29 minute read
Artist - Shelley Davies
Shelley Davies
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Shelley Davies
PuzzleHobby.com has reviewed several Cobble Hill Puzzles including images by Shelley Davies. The image to the left is the 2000 piece Rainbow, which is part of her collection.
We are pleased to have a feature article with Shelley via email interview. The following shares an inside look at her unique style for creating illustrations and collages.
Shelley Davies
Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Toronto and Vancouver, and I now live in Victoria, on beautiful Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada.
Q. Did you travel a lot, and which images were created as a result of your travels?
I do travel as often as possible, and I love to create collages wherever I am, as they’re so portable, and it doesn’t take a studio to make them. I made a large number of small collages when I spent five months in Spain, just before the pandemic hit. My puzzle collages aren’t ones that travel well, as they are elaborate, detailed, space and time-consuming things to make (and most decidedly NOT portable!).
Q. How did you become interested in art licensing to jigsaw puzzles in the first place?
I’d been creating illustrations and collages for a number of years before I thought of creating images for the puzzle industry. I’ve always loved making intricate, colourful images, and they seemed to lend themselves well to puzzles, so it was a good fit for the companies I work with today and my own aesthetic sensibility.
Shelley Davies
Q. We see a lot of your images produced by Cobble Hill Puzzle Company. Are your images sold by other puzzle companies as well?
Yes, I’ve happily created a number of them for Ravensburger in the US, Schmidt Spiele in Germany, and coming this spring, Wentworth Puzzles in the UK will be producing some of my images on their utterly gorgeous wooden puzzles.
Q. Do you know how many puzzle images you have licensed with Cobble Hill Puzzle Company?
At last count, I think Cobble Hill has around 21 of my puzzles in their catalogue. And there are two collections there which are interconnecting puzzle series (the ‘Rainbow Collection’ has seven individual colour-themed puzzles which join together, and the ‘Four Elements’ with four images that connect to each other).
Shelley Davies
Q. What kind of education do you have that gives you the abilities to be so creative in your artwork?
After a few too many art schools, I had a very diverse career before I started creating puzzles, all in the arts in one way or another. I worked in the animation industry for ten years, making commercials and feature films, then became a scenic artist for film and theatre, and then moved on to illustration, making images for magazines and newspapers.
Q. Who were/are your biggest influences and inspirations in the art licensing world?
I’ve always loved and admired beautifully made products, whether it’s a nicely designed matchbook, stationery, a book/magazine cover, home furnishings, textiles, you name it. Anything created with care and a wellbalanced aesthetic is something that makes the world a more harmonious, beautiful place to live in, no matter how small the thing is. I’ve always believed that even tiny, seemingly insignificant things add up to make the world a more vibrant, alive place to be, and we can and should design it with care and attention.
Q. How does photography enter into your work?
For the puzzle images, a professional photographer comes to my studio and brings their fabulous camera to create the ultra-high resolution image required for the printing purposes of a puzzle.
Shelley Davies
Q. Where do you get all the objects you use in your designs? Better yet, where do you store them?
I’m a huge fan of thrift and antique shops, so lots of things come from there. I also create a huge number of things within my images, from tiny 3D sculptures (animals and props), as well as 2D paper creations using cut paper, to the tiny, colourful plinths/shapes I make to place the objects on or around. There is layer upon layer of coloured paper in most of my collages, and all of these collages are quite 3 dimensional before they get turned into a 2D image for a puzzle.
When my temporary puzzle collages are dismantled (after they’ve been photographed), I store everything in small, well-labelled boxes for future reference. Most of these things are so small, that when stored together, don’t really take up huge amounts of room.
Q. What products other than jigsaw puzzles have you licensed your artwork to?
I have created textiles for Kaufman Fabrics and Northcott Fabrics (they’ve transformed my ‘Rainbow Collection’ of puzzles into a line of beautiful, colourful textiles, with my ‘Sewing Notions’ puzzle images showing up next month with its own line of textiles, too!). I’ve also created a series of notebooks featuring my paper dog illustrations, and next year, a line of calendars, too.
Q. Do you know how many puzzle images you have licensed over the years?
It’s coming up to around 30 images, I believe.
Q. Out of all your licensed images, do you know which image has sold the most puzzles? ‘My single Rainbow is a huge best-seller, being so bright, cheery and colourful. And then, my ‘Catsvillle’ , then ‘Dogtown’ (two absolutely delightful puzzles for me to create!), come in second and third. The ‘Vintage Art Supplies’ puzzle is a perennial favourite, with all its colourful, gorgeous bits and bobs, perhaps sending creative inspiration out into the world! And my ‘Blue’ puzzle, from the ‘Rainbow Collection’ seems to be a big hit, too (what’s not to love about the colour blue?). And surprisingly, my ‘Black and White Animals’ puzzle, the most difficult of all of them, is an extremely popular one as well, so there are puzzlers out there who really love a good puzzle challenge!
