Algonquin Puzzle Company
Limited-run 1000-piece puzzles from original paintings by Canadian landscape artists Joyce Burkholder, Kathy M Haycock and Linda Sorensen. 200 copies of each title.
Puzzles made from original paintings by Canadian landscape artists, in limited runs, from the Ottawa Valley.
The original six
Two titles from each artist. 1000 pieces, 50 x 70 cm finished, on 2 mm board with a varnish finish that cuts glare under a lamp.
- Algonquin Reflection by Joyce Burkholder, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- After the Storm by Joyce Burkholder, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- Pine Lookout by Kathy M Haycock, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- Quiet Time by Kathy M Haycock, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- Life is Good by Linda Sorensen, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- Afternoon Abandon by Linda Sorensen, 1000 pieces. $34.95 CAD (regular $39.95). Pre-order.
- The Complete Collection, 6000 pieces. $209.70 CAD (regular $219.95). Pre-order.
Free shipping in Canada on 3 or more puzzles. One puzzle ships for $15.00.
Canadian gifts for puzzle lovers
Why these are different
Real paintings
Every title is an original work by a working Canadian landscape painter, licensed directly from the artist. You are building the painting, not a composite someone assembled on a computer.
A print run, not a warehouse
200 copies of each title. When a title sells out it is finished. We have done four print runs and every one of them sold through.
Built to actually build
1000 pieces on 2 mm greyboard, so pieces hold their shape and a joined section lifts in one piece. Matte laminated box that survives a cottage shelf.
Four print runs. Four sellouts.
We have never once had stock left over. Flattering, and also the problem we keep trying to solve.
2018. Started with three 1000-piece puzzles, one from each artist: Life is Good, Pine Lookout and Algonquin Reflection. The idea was simple. The landscape painters working in this part of Ontario are extraordinary, and almost nobody outside a gallery gets to sit with their work. We sold them the hard way. Farmers markets, craft shows, art shows, and a folding table in the back of the car.
2019. Reprinted some of the first three and added a round of 500-piece puzzles for anyone who wanted a shorter evening. This was the year it stopped being a table at a market. Gift shows and trade shows, then wholesale accounts with gift shops, lodges and galleries across Ontario. Cottagers started buying them by the stack.
2021. Three new 1000-piece titles, again one from each artist: Afternoon Abandon, Quiet Time and After the Storm. That completed the six, and retailers took most of them.
2022. Supplier problems and COVID made puzzle reprints impossible. Lead times stretched past a year. So we moved into colouring books instead, to keep the artwork in front of people and the shelves stocked.
Now. The original six are back. Same paintings, same three artists, heavier board and a better box than we could afford the first time. 200 copies of each, because that is what a company this size can honestly commit to.
If you missed them the first time, this is the second chance. There probably is not a third.
Partnering artists
Three painters working in and around the Ottawa Valley and Algonquin. Every title is licensed directly from them.
Questions
What am I actually getting?
1000 pieces, 50 x 70 cm finished, about 20 x 27.5 inches. Box is 28 x 18 x 4.8 cm, matte laminated. Pieces are 2 mm greyboard with a varnish finish.
Is the artwork really by working artists?
Yes. Every title is an original painting by Joyce Burkholder, Kathy M Haycock or Linda Sorensen, licensed directly from them.
Where are they made?
The paintings, design and licensing all happen here in Canada. The puzzles are printed and cut overseas by a specialist puzzle manufacturer.
Why is this a pre-order?
The puzzles are printed and on their way. Opening pre-orders lets us see demand before stock lands so we do not oversell a run we cannot repeat.
When will I be charged?
At checkout, same as any order. Card holds expire after about seven days, so nobody can hold a card for a pre-order that long.
What if I change my mind?
Email us any time before your order ships and we refund you in full. No questions.
What if my title sells out while I am deciding?
Each puzzle shows how many are left. At zero the run is closed and we will not reprint it.
I am missing a piece.
Email us and we will sort it out. That is the whole policy.
Shipping
Orders ship from the Ottawa Valley within two business days by Canada Post, usually 2 to 8 business days to arrive. Free shipping on orders over $100, which is any theee puzzles.
Returns
Unopened and unused within 30 days, shrink wrap intact.
Will these be reprinted?
Each title is a 200 copy run and we have no plans to reprint. The last time we sold out it took six years to bring them back.
Contact: info@algonquinpuzzles.com. Barry’s Bay, ON, Canada.