by Contributing Artist artist Steve Heap
Jigsaw puzzles are rightly treasured for their entertainment value but along side that, there is the real satisfaction of seeing a work of art develop in front of your eyes as the pieces are put in place. I often look at some of my images and think – that would make a really complex jigsaw puzzle! I guess what I am thinking about is that the image is attractive in its own right, but has a complexity of shades and colors that make it quite difficult to look at one piece and decide just where in the image it should fit.
You could say – what is not to love about this image?
Now I’m not sure just where you can find a jigsaw made in the shape of a heart, but I think it does illustrate what we love about the tradition!
The underlying image was one I took this past month after seeing the leaves in West Virginia develop into much brighter and more colorful shades that we normally expect. I had this image in mind when I drove, just before sunset, to a local lake close to my home. But what I needed, apart from the sun peeking through the clouds that were moving slowly across the sky, was some calm water in the lake in front of me. It is protected a little by the trail to the left, but there were still gusts of wind spoiling the reflection. So, I sat, and I sat, with the camera on a tripod in front of me, watching the sky and the clouds around the sun, feeling the wind gusts diminish as the evening advanced until eventually the calm water had spread sufficiently far to the right to get the image I wanted. Was it worth it? You bet!
I’ve got a feeling that this would be challenging as a jigsaw, but I am no expert. Blue sky and clouds not only at the top but the bottom of the picture. Complex orange, green, red leaves that cover the center. Some blurred, some not very crisp. A challenge indeed!
If you are up to a challenge, the puzzle is available as both 500 and 1000 pieces:
I’m sorely tempted to buy one for our daughter in law for Christmas – she loves jigsaws and this might be a nice reminder of home! And if you would like to read more about the fall colors around Morgantown in West Virginia this year, I wrote a short article about it, which can be found here: Fall Colors around Morgantown in 2022 – Backyard Image.
Click to learn more about the artist: Steve Heap.
