MFPA “Friends” Jigsaw Puzzle Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Helen O
Life can often feel overwhelming these days, so it’s more important than ever to take some time out to relax and let your mind quiet for a while. So I was absolutely delighted to be offered the opportunity to review the MFPA’s “Friends” Jigsaw Puzzle and it turned out to be quite a special experience.
The MFPA (Mouth and Foot Painting Artists) was formed in 1957 and is a partnership of disabled artists, run by the artists themselves. It celebrates artists who paint without the use of their hands – instead using their mouth or feet to create exquisite works of art. I really had no idea about them before, but from my research after hearing about them, it’s truly inspiring.
The puzzle arrived well packaged in a padded envelope and also a plastic bag wrapping, so when I opened it the box was in immaculate condition. The picture on the box was of two dogs – one black and one beige- and was absolutely incredible, particularly given the fact that the artist, in this case Walery Siejtbatalow, had used his mouth to paint this beautiful picture.
When I opened the box, I found a bag of 250 puzzle pieces, which I tipped out onto the dining room table and separated the pieces that had got locked together. Since I was a child, I have always focused on getting the corners and edges separated out from the remaining pieces, building my foundation first, before going in for the main event, so to speak!
Due to the colouring of the picture – lots of green grass, trees and blocks of colouring for the dogs, it was trickier than I had originally thought it might be, but that added to the satisfaction in the long run! I don’t often get the chance to just sit for a while, getting lost in an activity such as this, so I actually really enjoyed this opportunity. My daughter, although only young, is a puzzle-fiend and has a keen eye for matching patterns, so she was eager to lend a hand too and started finding the pieces of the dogs faces and putting them together. I really appreciated the time we spent together, doing this.
If I had thought about it before, I would have used a board or something similar, as I wasn’t able to complete the puzzle in a single sitting and dipped in and out of it over the course of about a week. So having the ability to move it around and out of the way, for dinner times, for example, would have been advantageous. This might not be an issue for most people, who might want to complete it in a single sitting. We managed to transfer it over onto a piece of cardboard, which made it more manageable – for info, the size of the completed puzzle is 34cm x 48 cm.
One thing I noted was that if the pieces were put together incorrectly and then you attempted to separate them out, some small dots of white appeared, indicating that perhaps the print quality could be improved slightly. But overall, I thought the puzzle was brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed setting aside some time to complete it. It certainly gave me a warm feeling of achievement when I placed the final piece in! It’s been a long time since I completed a puzzle for myself, rather than helping a child do one.
The MFPA produce these puzzles with slightly larger puzzle pieces to help with manual dexterity and would be perfect as a gift for someone who is undergoing rehabilitation after illness or injury. Or simply a lovely gift for someone who would benefit from mindfulness or who may have difficulty concentrating. With Christmas fast approaching, I would absolutely recommend this puzzle as a thoughtful gift and would recommend it to friends and family. The RRP of this puzzle is £14, which I think represents excellent value for money.
The full range of items available from the MFPA can be found in their online shop at https://www.mfpa.co.uk/shop/ including other jigsaw puzzles, Christmas cards, children’s books and even individual art prints. What I love about the MFPA, is that they tell you every artist’s name and the means of how each picture has been painted, which adds a real personal touch.
Rating: 4.5/5
RRP: £14
For more information or to buy, visit www.mfpa.co.uk