Given that hockey is Canada's national pastime, it was only a matter of time before I designed a hockey-themed puzzle. The merging of two of Canada's favourite pastimes can only mean great things, right?! With the design finalized and the puzzle available for order, I can now say StumpCraft is has achieved Another Goal for 2019.
Another Goal is a beautiful piece of naive expressionist art by Ottawa artist Katerina Mertikas. As of this writing, the original artwork is still available for purchase at Artworld Fine Art in Toronto. The artwork depicts a kids game of pickup hockey on an outdoor small town ice rink. Growing up in various small towns in Prescott-Russell county in Ontario, the scene truly reminds me of the countless small towns we would drive though as a family in Ontario and Quebec. Part of the charm of the art for me is how much it reminds me of childhood and home.
My goal in designing this puzzle was to incorporate as many winter elements, sports, and activities as possible. Hockey whimsies figure prominently within the puzzle but mostly as multi-piece whimsies. As a result, the whimsies take on a very stealthy nature, hiding themselves until the very last moment and increasing the puzzle challenge. Also woven in are a number of hockey-themed interlocks to add to the puzzle solving experience and enjoyment.
As I did with Noah's Ark, I'm providing a list of whimsies for those of you would want a list to cross-off / check. Don't peak if you'd rather go at the puzzle blind.
List of whimsies:
- Multi-piece whimsies
- 4x hockey trophies
- 3x goalies saving the game
- 3x other hockey players
- 3x winter birds
- ice zamboni & driver
- boy learning to skate
- figure skating pair
- girl & boy sledding
- GT Racer
- snow angel
- snowman
- snowflake
- Single piece
- 7x snowflakes (including some 2nd and 3rd order Koch snowflakes for all you mathematicians!)
- 2x skates
- 2x goalie sticks
- female figure skater
- dog
- snowman skating
- snow shovel
- '88 Olympic torch
- StumpCraft beaver & maple leaf
- Interlocks
- maple leaf
- goal light
- many locks inspired by your favourite hockey teams
