This is my first puzzle by the brand Pomegranate. I bought it off Zulily.com in January, as a reward when I was working long hours on a film project, but it was March before I got around to opening the box. I've been looking forward to this lovely image. I thought the bright colors would make the puzzle easier to complete, but I actually found this one to be quite difficult! There were lots of subtle differences in shading, and lots of blue and red in distinct areas of the puzzle. Even the mostly brown background had a very subtle texture. It took me most of a week to complete. I then found I was missing a single piece, and had to contact the company via their website to fill out their replacement piece form, and wait for the hole to be filled via the mail. So it was several weeks before I could glue this puzzle.
The next hurdle was the fact of its unusual size. Thinking it would look great above my stove, I had always intended to frame this one, but completed it when I was laid off from work due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Since funds were slim, I had to find a way to frame this on the cheap. Eurographic's SnapFrame puzzle came in my color choice of gold, on Zulily at only around $30 (plus about $6 shipping). But the finished puzzle was 20" x 25", not the same as Eurographics. So I came up with the idea of using cork at the top and bottom of the frame. I'd found the cork months ago at the dollar store and was initially thinking of using it as a puzzling surface but came up with other solutions for my table. So the cork squares had been lying around. I was glad to find a use for them, and really liked the idea of incorporating the natural material into my kitchen decor. The snap frame was easy to use, though because I was trying to frame an odd size, the corners don't match up well. I could shave off the sides of my puzzle for a better fit, but for now, I just wanted it done and off my table so I could start a new project.
I find Pomegranate to be one of the better brands I've worked with. The pieces are not large, and are cut on a grid-type pattern, rather than irregular pieces. The thickness is lovely and the print has a nice sheen. I'm not surprised this brand is often sold in museum gift shops. And the company has great customer service, as I experienced when I was looking to replace my single missing piece. I'll definitely be looking to add to my Pomegranate collection.
The artist, Eric Wert, is a contemporary American painter who began his career as a scientific illustrator. The painting is dated 2015, an oil on panel. The back of the Pomegranate box had a nice bio on the artist and his work.
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