Jenny Greentree puzzling the world!

Bourke’s artist Jenny Greentree has added another way for people to enjoy the beautiful artwork she creates – jigsaw puzzles!

Earlier this year, Jenny was approached by Australian puzzle maker Q Puzzles about using her work to add to their unique Australian collection of jigsaw puzzles. All puzzles are manufactured in Australia at the Q Puzzles Queensland production facility.

Jenny said that she, and husband Steve, had visited the facility and were very impressed with the operation and the quality of the finished product. “I am thrilled to have found an Australian company that uses components that are recyclable, plus eco, earth and forest friendly,” Jenny said.
“For a while now, I have wanted to add jigsaws to my range, but wasn’t happy with any of the companies I’d investigated.
“I wanted to deal with an Australian company, and I wanted the products made at a location that would give me some control of the quality and the colour of the finished product.

In January this year, Jenny received a call from the head of Q Puzzles saying that he’d been looking at images on her website and asking if she’d like them made into jigsaws. “Of course, I said I was very interested,” Jenny said. So we decided to meet with the staff members of Q Puzzles at their Gold Coast offices.

“There was another funny aspect to the story when we met with the owners of the company,” Jenny laughed.
“They were friendly down-to-earth kind of blokes, in fact, I thought they reminded me of my brothers or fellows I went to school with in Gilgandra.  “Then one approached Steve and asked, ‘so which Greentrees are you?’
“Steve asked them which Greentree family they knew, and they said the Greentrees from Gilgandra! Steve said, ‘well that’s us!’.
“As it turns out, the fellow that owns the company grew up on a property 30 kilometres west of Gilgandra and I grew up on one 15 kilometers south of Gilgandra, and our families know each other,” Jenny said

During the Covid-19 pandemic and the various lockdowns associated with containment of the disease, activities such as jigsaw puzzles have made a resurgence.
Six of Jenny’s artworks are available in various puzzle sizes and can be found out at her Back O’Bourke Gallery or on her website.
Jenny says that it is fabulous when you complete a jigsaw puzzle, you are not only rewarded with a lovely image, but you have done something good for your brain.

I’ve read that a jigsaw puzzle reinforces connections between brain cells, improving short term memory, mental speed, and concentration. It’s a win-win situation!” she said.

Tricia Duffield
The Western Herald