BY RON EVANS

“I don't have any fear of running out of ideas... it's wondering if I'll ever have enough time to create them all that bugs me!”

If you’re like most people in hunker-down mode, you have likely experienced that panic-inducing moment when you’re getting a little tired of watching Netflix but you’re not quite ready to concede to crying in the fetal position for the rest of the quarantine. This is where you may have reached for that unopened jigsaw puzzle your aunt got you for Christmas that’s been hiding under the Scrabble and Catan boxes. You certainly wouldn’t be alone. In fact, as of this writing there is a massive shortage of puzzles to be found locally and even many “sold out” situations are popping up online. The verdict is in... jigsaw puzzles are a hot commodity right now. I’ve even seen people starting puzzle exchange groups on Facebook - which the CDC may have an opinion on…

Have you ever thought much about the puzzle image itself? Amidst the Mona Lisas and landscape photos there are hundreds of original works specifically designed to be pieced together on a coffee table with a fire crackling in the background and maybe a little Mozart on the hi-fi. Or more realistically, on the floor with your cat constantly wrecking it. Local artist and puzzle creator Aimee Stewart has been busy crafting her eclectic, colorful and endlessly kooky art for just that purpose. And she’s been incredibly successful in this endeavor. Odds are you have put one of her puzzles together at some point. A Wenatchee native, Stewart now calls Cashmere home where she lives with her husband, Larry and churns out her creations in her studio. I reached out to get to know the artist and to learn about the somewhat mysterious industry of jigsaw puzzles.

When did you get into art in general, and how did you stumble upon the notion of creating specifically for puzzles?

I can't remember a time when I wasn't into art. I have always had a massively active imagination - and it constantly spins on ideas and daydreams. I was always doodling and drawing, painting and coloring as a little kid. Throughout school, I was the one people came to when they needed backdrops painted, posters designed, etc. It was just a natural kind of talent that went hand in hand with whatever else I could get my hands on, creatively. Art, photography, music... whatever it was, I loved doing it and excelled. The same cannot be said for my math skills.

SAMPLING OF AIMEE’S DESIGNS FOR RAVENSBURGER

Oddly enough, once I graduated high school in 1989 I kind of dropped out, creatively. I got married, and just threw myself into life... making money at various jobs here and there, none of which were creative. They were a means to an end - which I was grateful for, but it didn't nourish that part of me that always continued to daydream. It wasn't until I was in my early 30's when I got Adobe Photoshop for my computer, that I started to dabble with 'computer art'. I began to design elaborate websites, but pretty soon after that I found an online art forum of people making really cool artwork with Photoshop, and I jumped in with both feet. Making digital art and conveying my daydreams became my oasis after long days of working jobs that drained me. And the best part of it was that I didn't have to have a big studio, and didn't have to spend a lot of money on supplies. I could just tuck myself away in front of a computer and work magic with pixels.

On a whim, I submitted some steampunk art to a British magazine called Advanced Photoshop Magazine. Much to my surprise, they wrote back and wanted to feature me. Right around the same time in 2007, an agency called Duirwaigh Studios spotted my stuff in the forums, and approached me with the idea of signing with them and licensing my artwork on greeting cards, calendars, t-shirts, and wall art. I signed with them, and royalties trickled in - enough to give us a little boost equal to a very part time job. Towards the end of my contract with Duirwaigh, they approached me about licensing my art as jigsaw puzzles. I hadn't really thought about that possibility, ever. I had always imagined perhaps book covers, or album covers. Jigsaw Puzzles seemed like a completely different animal altogether! But I was game, and they licensed a couple of my existing images...but it never really caught fire.

Around 2012, I was approached by a second agent - who is my agent to this day, MGL Licensing, out of London. Unlike my first agent, they were primarily puzzle licencors who had international connections with all the biggest puzzle manufacturers. They saw potential in my art, and offered to help transform it into something that *could* translate better into puzzles. More detail, more color...more everything. So I made the leap between agents, signed with them, and basically learned by the seat of my pants how to really take my vision and craft it into a good puzzle. The difference was like riding a fun local carnival ride, and then going to Disneyland. I love and appreciate what Duirwaigh did for me, but growing as an artist and as a professional - I had to hitch my star to an agency who had those crucial connections and who could help me learn how to navigate a very competitive industry. (If you look at my artwork called Treasure Hunt Bookshelf, and then the puzzle Fairytale Fantasia, you will see a before/after of what my art was...and what it became, to be a best selling puzzle.)

