Wild About Wysocki

Thanks to my Mom’s love of early American decorating and design, I grew up a big fan of painter Charles Wysocki and my large (and still growing!) shelf space devoted to Wysocki puzzles is a testament to that. Obviously, there are a lot of us out there, with Facebook groups for his fans to sell and swap items, an annual calendar, and the fine folks at Buffalo Games regularly releasing new puzzles. Although he passed away in 2002, his art remains as popular as ever.

Since so many of Wysocki’s paintings depict nostalgic New England scenes, I was surprised to find out he was born in Detroit and lived most of his adult life in California. Charles was always interested in art, and after a two-year stint in the Army, his older brother Harry convinced him to enroll in the Art Center in Los Angeles. (Puzzle fans are likely familiar with Harry Wysocki, who signs his paintings using his Polish name, Heronim.) While working as a free-lance commercial artist in L.A. several years later, Charles met his wife-to-be at an advertising agency, and they married six weeks later! Maybe that happy marriage was inspiration for Dining Sweethearts and it’s charming quote.

Dining Sweethearts

Charles and wife Elizabeth took numerous trips to New England where he nurtured an interest in early American folk art and an appreciation for the simpler, more rural life. For a while, he continued his lucrative commercial art career and developed his primitive art style in his spare time. Eventually, he devoted all of his time to his own work, with a focus on Americana landscapes of old New England with picturesque barns, farm stands, horse-drawn buggies, and oceanfront scenes like the one in this 500 piece version of Gull’s Nest.

Gull’s Nest

Wysocki was such a prolific painter (the number of his puzzles I have is proof of that!) that I was also surprised to learn what a meticulous artist he was. When he had a concept for a painting, he drew the various elements on small pieces of tissue paper—from a few pieces to dozens. He moved around, changed, or developed those small pieces until he was satisfied with the composition. At that point, he might do an overall drawing on tissue and then start the actual painting with color. This painstaking process meant that a painting could take weeks to develop. I can only imagine how many pieces of tissue might have gone in to the composition for Shops and Buggies!

Shops and Buggies

Along with his many landscapes, cats were a popular subject for Charles Wysocki, and I would think his own pets served as inspiration. Most of his feline subjects are doing what cats do best—sleeping or relaxing—like the tiger tabby Frederick the Literate, lounging among the books with clever cat titles. I did the 1000 piece Silver Select edition, but the great thing about Buffalo Games Wysocki puzzles is that many of them come in multiple piece counts. If you prefer the 300 piece version, you can find it here, or my favorite size—750 pieces.  Buffalo Games also came out with a wooden version of this Frederick the Literate in both 250 and 500 piece counts.

Frederick the Literate

While many consider Wysocki a “folk” or “primitive” artist, he was influenced by the works of Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper which is obvious in his many very detailed, realistic paintings. Ice Riders on the Chesapeake Bay is his interpretation of early ice yacht racing and an excellent example of his amazing versatility as an artist.

Ice Riders on the Chesapeake Bay

If you’re a puzzler who enjoys assembling seasonal or holiday themes, Wysocki puzzles may be for you! With its American flags, bunting, and Statue of Liberty in the clouds, Lady Liberty’s Independence Day Enterprising is perfect for the Fourth of July.

Lady Liberty’s Independence Day Enterprising

If fall is your favorite season, you can find pumpkins galore in so many Wysocki puzzles! His quirky sense of humor comes through for Halloween in Trick or Treat Hotel. I assembled the 500 piece version, and if you’re up for the challenge, Buffalo Games offers a 1000 piece, too. Either way, what’s not to love about a puzzle featuring an undertaker named Pithius Bloodlust Wrinkledeath?

Halloween in Trick or Treat Hotel

If you enjoy snowy scenes for your winter puzzle sessions, you’ll have plenty of Wysocki designs to choose from. One of my favorite holiday themes is Small Town Christmas Holiday with all its fun details, like the birdhouses in the boughs of the tree.

Small Town Christmas Holiday

In the 1980s, Wysocki jigsaw puzzles sales totaled over $10 million dollars under the old Milton Bradley toy brand. Thanks to Buffalo Games, they’re still as popular as ever today. Whether you like his whimsical, nostalgic depictions of Americana, folk art, realistic scenes of life in old New England, or a clever cat puzzle you can find a great variety from 300 to 2000 pieces. Leave the title of your favorites in the comments, and maybe I’ll discover a few to add to my collection!

Happy puzzling!

Dawn @5wolves