Q. What is the average length of time it takes for you to create one image?
As all my puzzle collages are completely handmade (none are created digitally), there’s a ton of work that goes into a puzzle even before I get started building it. Usually lots of research beforehand, and the fun bit, shopping for all the stuff that may or may not be used in the final art, and then the very slow and methodical business of constructing it all, one teeny, tiny thing at a time (and all on hands and knees), with everything delicately balanced and composed, layer upon paper layer, building up so as to make as pleasing a composition as possible. So, give or take at least two months, occasionally less, sometimes much more, depending on the complexity of the image or the requirements for the client.
Q. Were you from an artistic family background? My mother was an unrealized but natural talent (she was busy raising us!), so perhaps it’s in my DNA…
Q. Have you always identified yourself as an artist?
Yep. From the word go, I knew I was an artist. Always that kid busy making stuff in the background. It just took me some time to work out which avenue to take, and of course everything I’ve done so far has fed into what I create today, and will create in the future. It all adds up to an aesthetic wealth of a life lived, innumerable things looked at, made, and um, oh yes, some hard work thrown in for good measure to get stuff actually done!
Q. This is a big ask....do you have ONE favorite?
Ah, which child do I Iove the most? Tricky question. I’ve really enjoyed making all of them, in so many ways, each with their own challenges to construct. The dog and cat puzzles were a blast to do, as I got to make tiny sculptures of both dogs and cats. The plastic animals I bought just didn’t have any life to them, so I made my own, and it was so much fun! I loved creating the ABC puzzle, too, as I really love typography, and I got to incorporate a zillion different styles within it. My most recent puzzles for Ravensburger have been a huge joy to make, as I got to work with them in conjunction with the Eames Office, which brings the incredible design legacy of Ray and Charles Eames, two of the most iconic and influential designers of the 20th ...
century, into the realm of this century for a whole new audience. I created two very different puzzles for them using the Eames’ 1952 deck of cards called their ‘House of Cards’, a toy which they designed to spark creativity and imagination. Right up my alley! Q. If a person was interested in doing the same work you do, what is the best advice you can give them? Think about which puzzling experience you’ve enjoyed the most, and then let your imagination take over. How could you make something different and unique? Making the same images as what’s already on the market isn’t what’s going to set you apart from the crowd. Make what you would like to see, and then set about creating it. Get a portfolio of original, good quality images together and then approach some companies.
Q. I would also like to see/know how your 'work in progress' happens - is there images/stages that you can share?
It’s a very, very slow process, and painstaking in the extreme. My puzzle images are all about detail and the treasure hunt aspect of puzzling, so the more that’s in my collage, the more fun the experience of piecing it will be.
There is a short film about my process here…https://vimeo.com/293631120. When a filmmaker acquaintance saw how I constructed these completely handmade collages, he said he had to make a film about my process, otherwise no one would know just how much work goes into constructing them.
Q. Do you have a specific art studio or work from your home?
I work from a home studio, and once I get started on a project, it sort of takes over most waking hours, so it’s great to crack on with it, day or night. I have a largish room (10’x20’), which I use for much more creative play than just my puzzle collages. There’s a LOT going on in that room!
Q. Can you share something personal about yourself to us that is not on your website - like, perhaps, you do jigsaw puzzles? Or besides your artwork, do you have another hobby? Or maybe you know a famous person personally?
Whenever I put one of my puzzles together, I always learn something, so that’s fun. It might be about the image, how easy or challenging an image is to piece, or it might
be about the manufacturing of the puzzle. And of course, I’m always surprised at how addictive, and how dry satisfying it is to do a puzzle! As I’ve created so many, and they’re all so detailed, there’s always a surprise to find that I’ve forgotten about within them!
A huge, additional bonus for me, after making all these puzzles and sending them out into the universe, is having such a joyful and overwhelmingly positive response to them. Long before the pandemic, and certainly during it, I’ve had the absolute pleasure to hear from people around the world telling me how my puzzles have given them some respite, relaxation, distraction or a quiet connection with family. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes me feel! Most artists never get that sort of connection with their audience, and I feel so very privileged to be able to touch so many lives, even in a small way. It’s been the cherry on the cake for me, and I send out my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been in touch.
