by Annette Palmer
(this article was originally featured in 365 Things To Do In Houston)

Whether it’s the robust brushstroke of oil on canvas or the gleaming glaze of a ceramic masterpiece, these artistic nuances captivate and mesmerize us, drawing us in to the essence of why we love art. It comes in countless forms, from the ancient, organic, and traditional, to the ever increasing experimental and intangible sorts that we are experiencing today; everything is relevant, and everything is art.
Art is lifestyle… How, what, and where we eat, our clothing and appearance, home décor, entertainment… It’s infinite, indulgent, and immersive, and what a privilege we allow ourselves to live in this manner!

Understanding the Artform & How Art Can Form Our Lives
The term “artform” is an interesting one. When it comes to the visual arts, “art” begins every time in a completely different form and the artist is the magician who transforms it into another. Tubes of paint and rolls of cloth become paintings. Clay, stone, wood, and metal transform into sculptural treasures. The charred wood of charcoal and pencil become drawings on paper. Discarded items become “found objects” and the artist repurposes and breathes new life into what would otherwise become landfill. Archway Gallery is home to 34 artists, each one working and creating with different forms of two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) art. Below you’ll find examples of how a few of Archway Gallery’s artists express themselves through various artforms.

Sculpture: Building Art from Mass in 3-D
Three-dimensional metal artists Jim Adams and Joe Haden create sculptures which respect our industrial heritage. While both artists give the metal a new purpose and life to be enjoyed in a new form, each artist approaches the upcycled artform from a different perspective. Adams uses the existing formations of heavy metal outmoded objects to create sculpture by configuring, coupling, and fusing found pieces. He reintroduces us to their shapes and forms, while making us view them as art instead of functional components of heavy industry. ​

Visual Art‘s Ever Evolving Landscape
The art world is ever changing and so are our tastes, as well as our choices in art and its many forms. Regular visits to galleries keep us inspired, questioning, and informed of what’s new. It’s exciting and it’s the future… Enjoy!

by John Slaby
(this article was originally featured in 365 Things To Do In Houston)

Many people find going to art galleries intimidating. There is a general feeling that one must be well-educated in art and have the ‘right’ opinions or be snubbed. This is understandable. But in truth, most galleries are welcoming spaces. They are not dissimilar to restaurants: you can find places where you may be berated for not using the right fork, but most are casual and inviting. I know this. I have been a member of the local art community and a collector for many years. When I first started out, I was intimidated and hesitant. But as I got to know the people of the community I began to feel more at ease.


​Getting to Know the Artists Down the Street
​If you are willing to venture out, you will find there’s art of great beauty and high craftsmanship created by your neighbors and available at local galleries, studios, and art fairs. These talented local artists are as diverse as our city. They range in all education levels. Some were educated at Houston’s fine art schools and may have advanced degrees. Some, like myself, are self-taught. All have been honing their skills through the years and following their own path of artistic development, growing, and influencing each other. Houston has a wide range of all art types, providing something for everyone. If you have not immersed yourself in this community, you’re missing out on some very fine art. Meeting these artists is a positive experience. Being fellow Houstonians, they are friendly and more than willing to share their motivations, techniques, and the history of their work. This really enhances the art experience—understanding the artists and their work makes the art more valuable. It attaches a story and a memory to the work, as well as deepens the emotional attachment. ​

Local Art Brings Local Connection & Reflection
​Supporting local artists supports local businesses: you are helping our community. But local art transcends this purely transactional effect. Art is a deep reflection of who we are as a people and culture. These artists live and work in our community and are deeply influenced by it. The Houston experience shows up in the work itself: the good—like our modern architecture and beautiful parks—and the not so good—like our turbulent weather and traffic. Only a local artist can understand our home because it is their home, too. Only a local artist can truly speak for us. 

Local Art Creates a Legacy
I have worked on my own art collection over the years, gathering works of my artist friends and colleagues. These pieces grace my home. I don’t expect them to increase in value; that’s not why I bought them. Instead, each time I look upon my collection I feel a surge of joy and satisfaction from having these beautiful works in my home, from my recollections of the artist, from my connection to the subject matter, and from knowing I have supported a core element of our city. That’s the best return on investment I could ask for.

