Two local artists have come up with a way for both residents and visitors to appreciate Napa, one piece at a time.
They painted and produced a Napa Valley jigsaw puzzle.
Sandra Cassayre and Susie Locarnini said they’d often worked together on other art projects, so collaborating came naturally.
Susie “and I always have lots of crazy ideas and finally we picked one to pursue,” said Cassayre.
“I’ve always been a puzzler,” said Locarnini. And she definitely noticed how the COVID-19 pandemic lead to a rise in puzzle purchases.
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Cassayre and Locarnini said they wanted to create something from Napa Valley that people could take home and do as a family, especially during the pandemic. Both are also art educators.
The puzzle features a number of popular “Napa” destinations and landmarks such as Robert Mondavi Winery, the Napa Valley Wine Train and Silverado Resort. But it also features some of Cassayre’s and Locarnini’s favorite local spots such as Butter Cream Bakery, Genova Deli, and local taco trucks.
To start, they created a collage made from cut-out pieces of painted paper. It’s 40 by 36 inches. Next, they found a printer in Canada and commissioned a limited production run of the art puzzle (in both 70 and 500 pieces). A total of 1,000 puzzles were made.
So far, about 600 puzzles have been sold. The two said they split the initial costs 50/50 and have already recouped their expenses.
Dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s, Cassayre and Locarnini also asked each business or location featured for permission to be included in the puzzle.
“We just wanted to be sure they were OK with it and that we wouldn’t have any legal problems after we went to print,” said Cassayre. One Napa business declined to participate, but the rest were quite happy to be featured.
The puzzle can be found at a number of Napa County businesses including Napa Bookmine, Browns Valley Market, Cal Mart, Castello di Amorosa, Color Theory, Copperfield's Books, Findings, Genova Deli, Kelly's Filling Station and Wine Shop, Oakville Grocery Ranch Market, V. Sattui Winery and the Napa Valley Welcome Center. The retail price ranges from $29 to $35.
So what’s next for Napa’s newest puzzle artists? “We plan to do Sonoma,” as a puzzle, said Locarnini.
After that, “I don’t know where this will take us.”
You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com