Shelley Davies
As for famous people, I rubbed shoulders with quite a bunch of them when I was in the film business, working as a scenic artist (i.e. : painting the scenery), but I was always the one in the paint splattered overalls, and they were the STARS. I was lucky enough to have worked for many months with Jim Henson and his magnificent Muppets (and their weekly parade of very famous guest stars), which was truly thrilling. I was so in awe of the incredible talent of all those Muppeteers, wishing I could have as much fun as it looked like they were having. Their puppet workshop is one thing I will never forget, with its aura of intense, super fun creativity.
Aside from making puzzles, I do lots of other creative things, too. I love photography (*), painting, sculpture, and writing, so there’s always something percolating in my studio. I’m working on a children’s book at the moment, a long held dream of mine which I want to turn into reality.
Furthermore, I think the key to a happy life is to cultivate the practice of being curious; that leads to openness and new, creative ways of thinking, seeing, and living in every way.
Shelley Davies
This is one of four collages I made for Schmidt Spiele Puzzles in 2020 (the others are vintage art supplies, vintage games, and sewing notions/haberdashery). I used my rather large collection of old toys to create a fun, colourful collage that I hope will entertain both the very young and the young at heart. Along with Benjamin the Elephant, a very popular toy that Schmidt has manufactured for a long time (and is on their logo), I wanted to use toys that were from another era, but still relatable to the children of today. I wanted to create an image that evoked playfulness, with not only the toys but the composition, the vibrant colours and the variety of shapes, too. Using old and slightly battered toys also brings an authenticity
Shelley Davies
to the collage, as these objects were played with and loved once upon a time, and have now been reinvigorated into a new setting for a whole new set of people to enjoy and admire them.. The entire collage was (as are all my collage images for puzzles) hand-built, using objects, paper, cardboard, glue, clay and pins, all carefully propped and positioned for maximum graphic impact. The only digital magic I use is in post-production of the final image, for fixing dust specks, or slight shadow/ contrast adjustments, but that’s all. Most digital art I find very boring to look at, as there seems to be no hand of the artist present, so my art making techniques are very basic from a technological perspective, but also very complex, from my very handson, make-it-from-scratch ethos. They’re all labour of love, from me to you!
Shelley Davies
Cobble Hill Jigsaw Puzzle Collection
Black
Shelley Davies
Here are a couple of images from Northcott Fabrics, showing how they’ve created two lines of textiles from my images. Aren’t they lovely?!
For the ‘I’ve Got A Notion’ Collection, I created six different fabric designs, all based on my sewing notions collage, with an additional 11 complimentary colourways to go with them. I can’t wait to see what’s created with them! And both collections are available in stores now.
For the ‘Color Collage’ collection of textiles, they have transformed my seven Rainbow Collage images into seven individual textiles, with 21 accompanying solid colours to use with them, and free downloadable quilt patterns.
Shelley Davies
My design for a Robert Kaufman fabric, from a puzzle image (a folk art-centric puzzle which Cobble Hill calls ‘Dollies)
Shelley Davies
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
It gives me great pleasure to reveal what I’ve been working on for the past year. In conjunction with Ravensburger Puzzles and the Eames Office, I’ve made two very colourful 1500 piece jigsaw puzzles for them, using the wonderful deck of cards designed in the 1950’s by Charles & Ray Eames, two of the most influential and iconic designers of the 20th century. These cards were created to be fun things to play with, to spark ideas and creativity for all ages. They certainly did with me, and I had a ball making both collages! One of them, my ‘House of Cards Fantasy’ was featured in a window display in Tokyo at @isetan_the_space department store, where it was proudly displayed for the exhibition, ‘The Eames Office: 80 Years of Design’ , celebrating the work of Ray and Charles Eames along with the Eames Office, who have continued building upon the Eames’ incredible legacy, bringing it into the 21st century with yet more creative ideas and products.
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Above and top two at the right are photos from our second puzzle exchange. The bottom two images are our first puzzle exchange.
Peace and Love
Reviewed by Judithlynn
Anie Maltais, JaCaRou Puzzles 1000 pieces 70 x 50 cm 27 x 20 IN
As you can see the pieces come in a zip lock bag which I Love!! I couldn't resist 'spilling' the gorgeous pieces out on to my puzzle board
Peace and Love
The border went together easily enough but I was so excited to work this puzzle that I didn't find all the edge pieces during my first round of sorting. I was having so much fun getting 'the hippie' pieces together that I almost forgot to take a border photo.