But one of the most significant aspects of supporting local art is that this will become our legacy. The work that is produced here and makes its way into private and public collections will live on long after we and these artists have passed. This is how we will be remembered, just as we, looking at work produced centuries ago, can see into the lives of those distant generations. These simple actions, made by individuals, resulted in an enormous artistic gift to the future for all to enjoy. Now we have such an opportunity. The art is out there waiting for you. ​

​There were nine of us staying for September; I was the only man. The average age was about 22, with the group consisting mostly of young women who had just finished their education or were preparing to continue onto higher education. They were from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden; it was a good international group. 
 
Since we had been told to bring our own supplies because the local grocery store had a “limited supply,” I had an extra suitcase filled with yarns. As it turned out, the store had enough wool yarn to fill a whole wall in the place. Iceland is a knitting culture. I went home with a lot more yarn than I’d brought. I also had brought a small loom to do samples on and I started with that, then moved on to a larger one. My weaving samples consisted of several smaller pieces and one large tapestry. It takes a long time to do a tapestry of any size, so I was spending more time on the loom, and there were a few late nights. In addition to my own weaving, I also ended up doing a little teaching.
 
It was nice in the morning to look out at the river and mountain in the distance, drink coffee and eat, then start weaving. I’d usually go for a walk in the afternoon, or go the town’s swimming complex, which had a heated pool and hot tubs of varying temperatures.  
 
All in all, it was a wonderful experience, one that I’d like to do again; maybe somewhere else, or maybe just back to Iceland… sitting at the large upright loom, looking at the river and mountains. I came to the realization that what I had gotten myself into was something nice."

Robert L. Straight, a 3-D artist who combines materials such as wood, clay, wire, fused glass, and various other items, shares his thoughts on the long process of presenting a One Person Show. In addition to creating artwork for a show, the artist must also allow time to design materials for the marketing and public relations efforts needed to assist with making the show a success.

“Artists usually start planning and working on a show two or three years before the scheduled date of the exhibition. The first thing I do is decide on a theme, decide what kind of materials will be used, and how much time will it take to create specific ideas. If the creation of an idea takes a long time, what will the price be?

Pricing is always a problem. As an artist, you want to use the best materials possible. This is great in theory but when an artist buys first class materials, the expense of those materials must be passed on to the buyer; otherwise, the artist is losing money. As it is, artists often spend $1000+ on materials and marketing before the show even opens! So, while wanting to keep pricing in an affordable range, artists must also recover their expenses.

When creating work for a show, my goal is to complete 30 to 35 works of art. I feel that my clients like to see lots of new and different artwork, so I have fun making as many pieces as possible and hope that someone likes it as much as I do. My aim is to have someone look at my artwork every morning and know that it brings a little joy to that person’s daily routine. To an artist, this is the joy of making art!

I strongly feel that collecting artwork is a personal thing. When someone looks at their own art collection, it should be a joyous and happy experience. And this artist will love you for it.”

by Joe Haden

Why my decision to be a sculptor is simple, I see things in 3D in my mind. As I design and fabricate, I don’t use many drawings much at all. 

​My proudest moments, in creating, are when a simple idea in my head blossoms into a fabulous detailed piece of art, and then again when I see my art in its new environment of an art collectors’ home.

The ability to express my delight in jurying an art exhibition during this extraordinary historical period is hard to put into words. Art is such an elemental part of the fabric of humankind that to have it disrupted in the lineal norm makes the opportunity to see work produced during this period curious and enlightening.
As I worked my way through the images, I was confronted with the same difficulty all jurors find themselves confronted with. How to select the work when your numbers are fixed. This year the work felt deep and personal. I felt the work reflected the depth of the artist’s perception of their lives during this isolated time. This said, I have always felt that all art is exceptional, some is just better than others. Of course, that’s because I like it.
So, if your piece wasn’t selected it doesn’t mean it wasn’t as significant as those selected, it just means I was limited and chose those that appealed to my aesthetics. Nothing more nothing less.
Thank you all for participating in the Archway juried exhibition and keep adding the element of creative humanity that is art.
Best, Wayne Gilbert

By Joe Hale Haden

My Art Car addictions began in the late 80’s, when I heard about a parade of ART on cars then a friend invited me to the Art Car Ball. After that, I didn’t hesitate to join in on the fun. My first Art Car Parade was a blast, and they even gave me a trophy for my efforts; I was hooked! For many years I entered the parade as a skater, then helped on group projects with other skaters, which lead to doing several cars together with the skaters, and eventually leading to doing my own Art Cars. There’s nothing like chopping up a car or cutting holes in it, and some years I helped with 6-7 Art Car projects. Working on an Art Car always lets my imagination run wild.

