"I grew up in the countryside so I have always been surrounded and inspired by nature."
- Lucy Grossmith
While working on bringing you the best Christmas jigsaw puzzles, we are fortunate to collaborate with exceptional artists like Rachel Arbuckle. Rachel, the creative force behind our 12 Days of Christmas collectible series, has worked with us for over a decade, bringing her unique vision and intricate designs to life. Together, we transform Rachel’s distinctive creations into beautifully crafted wooden jigsaw puzzles for adults.
We've been lucky to work with Rachel Arbuckle for over 10 years, and it’s clear our puzzlers love her artwork just as much as we do. When Christmas comes around and we release the newest addition of our12 Days of Christmas collectible puzzle series, we know it's going to be as popular as the ones before. Her designs—full of intricate detail, charm, and festive flair—are always a hit, often appearing in our best-sellers collection. Keep reading to discover more about Rachel Arbuckle and the beautiful artwork she creates for our wood puzzles.
A little bit more about Rachel Arbuckle
Rachel Arbuckle graduated from Dublin's National college of art and design in 1990. She subsequently was awarded a place on a post graduate course in Kilkenny, run by the Crafts Council of Ireland, with the aim of helping promising young artists and crafts people to set up in business. It was during this year, in 1991, that Rachel's artwork was first launched onto the Irish market.
Today her art is available worldwide, bringing a taste of Ireland to the four corners of the earth. Her distinctive designs are frequently licensed for products such as jigsaws, notebooks and greeting cards, making her work widely accessible. Her original paintings hang in private collections around the world, among which that of Trinity College, Dublin, which is home to the infamous Book of Kells.
How would you describe your art?
My art is a contemporary fusion of traditional Irish iconography and a modern, vibrant aesthetic. Growing up in Ireland, I was surrounded by images from the Celtic era – the ancient Celtic manuscripts, the intricate gold work on display in museums and the stone carving that can be found throughout the country. It occurred to me that this art form, although a constant presence in the Irish culture, had not carried through into contemporary Irish art. It became my goal to prove that these ancient illustratory techniques can be successfully integrated into images from modern day life.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Obviously the ancient Celtic manuscripts such as the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow and an important source of inspiration for me, as are the fantastic stories of the Celtic legends, passed down orally for centuries. But I am also inspired to paint every day by my surroundings – a flowering passion flower vine growing in my garden in Tuscany, fuschia bushes lining the country roads in the west of Ireland, a moody seascape off the Beara peninsula or a stolen glimpse of fox cubs playing in a field.
Do you have any ‘signature’ techniques, styles or processes that we should look out for in your art?
My work is entirely created by hand without the use of digital aids. This gives it a unique, hand-crafted quality and preserves the querks and “imperfections” of ancient Celtic art. I love creating very detailed images and often include an element of surprise with hidden details that are discovered only on close examination of the painting.
How do you feel about your art being made into wooden jigsaw puzzles?
I think jigsaw puzzles are actually a perfect vehicle for my art, for the very reason that every single piece needs to be closely examined, allowing every intricate detail in the painting to be discovered. It is a way to be fully absorbed in the image and appreciate details that might otherwise be overlooked.
Do you ever complete a wooden puzzle yourself?
I am not a puzzler but my husband loves them. He will often give me visual advice on how a design can improve in terms of difficulty.
As an artist what do you feel makes a good jigsaw puzzle image?
As an artist and a puzzler, I think detail is definitely important. I also like to include an element of symmetry into my designs with the left and right side of the image almost mirroring each other. This adds a little extra challenge.
I love the quality of Wentworth wooden puzzles. The quality of the board and the beautiful cuts and whimsy pieces set them apart from other puzzles on the market. For me, putting together a puzzle where the cut is inspired by the image (seven swans a-swimming is my favourite example) is incredibly satisfying – the cutting of the puzzle has become an art form in itself.
New and Exclusively Designed Art Puzzles by Rachel Arbuckle
If you love art puzzles, you’ll adore our collection of wooden puzzles for adults featuring delightful designs by Rachel Arbuckle. This selection of wood puzzles combines extra-difficult details with our classic cut puzzles to include repetitive pieces, irregularly shaped pieces and themed whimsies, to create truly unqiue Christmas jigsaw puzzles. With a new puzzle released each year, this long-standing partnership has made finding gifts for puzzle lovers easy, ensuring there’s a different puzzle to add to their collection every Christmas.
"I collect the 12 Days of Christmas puzzles and have 6 of them so far. They’re beautiful and I hope to pass them on to my grandchildren one day." – Debbie Robinson, Loughborough, United Kingdom
NEW - 10 Lords a-Leaping
The latest in our classic 12 Days of Christmas Collectible Series. With a new puzzle released each year, you can add to your collection or start a Christmas tradition with wooden puzzles you will treasure for years to come. Featuring themed whimsies inspired by the classic Christmas carol, irregularly shaped pieces and spiral-shaped pieces for added enjoyment and challenge.
12 Days of Christmas Collectible Puzzles
On the 12 Days of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a magical collection of Christmas jigsaw puzzles inspired by the timeless carol! Start a beloved new tradition—or add to your growing collection—with these exclusive jigsaw puzzles designed by Rachel Arbuckle. And the fun doesn’t stop: a brand-new puzzle is released every year! We're currently on year 10, so our most recent addition is 'Ten Lords a-Leaping'
This superbly detailed stand-up puzzle is filled with fiendish Free Form pieces and themed whimsies for a delightfully difficult Christmas challenge. Featuring double-sided stand-up bauble-shaped pieces this wreath will make a charming Christmas centrepiece and a unique addition to your decorations.
This extra large shaped puzzle was exclusively designed for Wentworth Puzzles by Lara Skinner. The ornate puzzle combines extra difficult cut details, themed whimsies and 'Merry Christmas' pieces. Now you can bring home a luxury Christmas tree with a festive edge. The shape of this puzzle follows that of the illustration for the ultimate Christmas puzzle, large enough for the whole family to enjoy together.
This laser-cut wooden puzzle would make a great gift for any puzzle lover and will be a fun addition to your family's holiday celebrations.
Photos by @puzzled_01
"This might be my favourite Christmas puzzle ever! It includes everything to make a puzzle extra special—free-form pieces, whimsies, and even shaped pieces that spell out ‘Merry Christmas'.” - @puzzled_01
This Patchwork Pudding puzzle isn't as sweet as you'd like, filled with tricky, twisting, spiral-shaped pieces that add to the challenge of completing this extra difficult jigsaw puzzle.
Available as both a regular size Christmas Cracker Puzzle and a Large Cracker Puzzle.
Enjoy the serenity of this summer scene with this premium wooden jigsaw puzzle for adults, featuring stunning artwork that any outdoor lover is sure to adore.
Photos by @l_inspireuse
"I grew up in the countryside, so I have always been surrounded and inspired by nature."- Lucy Grossmith
This superb sunset scene with a hare will make a great gift for jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts and animal lovers alike. Complete with wonderful wildlife whimsies and irregularly shaped puzzle pieces, it makes completing this traditional wood puzzle for adults a little trickier than you may think.
Video by @mk_puzzle
If you’re searching for a gift or treating yourself to a new wood puzzles, our wooden puzzles with images by Rachel Arbuckle will be a fantastic addition to any puzzler’s collection.
