My Favorite "Christmas Puzzle" Of All Time
The 1500 Piece Springbok "Space Station," Artwork by Robert Blair Martin.
"Space Station", Springbok Puzzle by Robert Blair Martin.
A Christmas Tradition
One of the Christmas traditions around our household is putting together jigsaw puzzles.
Honestly, it's probably more of an obsession of mine that has become a holiday tradition. Christmas is about the only time of year that I have "spare time" to work on such an otherwise non-productive task.
We set up a card table in a corner of the living room, where family members get "sucked in" from time to time by the challenge of finding that obstinately hiding piece.
We always suspect that the dog ate a piece, or that the one we're looking for was vacuumed up last time the puzzle was out. Incredibly, almost always, we get down to the final moments and -- sure enough -- they're all there!
Puzzling takes your mind off troubles and cares.
I thought I'd share with fellow "puzzle freaks" out there my all time favorite jigsaw puzzle, the spectacular "Space Station" by brilliant puzzle artist Robert Blair Martin.
Martin is one of my heroes because he creates incredibly intricate, fun, and imaginative scenes with hundreds of cartoon characters engaged in amazingly diverse activities.
His "Space Station" puzzle depicts what is effectively a huge city/shopping mall in space.
Springbok Space Station: My Original Photo, hosted courtesy of http://imgsafe.org
Today I Learned And Was Saddened...
Mr. Martin apparently passed away about ten years ago, leaving the world poorer for his absence.
"Bob was widely known for and happiest when creating lavishly detailed cartoon depicting very funny, often absurd situations that drew the observer into an exploration from one zany point of view to another. He loved most creating fantastic puzzles."
May you Rest in Peace, Bob Martin!
I hope to meet you In the Glory one day and thank you personally for providing me with many happy Christmastime hours.
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I love puzzles!!! This looks like a good one! I have good childhood memories of putting puzzles together at my Grandmother's cottage in the Muskokas. This pastime never caught on with my kids though....nor my husband. He hates puzzles. I don't get that but each to his own, right?
I find them relaxing and also stress reducing, much like colouring. I still colour for hours....I get lost in my thoughts.
This is the best ever... It's currently driving me crazy, just trying to assemble the outer edge/frame! ;)
Yes, the frame. THE trick. Then of course, you probably put all the same colours together in a pile and divide that up again by the picture on the box....and once you are done, you probably leave it out for a few days to glory in it and then get some darling children to come over to demolish it so it can be put away until next year. Best fun ever!
Nope, not quite...
In our house (under my iron-fisted rule) the box top must remain out of sight. We don' need no stinkin' picture to work from!
When complete, I do leave it out to enjoy for as long as wife will put up with it... and then, I actually very carefully separate it into box-sized segments that get stacked in the box. That way, the next time it is assembled (could be many years from now!) we can verify that all the pieces are there before we begin! ;)
oh oh....the best part....when you are done and can't find the last piece and you have to get down on your hands and knees with a flashlight to find that last one - of course it's a dark colour and is probably upside down under your knee so you don't find it until you are utterly ticked and sworn off of puzzles....lol. Can you tell I've done that before? Of course you can.
Ah, sad but true!
I have absolutely no patience for puzzles. Just looking at that picture on the box makes me anxious. Surprisingly, when it comes to writing I am extremely detailed and obsessive. I am so intense when I write that I can write anywhere--noisy coffee shops, busy malls etc. and a bomb could go off and I might look up and momentarily take notice. Hours pass in the space of minutes...but give me a puzzle and like Alexander the great I' d take out my sword and slash the intricate Gourdian knot to shreds LOL!!
Interesting, I'm smiling here contemplating you, the bomb, and the coffee shop... ;)
I find the puzzles (mostly) relaxing. I do get somewhat stiff and sore after a while, but that probably could be fixed if I could figure out a better way to sit and bend over and contemplate the pieces while concentrating on finding and installing them. :)
I find it relaxing in a similar fashion when I work on my art - which has mostly been woodcarving - which I haven't done for entirely too long now. :( Maybe I'll pull out my blades and some walnut over the holidays... ;)
BTW, I'll try to post a good photo of the completed puzzle, but that will probably be early next year... ;)