Driving an Art Car in the parade is like being shot out of a cannon for an hour and a half; what a great adrenaline rush! It also gave me a deadline for a huge project. Each year I had to do something new and completely different, so each year got harder and harder to be original, but my imagination has never let me down... even after 30 years. Driving an Art Car on a daily basis is a complete world of its own; everyone’s your friend. Panhandlers don’t ask me for money, instead, they want to talk to talk about the car. In an Art Car, I’ve never had concerns about being in neighborhoods where I might otherwise be worried. The best part is that you can instantly find your car in a big parking lot!

Through the years, winning not only 1st, but 1st & 2nd place Art Car in one year was one of my most amazing experiences! I have missed the parades scheduled for 2020 & 2021 but I’m hopeful for 2022, and I have a great idea and car waiting.

By Joe Hale Haden

The struggle between being an artist and an engineer is a dance of disciplines which I enjoy. Rules, rules, rules, and then... My art plays with breaking the rules; it can be a paradox and my sense of humor can usually be found in some manner when viewing the work. It takes knowing how to make a strong design then pushing it to defy the rules. My proudest moments in art would have to be when the ideas in my head play out and I can physically create or reproduce the idea successfully.

A few years ago, after injuring my leg and needing to learn to walk again, I had the time to hang out with my friend Mik Miano who taught me how to “cold bend” metal. This started a new journey for me and began my love for metal; it just felt right. I feel metal picked me, and it just took me a while to get on board.

Finding ideas for my artwork is simple: My imagination has full power of attorney when it comes to an endless supply of great and outlandish projects. I’m only limited by time and money usually, and that is why I love found objects. They are free and give me constant inspiration; by working with found objects, there aren’t many rules, so this allows me to break rules in a harmonious way. Some of my work has a lot of contradiction, but somehow it works out for a beautiful piece of art to emerge from that contradiction. I don’t have enough time on this planet to produce all of the ideas I have in my head, and I’m OK with that... It gives me the opportunity to keep coming back for more.

by Shirl Riccetti

Honest, I am NOT whining. But truthfully... I DO miss traveling.  It is not just being at a dramatic location; it is the planning to arrive there.

I enjoy doing much research by scouring magazines and books, buying paper maps (yes!), navigating internet search, and then more research. It is the Fun of Getting There.  Once at a destination, I feel comfortable having an outline noting events, foods, buildings, etc. that I may want to see.     

My spiral sketchbooks, always at the ready, not only hold Pen Drawings, but also my jottings of the sounds and the smells which surround me. Each person carries a personal history and a special story; these can be shown in a “walk” or a “casual pose.” Old buildings leave “marks"; also, perhaps in markings found in the stones. In a semicircular stone stairway in a castle in Scotland, I could envision the hardship of maids carrying trays of food to the many floors (with no railings).

I draw with a pen of permanent ink because I want the sketches to capture my first impressions in that drawing moment; there is No Eraser, No Do-Overs.  And yes, there are many wayward unintended lines... so be it. My sketchbook is made up of average quality paper; later, some of the drawings will be re-drawn larger, on good quality paper, to be framed.
 
Yes, I miss traveling; the people-watching, the strangers, and even crying with some families as their loved ones fly away. These are the visual stories that I may never fully know, but they do impress me and my imagination greatly.

Becky R. Soria

I come from an art-oriented family where classical music and art surrounded me. My father was an internist doctor who dabbled in painting but mainly collected it; he also was a collector of ancient South American art. My brother, Fernando Casas, showed his talent for the arts at an early age; he is now a full-time artist and philosopher. I was interested in drawing and painting from an early age; in my teens, I was also interested in choreography and ballet dancing. During this time, I felt a growing interest in the pre-Columbian artifacts and minerals from my father’s collection and in learning about ancient cultures of the world. I do remember painting a couple of those large stones with oils for a ballet choreographed performance; of course, those stone faces were never the same and I got into big trouble for painting them!

As I grew older, becoming more aware of the disparities and inequalities of females through history, I became sensitive to the plight of women. This sensitivity along with the combination of my interest in ancient Paleolithic cave paintings began an ART journey which would eventually help me evolve into who I am now as an artist.