I decided to quit working any kind of day job, and just put all my energies into my art. The results were astonishing. Pretty soon, my puzzles were flooding stores not just in the US, but overseas. I almost fainted the day I walked into Target and saw my puzzles lined up on the shelves.

What was your very first published puzzle?

My very first puzzle was called "The Wish", published by Buffalo Games. A little fantasy piece that I had made for wall art, not for a puzzle. It did ok, but I hadn't found my vision as a puzzle artist yet and it shows!

AIMEE’S FIRST PUBLISHED PUZZLE - THE WISH

Tell us a bit about your technique concerning the build up of these images. Are you using photographic elements that are then digitally manipulated? Is it mixed media with some painting/drawing involved?

I use everything I can get my hands on, haha! I consider it a mixed media that utilizes photographic and scanned ephemera elements. To create my most intricate puzzle images, I composite hundreds of photographic layers to create my 'base'. These layers can consist of something as big on the digital canvas as a sky, or a ship... or can be as tiny as a button on a blouse. I then arrange them all into the composition I like and then I start layering in painted details, painted lighting and shadows, changing colors, morphing shapes, etc. The challenge for me, as an artist, is to completely make the viewer forget they are looking at 'digital art'. I also challenge myself not to rely so much on a photograph that it becomes merely changing hue and lighting and calling it good. I want whatever elements I use to so thoroughly disappear into the new creation, that you can't even tell how I did it. That's what makes me the happiest, and what I feel good about when I claim it as my vision and art.

Where do you typically start? With the concept, color scheme and layout, or initial sketching?

In general, I visualize the concept in my head while daydreaming. Yes, if you see me spacing out and staring into the vast gaping maw of the universe, I'm almost always thinking about a new piece of art. I look goofy, but it gets the job done. I never sketch anything out, though I probably should. I don't even really have a specific color scheme in mind... the piece just leads the way. When I sit down to make new art, I almost feel like I'm cracking open a new book. I like it to surprise me. I enjoy not having it so mapped out. I am very intuitive, and I like for my art to follow that intuition, even if it ends up completely different than what it was supposed to be. I go with my gut feelings, and once I start placing layers down, I can always feel when I get the right composition.

I don't have any fear of running out of ideas... it's wondering if I'll ever have enough time to create them all that bugs me!

I’m curious about how the business end of this type of creative profession works. Is this sustaining you full-time? Do most of these publishers pay a flat rate for accepted works or is it a percentage of overall sales?

I am really grateful and fortunate enough to say that doing all of this not only sustains me full time, but it also enabled my husband to retire early and delve into his own creative pursuits. I've been told by many industry folks that this doesn't usually happen. A lot of artists keep jobs and do this on the side. But for whatever reason, my art coupled with the fact that I am an extremely prolific artist made a snowball effect, in that I have hundreds of images out there that I created over the years that generate passive income all the time in the form of royalties.

The way it works is the same as an author in the book industry gets paid, in that I first get an advance for whatever images I license. Then, when those products show up on store shelves, they 'sell through' the advance... and after that start generating royalties for me. So every sale earns a percentage royalty. Companies will license an image for a set number of years, and then they either re-license it (at which point I get another advance) or they let it go, and another company can pick it up and license it. My agent takes care of all the tracking and paperwork, and then sends me my combined royalties once a month.

As of last November, I signed a very rare 15 year exclusive contract with Buffalo Games out of New York. What this means is that for the next 15 years, they have the exclusive rights to license my art as jigsaw puzzles within the United States. Outside of the U.S. I can still license to whatever puzzle companies want to take my work. I flew to Buffalo last fall as did my agents, and we met with the CEO, as well as the creative directors and everyone who makes it possible for me to do what I do. There is a fantastic synergy between Buffalo Games, MGL Licensing and myself - in that we are all on the same page, and all have the same passion for what we do.

I'm fortunate that my agent handles everything on the business end, and I can just keep daydreaming and making art. It is a sweet, sweet ride that I never for a moment ever planned for - never anticipated - but am grateful for, every single second of the day. I now have a private studio in Cashmere that I work from, which not only serves as a base for my digital art, but also a place where I can go craft, paint, and delve into all the other creative projects that I can possibly pursue. I have a fantastic friend who shares my studio with me who makes jaw dropping fantasy sculptures, and my husband has the studio next door where we do all our photography and he also designs for my agent.

Obviously any photograph or piece of art (or even a solid color for the real jigsaw puzzle maniacs) can be turned into a puzzle. What do you feel makes a truly satisfying but challenging puzzle image?

