Jigsaw Puzzle Portfolio
Jigsaw Puzzle Portfolio
Update: April 28, 2020
This puzzle is called ‘Mermaid on the SeaFloor.’ I love the detail in this rendering of a mermaid lazily swimming on the seafloor above her collection of skulls of the men she enticed to their deaths. I especially love her tail, which stretches longer than her body, floating about in the darkness. The photo in my gallery doesn’t do justice to her, nor does the box cover, but sitting completed on my table, it’s a joy to study it.
I completed another puzzle, in two days. Crap. I love this piece but I had to slow down in order to take a second day to finish. Seriously, there it sat, on my coffee table, and I had to ignore it. Oh well. Time to start another. Oh, wait! I don’t have any more. The ones on order, are still weeks away. I suppose I could do more writing.
Update: April 25, 2020
I completed a new puzzle, named Mermaid and Fish. It’s a lovely piece, and I enjoyed solving it immensely.
It’s a watercolor image of a Mermaid enjoying her element. The artist used a Lion Fish for inspiration.
I may just have to paint my own version. First, I need to finish the one I started ages ago.
Update: April 14, 2020
I’ve created this Jigsaw Puzzle Portfolio for myself, and for those wishing to follow my jigsaw puzzle adventure.
I don’t know how long this will go on, but for now, I’m enjoying it.
Jigsaw Puzzle Portfolio
Update: April 13, 2020
It’s been a while since I last posted a note about my obsession with solving jigsaw puzzles. I’m not so sure it’s an obsession. Obsessions are compulsions, mania, and preoccupations. I’m not thinking of any of these things.
It also means desire, fascination, enthusiasm, and passion. Those, I definitely am. Overall, I am fascinated by solving these jigsaw puzzles.
Orientation
Why? I don’t rightly know, but this I do know. I am visually oriented. Being an artist tweaks my visually creative side. I’m also a writer, currently working on my next novel, which also stimulates my creativity, but not in a visual way. That is, if you don’t include my dreams, which gives me lots of plot twists in my novels. For me, writing is both creative and logical, working both sides of my brain.
Solving jigsaw puzzles is similar to my writing, as it exercises my visual creativity and, more so, my logical side. While I don’t create the image, I assemble them from a vast array of parts, that to many is an overwhelming and daunting task.
Using my logical side, I’ve learned to break the massive pile of pieces in the box into smaller collections, so that I can manage them more efficiently. As a software engineer and programmer, I’ve always done that. I take a massive problem and break them down into smaller and smaller components so that at the lowest levels, I can write the code to solve one thing and one thing only. It’s the same thing with jigsaw puzzles.
The Process
I tend to start by creating five piles, one of the edge pieces, and the rest organized by basic color patterns. Part of the reason is my puzzle board has four built-in trays to store the pieces. Then, I start assembling the puzzle using the edge pieces.
Then, I look for the more unique colors and patterns. Start small. Simplify. Keep it simple. The ‘KISS’ principle, which means ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid.’ It’s a term I learned in college and apply every day of my life. It works.
Finding the commonalities in the plethora of pieces excites me. I get an endorphin boost whenever I fit one piece into another. Then, I fill in where ever and before I know it, the overwhelming task of assembling the massive number of pieces gets smaller and smaller until, viola, the puzzle is done. Yea!!!!!
Want to see?
I’ve created a image gallery of the puzzles I’ve completed. You can find it in the ‘About Me’ menu on my website, or click this quicky link. https://richardverry.com/about-me/jigsaw_puzzles/
I’ll add more as I finish them.
What next?
With all the time I have on my hands, dealing with this global pandemic and staying home and healthy, I’m going through my stash of puzzles quickly. More are on order, but with the slow delays in deliveries, it will be weeks yet before my next one appears at my doorstep. Oh, well.
So that’s how I am spending my time, while forced to stay at home. I write, peruse the internet, read, and solve jigsaw puzzles, not to mention spending time with my girlfriend and partner, with whom I stay home and stay safe. Come to think of it, working on my jigsaw puzzles is helping us from getting on each other’s nerves and killing each other.
What are you doing to stay safe? I’d love to hear from you.
Jigsaw Puzzle Portfolio
Update: January 31, 2019
Well, I had an unexpected day off from work due to weather, so I worked on my jigsaw puzzle.
The arctic vortex is sitting over much of the northern hemisphere dropped outdoor temperatures to well below 0 Fahrenheit (-20c) or worse with the wind chill twenty to -50-60f (-45c) in many areas, keeping me indoors today.