Most of my work depicts female figures, although not exclusively. The work is of human figures transformed abstractly showing wonder and pain; nature is woven into the figures along with hints of myths and past primitive cultures.

These are works of intimate explorations, but they are also universal to all women.

In my paintings, I approach the human figure less from its familiar shapes, and much more from within, making visible its visceral emotional life. Using abstractions of language, color, and texture that allow me to capture the profound sentiments that humans have felt throughout the ages for the Earth as Goddess and Mother, I explore the historical evolution of woman. Within the quietude of my studio, and while the pandemic ravaged the world, I let my sensations, feelings, visions, and thoughts of what we were experiencing further my investigation of the human body and its inner reality 

This collection of images flows from the stark perceptions of the difficult times we are living in. They juxtapose the fragility and strength of the human spirit. These images are at once representations of personal and universal images engendered by my muse, the mysterious source of creation. The meditative journey that walked me through the real and illusory perceptions of the body and its ability to heal, brought to life this exhibition of twenty-five works.

Modern women declare their ability to rise above and create passion on their own behalf; they embody memories of their consciousness and union with the natural instinctual life.

​Art is mysterious it urges me to BE.
I nurture it – it nurtures me back.

by Silvia PintoSouza

I paint from the heart, and a gut feeling. I don’t follow scientific theories when it comes to color, composition, and shapes. I paint objects as my heart sees them and their potential to become works of art. My aim is to give ordinary elements of daily life a new identity. They can become “Stars,” no matter how humble their origins. I see Art all around me; anyone who has the eye of an artist, trained or not, would agree. The world is rich with Art, and our role as artists is to discover it.

I have been painting since early in life. My mother was an artist herself, and I used to draw next to her. She would just let me do what I pleased, and felt the results were not too disappointing; she thought that I had talent. Much later in art school, I learned the basics of many different techniques, especially in the artform of Printmaking, and after several years of experimentation, I decided that I needed something where development and results could be seen in a more immediate way. As a result, I have been painting for the last 30 years in acrylic. This medium gives me a wide range of possibilities by painting directly from the tube to diluting the paint in water to build up various values of color with multiple layers.

I believe my paintings are intimate, romantic, and direct. My message is the image itself, and what it can bring to your heart. I hope that when you look at my work, you are caught in that beauty and are living it because Art is comfort. It is where we take “Shelter.” It is the shoulder where we can rest our head.

​Sitting on my porch swing on a glorious Houston afternoon, just days after the horrid storm that took lives, burst pipes, destroyed homes, gardens, bats and birds.

I’m marveling at leaves still clinging to oaks, shriveled on palms and citrus. My papaya tree is done for, despite all the wrapping and pre-emptive care. The container plants, moved to shelter, are all outdoors again, reaching into the sun.

The backyard birds and squirrels have been out in force, though we haven’t yet seen the little cardinal couple. I hope they survived. Nature’s regenerative force can cruelly cull even the sweetest and most gentle of creatures.  If they emerge or return, we will rejoice and feed them well.

- Liz ConcesSpencer

Growing up in an artistic family, my grandfather dedicated his life to bringing back the art form of dough figurines and other intangible aspects of our cultural heritage. Thus, I was inspired to preserve and promote Asian culture and arts myself.

To me, making dough figurines has always been a relaxing moment where I can create something beautiful and representative of my culture. But leaving my family and immigrating to the U.S. has taught me something more important; we can never stay in a “moment.” Everything in life, whether it makes us desire or despair will happen, and it will become something that happened in the past. My art has become a way that I can connect to the past and to my roots. It condenses all the feelings and emotions that I want to preserve in the moment and share with the world.

When I read a book or hear a story, I see it through the form of dough figurines. I hope that the collectors of my art will carry home the same feeling that I have; the feeling of owning a sliver of time preserved in history.

​

Tracey Meyer
Making Art can be slow or quick. One series might not take long to figure out because the planning has all taken place cerebrally in the months before beginning. Other series are slow to come to fruition as the challenges have to be solved as one goes along. My series “What Shapes Us” was an intensive process, and slow to create, however the idea of it had been in my head for a long time. I had been cutting the apertures for months before I started doing the forming, which took a lot of perfecting to get ‘right’.

