A review of Cooking Up A Feast - A Ravensburger Jigsaw Puzzle

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Trying to get food out of my brain but about to compile this #cookingupafeastpuzzle for my blog 🎂🍮🍴🍓🍨

A post shared by Debra Hall (@debrahallcreative) on Jan 7, 2016 at 5:08am PST

The Artist

The Artist in this instance is a photographer. Greg Shepherd is a Devon UK based photographer, who is successful in selling his photographic images commercially because he reproduces them on greetings cards, gift wrapping and gift bags and then sells them. What sets him apart from others making their living this way is the unique approach he takes at times. He will imagine a nostalgic scene of found objects in his mind and then set about sourcing items to build a display, or he’ll put together a thematic setting of sorts; and he’ll then photograph for his own business purposes or for the imaginative use of graphic designers and print specialists employed by his working partners. Nothing demonstrates this more than his work for Ravensburger jigsaws where he takes a collection of objects en masse, just like he has done with this new, Cooking up a Feast jigsaw (see image above)
The Theme

Cooking up a Feast is a jigsaw picture to compile made up of vintage kitchenware and teatime treats. Shepherd’s own Granny was the inspiration. In his own words taken from the leaflet included in the jigsaw box Shepherd says:

My Granny was a housekeeper, and a few of the items here are from her own kitchen, including the Mrs. Beeton’s book and the Cherry liqueur! She didn’t teach me how to cook, but I did watch and learn, and everybody in the family ate very well!

Shepherd goes on to mention the names of those who helped him with the supply and the lending of moulds, enamelware, and various bottles, tins, jars, crockery, metal wares, and other items all of which appears in the picture if you look carefully

The Product
This puzzle consists of 1000 well engineered cardboard and precision cut pieces and comes in a rectangular box. Also included is a leaflet with the Artist biography (as mentioned) and a further picture for reference. This jigsaw measures 70 x 50 cm (27 x 20 in.) approx on completion. Not suitable for children under 36 months (small pieces). From 12 years to adult.

The Promotion

Shepherd’s artistry in Cooking up a Feast is visual overload and we need to time to take in the scene, it may look like a jumble but is perfect for Ravensburger’s Perplexing range and is a real challenge for puzzle fans. Cooking up a Feast is No 7 in the Perplexing puzzle series and its unique Number is 19 583 1