Impressionist Jigsaw Puzzle



Impressionist Jigsaw Puzzle Item #901



Hi Puzzlers,

Every time I see our Impressionist jigsaw puzzles I have to stop and pick it up to look at it. I’m captivated by the images of everyday life and the beautiful scenery. Swoosh! It is like a time machine is transporting me back to 18th century France and giving me a snapshot of the lives of its citizens. That for me is what great art is all about. The Impressionist topic has made me realize, other than how this puzzle made me feel, I know nothing about this wonderful branch of art. This realization leads me to wonder, what exactly is, Impressionist art?

The Impressionist art movement began in France in 1860 and developed itself through 1890. Its style can best describe as art that captures a peek or glimpse of an ordinary scene. It uses bright, bold colors to capture the image, not finely painted details. Special emphasis is placed on lighting and its subtle changes. Small, thin, broken brush strokes are used and very little is blended. Each scene is depicted from an unconventional angle, much like the works of today’s top photographers. Impressionist art is like a snapshot, it captures the moment.

Many of Frances future Impressionists grew up during Napoleon III rule, this time is also known as the Second Empire (1852-1872). Napoleon preferred academic art and used his might as ruler to govern the Academy of Fine Art and its views on new art forms. This ultimately forced a split between official art and independent art.

The differences were felt on many levels: Politically most Impressionist disagreed with Napoleon’s forced takeover of the Art Academy. Many of the new artists came from the working class and could not relate to the aristocracy. Artistically, future Impressionist wished to express the simplicities in life and in nature, not history or mythology.

Frustrated by the continued rejection of their artwork Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley decide to exhibit their artwork independently and organized the Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs in 1874. The exhibit showcased the work of thirty progressive artists.

Art critic Louis Leroy despised the show and wrote a disparaging review. With a play on words he calls Claude Monet’s Sunrise- Impression, Sunrise and titles the article The Exhibition of the Impressionists. In his article Leroy writes: “Impression—I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape.” The public, as well as most of the artist, embraced the new name, thus giving birth to the greatest art movement in recorded history.

Artwork, old photos and even great puzzles can leave beautiful impressions for all to enjoy. The next time you come across an Impressionist painting try to look for the small, thin, broken brush strokes the artist unconventional angle of the scene. There will always be critics including the Great Napoleon that will have trouble finding beauty in this kind of art. But like all art “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” and I for one will always see the beauty in the Impressionist art.

Happy Puzzling!

Boston, MA Jigsaw Puzzle

Hi Puzzlers,
 

Boston, MA Jigsaw Puzzle Item #07

 Last night I dreamt of a Boston Cream Pie. This pie has always been an Achilles heel of mine. It takes all my will power and my family’s tough love to prevent me from eating a whole pie. For this reason it is almost banned completely from my house. Only a slice per person is allowed in and anything leftover must be thrown immediately; no saving it for later! This delicious pie is said to have originated from the Parker House Hotel, now called the Omni Parker House Hotel , located in lovely downtown Boston, Massachusetts.

Claims by the hotel state it has been serving Boston Cream Pies since it opened in 1855 and its French chef Monsieur Sanzian, is credited with its creation. Originally the pie was called the Parker House Chocolate pie but after the New York Herald referenced it as a Boston Cream Pie, the name was forever changed. The popularity of this pie spread quickly to other parts of the country and it found its way into the “The White House Cook Book” by Fanny L. Gillette in 1887. Today the Boston Cream Pie is also the official dessert of Massachusetts.

Boston is also home to many other wonderful culinary creations; take for instance Boston Baked Beans. This scrumptious dish was said to have been created sometime between the1600s and 1700s. During this time New England had an abundance of beans and molasses. The Native Americans were eating beans long before the settlers arrived and during colonial times molasses was imported and used as a main ingredient in the distilling of rum. Rum manufacturing was one of the largest industries for early colonist. Somehow (maybe under the influence of rum) the beans got mixed with the molasses and the Boston Baked Bean was born. This they say is how Boston got its “Beantown” nickname.

Boston is one of the oldest cities in America and its port played a vital role in the American Revolution. But this intriguing city is also home to many American firsts, below is a quick list.

In 1634 the Boston Common is established, this is our countries first public park.

In 1716 the first American lighthouse was built in the Boston Harbor.

In 1806 the African Meeting House opens. It is the country’s first church to be built by free slaves.

In 1896 Revere Beach was declared a public beach, making it our nation’s first public beach.

In 1897 America's first subway is built in Boston.

So the next time you are traveling through New England, make sure to visit the wonderful city of Boston. Find a nice quaint café, put in an order and let your fork slice its way through the thick custard filling, topped with a wonderful chocolate frosting and enjoy your big slice of Boston Cream Pie!

Happy Puzzling!