Once the 'hippie guy' was finished, I just had to work on the 'hippie girl' , the peace sign and the grey road.
From there I continued to add pieces as I found them. I never really sorted any thing because the fun of looking at individual pieces helped me to find where they went.
Anie definitely pays 'Attention to detail' as seen in the closeup images. And the colors are so Vibrant!!!
Peace and Love
I have to say that when this puzzle arrived at my house I was sooo excited to get started on it.
I want to THANK YOU Anie Maltais for sending me this puzzle.
I had such a blast putting it together and yes I was sad when I added the last piece but when I seen the end result I was ESTATIC!!!!
Puzzle Pals Choice Awards
Puzzle Hobby Magazine proudly supports the Annual Puzzle Pals Choice Awards. The Winners receive a digital image for display on their social media and a Certificate.
The program is gaining visibility as well as giving Voters an awareness of the different Categories associated with this hobby. It also gives the Nominees another opportunity for social media exposure along with bragging rights if awarded.
The following in information in more details for the upcoming year 2022. The Q&A's will provide clarification for the event.
Following that, we have had the opportunity to get brief email interviews with the Founders of the Puzzle Pals Choice Award.
For more information Contact Diane @bizzlespuzzles Sarah @sarahdoespuzzles
Puzzle Hobby Magazine will continue to provide updates.
Q. How did you join forces and start that program?
A: Sarah: Bizzle and I have been friends since my first day on puzzlegram. One day I had this crazy idea to do a People's Choice Awards but for puzzles, so I called up Diane and pitched her the idea and the rest is history!
Q. Can you explain in detail how the Award Program works or the rules/regulations for example? And how does the voting process work?
A. Sarah: This year we decided to change things up a little bit and have companies be able to nominate themselves as well as puzzlers nominating their favorites. We reached out to 100+ brands with the nomination form and received hundreds of responses. We then compiled those into a first round of voting. After the first round we took the top 5-6 vote getters and put them in the final round.
Diane: We spread the word to the puzzling community organically by posting in different Facebook groups, on Instagram, and on Reddit. Historically, we have not required any form of registration to vote. We have used Google forms. For the 2022 awards, that is one of the biggest changes we are making. In order to vote, there will be registration required. This will prevent multiple votes by the same person. We typically have each round of voting open for a week. That gives more people the opportunity to vote.
Sarah: It's 100% Puzzle Pal voting and nomination. Diane and I don't make any nominations or even vote. We just compile the data and host the show!
Q. You have done the Awards Program 2 years in a row now and it sounds like you want to continue for a third year. Where do you see the program in 5 years and what might that future goal look like?
A: Next year, we are hoping to be in the same location for the award show.
We're looking into how we can broadcast across multiple channels as well. We've been doing the live show on Instagram only and we know that is a limitation. We also want to give the winners a trophy in addition to the badges and certificates.
Q. I know the website domain name and page has been set up. What can we expect to see on the website?
A: We're hoping to keep puzzlers up to date on new releases, brands, and innovations throughout the year to make the nomination process easier for them when it comes time. Having all that information in one place will be super helpful! We've also talked about doing interviews with artists, brands, and puzzlers as well. We are totally open to any ideas and would love to know what readers would like to see!
Q. In terms of marketing the Awards Program, can you share some plans you have in mind?
A: With the creation of the Puzzle Pals Instagram and Facebook accounts, that will help us get more visibility across social media. We've had the show connected to our Instagram profiles for the past 2 years. By separating it, that will allow us to build an audience that is interested in the Awards program. Our website will also help with our marketing efforts. We have not decided what, if anything, we will do in terms of paid advertisements.
Q. Lastly, will there be defined dates each year so Readers/Puzzlers can plan accordingly.
A: You can always plan for the nomination with the form that starts circulating on January 2. The voting is done in rounds starting in late January through February. The awards show typically takes place in mid to late February.
Q. For our Readers, can you tell us where you live? I live in North East Arkansas.
Q. Would you like to share some background details
about yourself? I am the Art and Marketing Director for an online tutoring company. I've been married for just over 2 years and have a 12-year-old stepdaughter who is not particularly into puzzles, but will do the "ones with the cool pieces" (wooden) every so often. I have 3 dogs; Zita, Beau, and Ari. My corgi, Beau, is a known puzzle piece eater. I have to be quick if I happen to drop a piece on the floor. I am honored to get to share my puzzle love as a brand ambassador for Wentworth, Art & Fable, Genuine Fred, Puzzle Warehouse, and The Puzzle Lab. I also consult regularly with several other brands offering feedback on images, quality, and marketing.