As a person, I really value the handmade and strive to uphold this ideal in my life whether it be in the kitchen or the studio. Therefore, all of the apertures in the works were hand cut by me. Yes, that means thousands of cuts and bends to the apertures in the work. To me it is very satisfying to feel the medium in my hands and observe its abilities and qualities as one works with it. One learns a lot about the material and oneself as works intuitively within and sometimes outside the constraints of the material.

Gallery artist Barbara Able invited her son Daniel, to share her September Show, REINVENTION.

Barbara: “We chose the name of the show because we felt like there was a paradigm shift in our lives, due to the pandemic and quarantine. We felt that we had to reinvent ourselves and we wanted this collection of artwork to show that."

Daniel: “I think the depictions in our show exemplify the changes that we’ve had to make. In some ways it is detrimental, and in some ways, reflective.”

Barbara: “After the lockdown started, I wanted to use my paintings to give me a sense of comfort. I wanted to recollect times in the past which were meaningful to me – things that gave joy in life.”

Daniel: “...I think that in the show, we exemplify how we reinvent ourselves; how we are resilient and are able to express ourselves creatively. For example, one of my pieces in the show is of an event I had participated in and where I had taken a photo right before the quarantine started; I think it is kind of an homage, and reminiscent of what I previously appreciated. What is reflected is a trip where I had a near death experience; I fell off a raft and got swept away in the Colorado River rapids. Now, when I look back, it really speaks to me as a momentous moment in my life and I think it shows that we can make it through anything."

Barbara: “I’m so glad that I didn’t know about it until you got home!” A few years back, Barbara owned a gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During that time, she worked Monday through Thursday in Houston at her Corporate Art job, then flew to Santa Fe on weekends. Barbara was also a volunteer art teacher in Daniel’s school from Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Daniel: “It’s pretty crazy to think back to the time when my mom was working so hard at starting her own business. It is a testament to her drive and how determined she is to be successful; she wants to spread her creative expression throughout the world. By growing up with my mother so involved in art, I was exposed to all different types of art. Because of this, art has gotten me through a lot of tough times and I really appreciate it."

Barbara: “Thank you! I am so excited to see you starting out on your own art calling.” Barbara Able and Daniel Able’s Artist Talk for their show, Reinvention, will be available Saturday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m. via Facebook Live or on the Archway Gallery website. The show will hang in the Front-Space of Archway Gallery and can be seen by appointment or during the gallery’s “Drop-In” hours. Check Archway’s website for details and updated gallery hours.

Both artists welcome commissioned artwork opportunities.

I was born and raised in Pakistan.  In 2015, I retired from my position as Professor and Director of the Institute of Art and Design in Sindh, Pakistan, then migrated to the United States to be with my son and daughter who live in Houston. I became active in the Watercolor Art Society of Houston, the Portrait Society of America,  and the Visual Arts Alliance. In June 2018, I joined Archway Gallery and this is my first solo show at the gallery. 

For this show, I have included my abstract paintings along with a few portraits and some Southwestern paintings to show the range of my painting styles.   Living in Texas, I am greatly captivated with the beauty of the Southwestern lifestyle, ranches, and the rocky landscapes.  For me, painting horses is a breathtaking experience.  I like saddles, roping activities, rough barns, woods and the life around the campfire.  My compositions are filled with the energy and exciting lives of the characters I portray. 

Liz Conces Spencer: The Show Goes On
Becky Soria and I are hopeful about the Juried Show this year. We have been growing this big healthy baby, now a preteen, with the help of the artists in the community for more than a few years now. With the pandemic and its effect on all of us, we have hit the boll weevil, the pothole, the tear in the fabric, the muddy patch, the _________(fill in your own metaphor).

Artists, being the resilient weeds in the pavement that they are, continue to enter despite hiccups with the online entry system. Neither Bec nor I are especially fond of, or literate in, these technologies but we are soldiering on. To the rescue have come John Slaby, Joel Anderson, Harold Joiner, and Christie Coker, helping artists get their entries in and processed.

We certainly miss the good old days of the past 9 – 10 years when we have had the juror select the show from actual works of art. Although we realize the front-loaded hassle for artists to bring works in to be judged, it is also the most authentic way to select a show; art needs to be experienced in person, when possible, in order for its impact to be felt. Minus that, with digital entries we can judge dimension, scale, texture, and other qualities solely by the quality of the images submitted. Cameras have come a long way, but there is no experience like the physical one, and we long for the good old days.

