Monkey Puzzle Painting by Carolyn Oberst - as part of the series on arts by GeoBeats.

I am Carolyn Oberst and this is called Monkey Puzzle. This is actually a puzzle that fits together perfectly. I had the feeling that I wanted to do kind of a multiple piece, something that I could sell for less money than a great big painting. Most people do prints, but I felt that prints really did not relate to my work. I wanted something that really came out of the work that I was doing. So since I was doing all this work with wood and as I was working on my paintings, I kept thinking these are like puzzles with no real solution, and the word puzzle stuck in my mind, so I decided to see if I could actually make a puzzle. I found a craftsman who could do the cutting for me since it has to be very precise, and so I designed it and he helped me and we made this puzzle. The pieces fit together and on the backboard, there is a diagram to show you where things go.

It also comes with a diagram that you can follow. The pieces stack, they project off, so it is more interesting than your regular jigsaw puzzle, and it also comes on this stand, so my feeling is when it is on the stand and not being played with, it is art you can play with. It is made with VOC paint, so if a child wants to put it in its mouth, no problem. It is completely non-toxic. So my feeling is this is like a work of art for a kids' room or any part of the house, and yet you can play with it as well. So it is art you can play with.