Q. How long have you been doing jigsaw puzzles? I don't remember not puzzling. I've gone in phases where I did not puzzle for months or even years (when I was in high school and college). But it has always been an activity I turned to when life got overwhelming. The earliest puzzles I remember doing were Sesame Street tray puzzles. We had a couple of Playskool ones that were wood and some cardboard ones from Golden. I also collected puzzles with Christian Riese Lassen's art, especially the circular ones. In March 2017, I decided to share my puzzles on Instagram. That evolved into changing my username (from diane1002 to bizzlespuzzles). Then I took my first trip to Puzzle Warehouse in July 2017. That was definitely when the hobby started to turn more into a passion. I was chatting with my friend David one summer night in 2018 and he suggested I record a time-lapse of putting a puzzle together. Since then, I have recorded a time-lapse of nearly every puzzle I have put together. I love going back and seeing the different approaches I take.
Q. On average, how many puzzles do you do per
week? I average about 2 puzzles per week.
Q. How long does it take you to do a 1000 piece
puzzle? I don't time myself so I honestly don't know. I take my time and enjoy all the details. If I had to guess, I'd say on average 8 hours.
Q. You do a variety of puzzles so, do you have
any specific preference? For me, it is all about art. I love all styles of art – abstract, contemporary, and surreal are my current favorites. One of the things I love most about puzzles is being able to see those minute details that I otherwise may have missed when looking at an image as a whole. When assembling a puzzle, you really get to learn about the art in an intimate way. I do all sizes, styles, materials. I love innovation. When there is something new to the puzzle world, I have to try it.
Q. How long does it take you to get as many
followers as you have? I've had my puzzle account since March 2017. When puzzles became popular during the pandemic lockdowns, there was an increase in puzzle people. It has been really fun seeing everything evolve on Instagram.
Q. What is the one most memorable puzzle or puzzle situation you experienced that is most outstanding to you? Is there something that either 'super surprised' you or you were blown
away that you accomplished? This is the hardest question for me. Do I go with finding my dream puzzle - the 32,000 piece Keith Haring Double Retrospect from Ravensburger? Or the custom puzzles I've received from my sister and my friend Ron? Or maybe the black and white line drawing puzzle from Odd Goods? Finishing that one was a feat! Then there's the first wood puzzle I did, which was such a unique experience - a Liberty puzzle with art by Alex Beard. I have so many memories associated with puzzles that it is impossible for me to pick just one.
P u z z l e s D o e s S a r a h
Q. Would you like to share some background details about yourself? Outside of puzzling, I enjoy hanging out with my pup Cannoli, reading/listening to (audio)books, attempting to cook, and working on my 110 year old house. But let’ s be honest, most of my time goes to puzzling and puppy snuggles!
Q. How long have you been doing jigsaw puzzles? I' ve been doing jigsaw puzzles ever since I was a little kid. I used to get up early on Saturday morning to work on 100 piece puzzles before my parents woke up.
Q. On average, how many puzzles do you do per week? Lately, I' ve been so busy it's only been 1 or 2, but during the beginning of the pandemic I was doing 1-2 daily with my mom! Sometimes if I have an open Saturday morning I try to do a few 300-500 piece puzzles.
Q. How long does it take you to do a 1000 piece puzzle? If I'm competing, usually around 2-4 hours. If I'm taking my time I can usually get it done in 1-3 evenings.
Q. You do a variety of puzzles so, do you have any specific preference? I really just like fun images! There are so many great brands out there. As long as the pieces stay together and have great art, I'm doing it!
Q. It appears on your Instagram account that you have done 'very many' puzzles - do you know how many puzzles you have done? Do you keep track?
I do keep track! I have a pretty detailed spreadsheet that I fill out each time I complete a puzzle. It then calculates how many puzzles I did each month, how many new brands I tried, piece counts and other statistics. In 2021 I completed 210 puzzles.
Q. How long does it take you to get as many followers as you have?
I've had my instagram for a little over 2 years, so about that long!
One of my favorite puzzle moments are putting together wooden puzzles that have what I like to call whimwhams. These are pieces that come together to form a whimsy piece. I'm always in awe of the creators that make the cuts on those puzzles. Stumpcraft and Davici are two brands that frequently do this.
Something I'm really proud of is my competition ranking. I have competed in speed jigsaw puzzle contests for over 10 years with a team of 4, but this past year was the first time I had ever competed on my own. After numerous competitions I'm ranked #4 in the nation by the USA Jigsaw Puzzle Association and #1 in the nation by Speedpuzzling.com