Grandma's Kitchen Jigsaw Puzzle

Hi Puzzlers,

Grandma's Kitchen Item #528

This week we are continuing with our nostalgia theme and looking at our Grandma’s Kitchen jigsaw puzzle. I think the photographer that took this picture must have broken into my family’s antique keepsakes collection and used them to design this picture.

Do you see the genuine feather dusters by the phone? They look just like my great grandmothers. She would wander around her house with one tucked into the string of her apron and could pull it out with the grace and elegance of a ninja warrior ready to attack any dust or cobweb that dare enter.

Next, did you notice the tin washtub and scrub-board under the phone? My Mémère would use this to clean my Pépère’s (Grandfather) dirty work clothes because she didn’t want to get the washing machine too dirty! She would sit on a stool next to the tub and scrub the garden dirt off in a rhythmic rocking motion, strangely it looked almost relaxing. When she finished she would hang the clothes on a square rotating clothes line and I would hand her the wooden clothes pins. Then as a reward for helping, she’d let me pick out a stick of rhubarb from the garden to snack on. Of course I would always pick the biggest one and when we got in the house she would give me a little cup of sugar for the dipping. I just couldn’t get enough of that sugary-tart stuff. Yummy!

Once the clothes were dry, which usually only took a few hours in the summer, we would remove them from the line and take them in to be ironed. (This must be were my family got its insatiable need to iron everything!) The ironing board was made of wood and extremely sturdy; nothing like the tin and metal ones of today. The board opened easily and quickly with no tugging, pulling or screaming required! This may sound dramatic but if you have ever used the ironing boards found in most hotels you know what I’m talking about. As my Mémère plugged in the iron she would tell me stories of how “back in her day” they used cast iron versions, and explained how much easier it was to iron with electric ones.

People around the globe have been ironing since antiquity using various methods, but it the Chinese who were first to use hot metal to iron. Typically a pan would be filled with hot stones or coals and pressed against the flattened material.

In Europe prior to metal irons, people used warmed stones, wood and glass to smooth cloth. Ironing in Korea and Japan during the 12th Century was done with pairs of ironing sticks which would be used for beating clothes smooth. The Japanese typically used only one stick and a stand called a kinuta to beat the clothes. Western travelers and missionaries described the sound made by the beating ironing sticks as musical, each having their own distinct sound and percussion.

A New York inventor named Henry W. Seeley is credited with inventing the first electric iron in 1882. This handy gadget weighed 15 pounds and took a half hour to heat up. It could do the work of three irons and didn’t carry ash and soot! By 1930 the electric iron had become a Grandma favorite found in almost every kitchen, second only to the radio.

Happy Puzzling!

The Olde General Store

Hi Puzzlers,



The Olde General Store Item #229



Do you have an Old General Store in your town? We have one here in Jackson called Flossie’s and another one a few towns over in North Conway called Zeb's. I can spend hours in these quaint stores just browsing. Both these stores capture your imagination and take you back in time to an era when there was only one place to shop for all your needs! Our General Store puzzle does this as well.

Our wonderful puzzle beautifully depicts the scene of a youngster perched on a crate enjoying a sweet treat as she waits for her Mother to select fabric. Her brother, full of Christmas dreams, gazes wishfully at the sled displayed overhead. But the pièce de résistance for me is the potbelly stove!

Potbelly stoves were a commonly used to heat churches, town halls, general stores, schoolhouses, railroad stations, saloons and just about any business in the 1800s. Towns’ people would gather around the stove to warm themselves and talk about the weather, debate politics, and to gossip. Just imagine what stories these rotund stoves could tell! Many historical paintings and advertisers also feature the potbellied stove. It is as American as you can get.

The potbelly stoves of the 1800s were made from solid cast iron and capable of burning both wood and coal. Stoves of this era were available in three sizes. The small stoves would burn six to eight hours, making them great for smaller rooms and offices. Medium stoves could provide warmth for as long as 8 to 12hours and could easily heat the average general store. The large stoves burned for 14 hours and would be typically found in a dance hall. The portly ring around the middle of a potbelly stove gave it a distinctive look and it also prevented people from knocking into the stove and burning themselves.

Some potbelly stoves featured cook-tops. With a cook-top one could make soups and stews, scramble eggs and warm coffee. This model was a popular choice for the one-room schoolhouse because teachers of this time were often responsible for making lunch for all of the students.

And the final thing I’d like to tell you about the potbelly stove is how it got its name. Originally the stoves were called Cannon Stoves but because the shape of the stove resembled the stomach of middle aged man, the stoves quickly became known as potbelly stoves. So the next time you wander into one of those old General Stores buy a hot cup of coffee and take a little time to browse and take your imagination back to a simpler time and place.

Happy Puzzling!