For me, I've found that my fans love images they can transport themselves into, and that gives them a 'win' with almost every piece, and that has lots of color. People compare my puzzles to 'hidden object' challenges because of the detail they contain. I tend not to put people in my puzzle images because I feel the minute you add in a person, you are dictating the experience for the consumer. I want everyone to be able to put themselves into the picture, as if it was made just for them. One of my recent images is a highly detailed interior of an antique shop.

I want my fans to be able to imagine themselves rummaging through the shop, and finding all the little things I've tucked around the picture. Although I admit that nearly all the animals I've included in my artwork are the pets of friends and family! And I've managed to tuck myself into a number of my own puzzles, whether through tiny vintage photographs, or other ways. I've even hidden a Tardis (hello Doctor Who fans!) in one of my puzzles. That being said - there are people who love very tranquil puzzle images, or like you mentioned, solid colors. It's a widely diverse industry and fan base. I'm just glad my fans enjoy my hyper-detailed stuff. It makes it really fun to create.

The drawback to the industry is that if one company has a 'hit' with some specific puzzle, other companies will make knock-offs of that image. The reason being is that fans are often very loyal to one puzzle company. So it is kind of a bummer to see so much of the same thing sitting on the shelves at any one time. So when I make a new puzzle, I try very hard to make it something I would want to see and put together. Something that is new, and that will give a puzzle fan a whole new experience. I am really enjoying making retro-inspired puzzles right now. Stuff that people my age - Gen X'ers - will see and immediately recognize from their past. Like my puzzle Pixels and Pizza - that was inspired straight out of my high school years. And I think that makes a good puzzle experience for a whole new set of puzzle enthusiasts who aren't quite into the quaint country/farmhouse type puzzles that have dominated over the past decades.

To be a successful puzzle artist, you need to understand that people spend a lot of time and money on this hobby, and they want a fun experience out of it. It isn't just about having a pretty picture to put together. It's about being engaged, challenged, but not irritated to the point of quitting. The other thing is that you can't be too precious about your art when you submit it to a company who mass-produces your work. They absolutely will come at you with a dozen different edits. They'll ask you to move things around, to add in details, to take away elements, change colors, change lighting, and on and on. The people who are willing to work with requests and edits and do it with a good attitude are the people who stick around. After all, you are creating this artwork for other folks to enjoy. It really is about them, and not you.

However, if you can find the balance of really enjoying the art you make, and you love making it for yourself and for them, it really becomes this magical kind of thing.

Do the puzzle manufacturers/publishers do open calls for art?

Sometimes they do. It is worthwhile to follow puzzle companies on their social media sites. They announce there on occasion when there is an open call for art. It is definitely worth a shot!

In the age of print on demand and higher quality small run publishing, are many puzzle creators putting their own puzzles out - sans a larger publishing company?

I have seen quite a few companies out there forging their own ground and creating their own niche in the industry. While they may not get shelf space in major retail stores, online purchases are very popular - and puzzle fans are as diverse as they come. So I've seen some small publishers focusing on edgy or more sophisticated imagery that cater to a different clientele than what would ever be found at Fred Meyer, for instance. I think now more than ever, people are looking for options and variety and most importantly, quality. Puzzlers love high quality puzzle pieces, interesting puzzle piece shapes, and clear, quality images (posters inside the box, even) to use as their guide with the puzzles. So if someone is willing to do their homework and invest in those things, they stand a good change of finding a market for it.

Are there puzzle makers/designers you are inspired by?

There are so many talented puzzle artists out there. Two of my favorite contemporary artists are Stephanie Law and Kinuko Craft, and both of them have puzzles out there that are exquisite. But mostly, I collect vintage puzzles. I love the kitschy children's puzzles of the 1940's and 1950's... and the psychedelic puzzles of the late 1960's. I also have a collection of "what were they thinking?!" puzzles which includes things like a cringe-worthy photo of seafood Ragout from the 1970's, and a photograph of a messy bathroom from the early 1980's. Those are gems that make me chuckle every time I see them.

Are you creating other types of art on a regular basis?

Outside of the puzzle industry, I still make a lot of art just for myself that won't ever see any kind of commercial success. I have fun writing stories and illustrating them, and I still love attending fantasy/sci-fi conventions, which I always make art specifically for. In the end, I started off making art for my own delight, and to my utter surprise I've found that people around the world find joy in my art too. It's the happiest accident I could have ever hoped for.

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Website: http://www.AimeeStewart.com