Hand-painted jigsaws span decades

UNIQUE PIECES: Marilyn Vreede's individually painted wooden puzzles have delighted young learners for over 20 years. PHOTO/LEWIS GARDNER 130115WCLGARTIST

Marilyn Vreede's wooden jigsaw puzzles have helped children to recognise and name native birds, plants and marine life for more than two decades now.

Each individually hand-painted puzzle is "guaranteed non-toxic and safe to eat, although not recommended as part of a nutritional diet."

"I started making them in the early '90s and I recently met a woman who said her daughter still had one of the original puzzles, and she is now 25.

"They do last a long time and stand up to a lot of punishment and the pieces are large, but occasionally a child will lose one."

Marilyn's husband Marty Vreede screen-prints the outlines onto board and Marilyn hand-paints them individually.

"We had a production line at one time: I have six sisters and I recruited them to help with the painting and we each did a colour.

"They mainly go to kohanga reo and pre-schools and we fill orders for Abacus Educational Suppliers.

"There was an upsurge in sales after an educational expo about five years ago, but we have never really had to market them because I wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand."

Marilyn and Marty started another enterprise in 2010, Pakohe Enterprises, making fine flax papers. Marty is a fine arts and print lecturer at Whanganui UCOL and Marilyn said the paper making idea came to him after he attended a convention overseas.

They experimented with different grades of paper and made 22 types before settling on the six most popular grades, which they now market for a diverse range of purposes - from a fine grade that can be used for printing and photocopying to the heaviest grade that can be used for lampshades and book covers.

"The flax is washed and beaten, then boiled for 48 to 72 hours depending on the grade," says Marilyn. "We work with local weavers like Tamsin Wilson and Jo Tito, and they bring us their stripped flax so we can use the fibres."

The family-based cottage industry is likely to expand slightly now Marty will be working reduced hours at UCOL and Marilyn said it would be good to have more time to devote to the enterprise.

"In the meantime, I have these puzzles to finish" she said.