Right now my life is well and truly in pieces - 2000 of them to be exact. Task 22 is finally on the table. Literally.
The jigsaw I've chosen to complete is the famous van Gogh painting 'Starry Night'. Did you know that the painting shows the view from the window of van Gogh's asylum room where he was being treated post ear-removal? Yes, you probably did know that, just as you knew that the Taj Mahal isn't anywhere near Mumbai.
So why did I decide to include this particular task on my sixtyat60 list? Well, that's an easy one. In truth I have a bit of an addiction to jigsaws, especially those of an online variety. I'm a frequent visitor to a website called Jigidi where I compete against various unknown puzzlers all over the world to complete small to medium sized jigsaws in the fastest time possible. Oh dear, I've just made my life sound rather sad haven't I. Anyway, as you can tell, I regarded Task 22 as one of my more indulgent challenges and I was well up for it.
Until, that is, I made a start on Starry Night 2 weeks ago. And now, as I sit at the dining table day after day sifting through a veritable tsunami of blue swirly abstract jigsaw pieces, I'm beginning to experience something of van Gogh's inner turmoil and despair. Whenever Andrew comes into the dining room and sees me hunched over the table and cursing silently under my breath, he says in a mystified - albeit supportive - voice 'Why did you have to choose that jigsaw?' A very reasonable question. My response?
a) I love impressionist and post-impressionist art
b) Vincent (Starry Starry Night) by Don McLean was the song that Dave Lee Travis played on his radio show one memorable summer's evening back in 1973 in response to a postcard sent snailmail (ah those were the days) to the BBC studios by Jane, Loretta and me .
c) I love a challenge. On second thoughts, can I change my mind about c)?
So how am I getting on with Task 22? Here's the fully deconstructed jigsaw 2 weeks ago. Looks harmless enough doesn't it.
Here it is on Day 3 with the frame almost completed (yes, believe it or not, it took that long just to do the frame) and multiple pieces waiting patiently to be found their rightful place.....
Two weeks on and this is what the puzzle looks like now. All the time it's getting more and more difficult, as the few obvious little quirks like the cyprus tree (that dark pointy mountain-like structure on the left), the iconic crescent moon and ten (or is it eleven??) shiny stars are now pretty much completed, leaving a cornucopia of random blue frenetic brush-stroked sections to tinker with. Don't get me started.
I've now lined up all the unallocated pieces in rows. See the photo below, which I showed my hairdresser Will yesterday. 'Ooh Vivien' he said ' that's a bit OCD isn't it?' Fair comment Will. Although in my defence I'm so stuck at the moment that I can't find anything else to do.
I've worked out that if I'm to finish Starry Night by 30th May, I have to fit 16 pieces a day. Aargh.....is that honestly achievable? Watch this space. Keep the faith Vivien - oh and stay well away from that ear.
I'm doing the sixtyat60challenge to raise funds for Shooting Star Chase children's hospice care in memory of a very special little girl called Thea Redford.
For further information or to make a donation please visit my JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/sixtyat60challenge/
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The jigsaw I've chosen to complete is the famous van Gogh painting 'Starry Night'. Did you know that the painting shows the view from the window of van Gogh's asylum room where he was being treated post ear-removal? Yes, you probably did know that, just as you knew that the Taj Mahal isn't anywhere near Mumbai.
So why did I decide to include this particular task on my sixtyat60 list? Well, that's an easy one. In truth I have a bit of an addiction to jigsaws, especially those of an online variety. I'm a frequent visitor to a website called Jigidi where I compete against various unknown puzzlers all over the world to complete small to medium sized jigsaws in the fastest time possible. Oh dear, I've just made my life sound rather sad haven't I. Anyway, as you can tell, I regarded Task 22 as one of my more indulgent challenges and I was well up for it.
Until, that is, I made a start on Starry Night 2 weeks ago. And now, as I sit at the dining table day after day sifting through a veritable tsunami of blue swirly abstract jigsaw pieces, I'm beginning to experience something of van Gogh's inner turmoil and despair. Whenever Andrew comes into the dining room and sees me hunched over the table and cursing silently under my breath, he says in a mystified - albeit supportive - voice 'Why did you have to choose that jigsaw?' A very reasonable question. My response?
a) I love impressionist and post-impressionist art
b) Vincent (Starry Starry Night) by Don McLean was the song that Dave Lee Travis played on his radio show one memorable summer's evening back in 1973 in response to a postcard sent snailmail (ah those were the days) to the BBC studios by Jane, Loretta and me .
c) I love a challenge. On second thoughts, can I change my mind about c)?
So how am I getting on with Task 22? Here's the fully deconstructed jigsaw 2 weeks ago. Looks harmless enough doesn't it.
Here it is on Day 3 with the frame almost completed (yes, believe it or not, it took that long just to do the frame) and multiple pieces waiting patiently to be found their rightful place.....
I've worked out that if I'm to finish Starry Night by 30th May, I have to fit 16 pieces a day. Aargh.....is that honestly achievable? Watch this space. Keep the faith Vivien - oh and stay well away from that ear.
I'm doing the sixtyat60challenge to raise funds for Shooting Star Chase children's hospice care in memory of a very special little girl called Thea Redford.
For further information or to make a donation please visit my JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/sixtyat60challenge/
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