I hope that artists will persevere and enter the show. Our juror this year, Wayne Gilbert, is a friend to artists. He is an artist himself, a man of soul and conscience. He will choose wisely and well.

Our charity partner Houston Junior Forum has deep fingers kneading the bread of the community. It funds many small organizations and is kept afloat through donations and a guild shop, paying forward friendship and opportunity.

​Bec and I, and the other Archway artists, will miss the big public reception that awards prizes and recognizes the selected works but the gallery will honor them at 6:30 p.m. on July 5 when our announcement video drops and reveals the show and winners; I hope you will all tune in. The show will be hung physically in the front gallery, to be viewed by appointment and during the gallery’s new open hours on weekends. As you may know, 50% of the sales benefit the selected artists, and 50% goes to the charity partner. All selected works will be featured on the gallery website and we will make every effort to connect them to new homes.

I thank everyone for their support of this event.

​Liz Conces Spencer

Hello Archway Fans!

My show has been up close to a month and I hope you have time to look at it online, at the gallery by appointment, or at the gallery on weekends during our new limited hours. I hate to blow my own horn, but I got to admit this is some of my best work to date. I think there are some special pieces in this show and if you have had time to check it out, I hope you think so too.

A few pieces have already sold and, hopefully, there will be a few a more. I was incredibly pleased when the artwork installed as it looked even better with the gallery spotlights shining on each piece. I was worried that the show might look disconnected and somewhat disjointed because I do so many different processes but Harold Joiner, one of our resident gallery curators, pulled it all together. It turned into a show that I could only hope for after all the years of artmaking.

My art does not tell stories, make political points, or any other kind of statements. What I want is for you to enjoy the colors and movement of each piece. I want you to be uplifted and happy when you look at my art, and I want you to never tire of looking at pieces once hanging on your wall.

The show is mostly glass and steel but there are a few stand-alone wood pieces. I especially enjoy the wood pieces because it reminds me of my many years of making foundry patterns; I am pleased that I still have the skills I acquired some 50 years ago and still have the thought process to do the job.

Turning a doodle in my sketchbook into a 3-D piece of art is something I have always enjoyed. Doing the engineering and the machine work, as well as the finishing, is always a fun challenge! Sometimes it is a pleasure and other times it is just a great disappointment which goes on the shelf under the table for another day.

My mind is never at rest! I am constantly thinking about new projects regardless of whatever else I may be doing. I am a maker and always have been. My whole life I planned to have a place where I could work and have the equipment to make any project imaginable. After much work, my studio is just that kind of place.

I attend workshops and am constantly learning a new process. In my opinion, to be great in art you must keep learning and growing daily. You must challenge your skills on every project you create so every new piece is different and better than the  last piece. I am always looking forward to my next creation and, hopefully, my collectors feel the same way by continuing to collect and enjoy the fruits of my artistic labors. Creating is a way of life; I plan to be creating until the very end.

There is Another Garden combines two of my life-long loves: art and gardening; art came first and, seemingly, naturally.

​Trained as an architect, I saw garden design as an essential part of fashioning a holistic environment - the inside and the outside, the built and the natural, the planned and the organically evolved. It wasn’t until I reached my adult years that I found myself really wanting to garden. The art side of it inspires me; the science side of it challenges me. In the beginning I found it is easy, but only if I could get the plants to do exactly what I want them to do! Deciding that Dollar Pennyroyals are a good-looking ground cover was a comforting acceptance. Ah, but the challenge was part of the fun. After I decided that it was all going to be just one big experiment anyway, everything was good.

​It is rather lovely to note that there has been an increase in people doing jigsaw puzzles during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously puzzles have not lost their power to entertain people either singly or in groups. Even the ‘rich and famous’ are secret puzzlers. Amie Tsang in her New York Times article said, “Patrick Stewart once called the world of jigsaw puzzles a “secret society.” She even mentioned that the Australian Prime Minister has announced that jigsaw puzzles are an ‘essential item’ during ‘lockdown’ and that people are allowed to leave their homes in order to procure them. Images of puzzle pieces being laid out methodically across nations, possibly first the edge pieces and then working with groups of colors or patterns come to mind. There are strategies to consider!