When I was a kid, one of my favorite challenges was working through a Hidden Pictures puzzle. I had a subscription to Highlights (who remembers Highlights??) and every month when the issue would arrive in the mailbox, I would race off to my room with a pencil and turn the pages until I found the Hidden Pictures puzzle.

The challenge began and the excitement lasted until the last picture was found. And then I had to wait an entire month for the next issue! They were certainly entertaining. They also forced me to look at things from many angles. I think about Hidden Pictures often. You can now purchase the books online. Or you can print them at home for free (a GREAT distraction for anyone/children in quarantine, by the way!). You are never to old to enjoy them. I even sent these puzzles to my father-in-law to keep him entertained. And I keep a book of Hidden Pictures Puzzles in our family room.

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My mixed media creations are a lot like Hidden Pictures. I always encourage people to zoom in and look for surprises that develop the stories behind the pieces. It is always fun to point out what is really there. So let’s have a hidden pictures challenge (mine are much easier than the Highlights version!).

I am creating a new series of playing cards based on my home state of Arizona. As I am planning pieces, I fill my sketchbook with ideas and I even do research on my subject. My Cowboy King is the first of the series to celebrate rodeo and the ranchers of Arizona, which are both significant here. So here is your hidden pictures challenge: boots, spurs, brand, bucking bronco, rope, stirrup, wagon wheel, bandana, horseshoes, music, guns, a longhorn, saguaro, and constellations.

My second piece in the series is the Pueblo Queen. I enjoyed reading up on the women of the tribes, who were massive contributors in every way, from hunting and gathering to rearing children and making tools, among many other things. Here are the hidden pictures to discover: map of the plains, American flag, fish, dream catcher, corn, berries, a bear paw, tepees, arrow, fire, kokopelli, feathers, horseshoes, blankets, music.

The Arizona series will soon be growing. We will have a King of the (Golf) Course, a Bikini Queeni, a Jack of the Trails, and a Cowgirl Queen, along with many others. Be sure to look closely when you see them. You just never know what you might find!