are relatively easy as well. I would suggest leaving the sky until the end.
Notes: “The “Magic Effects” line is alluring and sure to captivate you. It interfuses charm, art, emotion and illusion into one beautiful component. What begins as an etching rich in detail evolves to a colorful metallic surface that shimmers and shines. The image casts itself differently in every light.
Warren Industries is proud to present a wide array of new artwork in this collection.
Artists include Impressionist Claude Monet: “Terrace at Sainte-Adresse,” Americana and Wildelife artist Terry Redlin: “Night on the Town,” the magical work of Josephine Wall: “Undine,” and a nostalgic title by COCA-COLA artist Hayden: The Lady in White.” [Puzzle box]
Size: 300+ pieces
Dimensions: 52 cm x 52 cm
Producer: Springbok, Hallmark Cards
Artist: Unknown
Puzzle: A relaxing puzzle to do, even though the pieces are very thick and snap in with a bit of effort. The imagery makes up for it though. The best places to start are the flower border, the birds, the large flowers, the water lilies, the small clusters of flowers and leaves, and the butterflies. Tall grass leaves in yellow and green, as wellas the bamboo stalks contrast well with the black of water. The water lily leaves and the gold of the river is also distinct enough, leaving the green leaves of the bamboo and the green and yellow water grass to complete the picture.
Notes: “The Emperor’s Dream
“I had a vision,” the Emperor said –
“Last night, it was as though my soul
Had shed me while I lay abed
And slipped beyond the mortal shoal
Down to the deeps of imagination
Where night-thoughts swirl in painted streams;
Down past the level of contemplation
Through the shadowy realm of dreams;
Into a place I’d never known –
A place where only peace could reign…
My soul would claim it for its own
And there, contented, would remain.
My soul eased down and rested there
And watched the butterflies at play,
Dancing in the scented air
By the lotus’ lush display.
There was more, but suddenly
My soul was coming back again –
My soul was rushing back to me
Returning to the world of men!
I awoke still deep in thrall
My vision would not be denied –
It’s true: what we love most of all
We carry with us deep inside.
We keep it hidden all the time
Securing it with self-made locks,
Yet still it’s there – the dream sublime –
A gem within a jewelry box.”
– Pat Cadigan”
[Puzzle box]
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, Artist Series, 11404294BX
Artist: Sam Park
Original: painting
Puzzle: A bright and colourful puzzle, a pleasure for the eye. Easiest places to start would be the striped pavement, the sky and tree leaves bordering it, the buildings, and the uniform colour of the market stall roofs. The yellow lights and the dark flower buckets/vases can be done next. The rest of the puzzle is the jumble of small coloured regions that can slowly be filled in.
Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 46 cm x 61 cm
Producer: Sunset Glow? (I do not have the box anymore: if you know who the producer is of this puzzle and what the series is, I’d appreciate it if you share.)
Puzzle: Easy enough to complete, with large distinct pieces and many differently-coloured regions, this puzzle is a good one when you crave a fairy tale visual. Many good places to start: the book and flame, the wizard’s face and hands, the glowing ball at the top of the staff, the red robe, the hat, the white horses, the castle, and the sky wall boundary. The book stand top and round parts in the bottom half of the puzzle can serve as guides. The rest of the pieces should fall into place.
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 67 cm x 48 cm
Producer: RoseArt, Masterworks series
Artist: Josephine Wall
Puzzle: A simple puzzle to do, due to its many distinct elements. One can start really anywhere – good places are the rainbow-coloured flowers in the bottom right, the white of the bride and her horse, the balloons and the sky, palm trees, waterfall, and river. The building and various animals can follow, and the rest is trivial.
Notes: “At a fantasy wedding there is no need of a limousine when the bride can arrive on a pure white unicorn, and the groom on a powerful striped mount.With attendants from the jungles and plains, the happy young couple set out on their journey through life together, surrounded by all the things that have meant so much to them. What a magical day, one never to be forgotten!” [Josephine Wall site]
Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 45.4 cm x 67.31 cm
Producer: Wrebbit, Perfalock series
Artist: Sung Kim
Painting: original
Puzzle: A romantic view, this foam puzzle is very serene and a pleasure to assemble. This is another painting by Sung Kim, in addition to the 1000-piece one of Overlook Cafe. Le consulat building, the domes in the background, the sky, and the pavement borders are good places to start. The smaller areas of colour: the people, the street signs, the street lamps, the building windows, and the chairs can be filled in, leaving the house walls and the pavements to be completed last.
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.
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”.
