10domain THE AGE FEBRUARY 14 2001

Picking up
the pieces

>A former university lecturer is thriving
on a puzzling passion.

[Words] Carol Nader

A jigsaw puzzle can be so much more than
just a multitude of pieces put together to
form an image. In some war-torn countries
it's a popular distraction from the horrific
happenings outside; in others it's a means
of bonding for families.

For Dr Mary Lush (below), a plant
physiologist and former lecturer at
Melbourne University, jigsaws are a
passion cultivated since childhood, when
she spent time with her grandmother
constructing old wooden puzzles. So when
her contract at Melbourne University
expired, Lush, who also dabbled in
woodwork while completing her PhD,
seized on the chance to turn her hobby
into a career.

She visited an American puzzle guru and
historian in Maine, Dr Anne Williams,
whom she met over the internet. Williams
taught her the finer points of precision
cutting, and Lush has since formed her
own little niche, specialising in wooden

jigsaw puzzles for adults.
She pastes color images onto
plywood, then uses a
handsaw to cut out jigsaw
shapes. "Part of the fun is
slowly seeing an image
emerge." She says. "You can
use a difficult image and
make it almost impossible
or you can choose a
simpler image and make it
slightly difficult, or you can
make a very easy puzzle for
someone who has poor
eyesight."
Lush uses a scroll saw
rather than a laser or
computer- guided cutting
for more precise results, to
avoid burning the edges,
and to give the puzzle a
smoother finish.

The designs range from indigenous art,
to simple objects such as a butterfly or
leaf, or more patriotic designs such as a
kangaroo.

"People have said they've never seen
anything like them," Lush says, "As far as
I know, I'm the only person cutting them
in Australia, and people just don't know
that this sort of thing exists."

She is adamant that the serious puzzler
should not see the image before it is
dismantled, and even carries a notice on
her puzzles warning people to get
someone else to dismantle the puzzle for
them.

Each jigsaw has between 50 and 700
pieces. Prices go up to $1350 but you
can get a coaster for less than $100.