The first time I saw one of Scott Gustafson’s paintings, I was quietly transported.
Not by spectacle, but by something softer. Like being a child again—tucked into bed, fairy tale book in hand, pillows all around, the light dim and golden. One of those hushed little moments where the world slips away, and a story takes its place.
Where a frog might be a prince, and three bears might be just finishing breakfast.
That’s the feeling his paintings carry. And that’s what made us fall in love.
A Quiet Return to Wonder
Scott was born in Illinois and once dreamed of working in animation. But as he spent more time with pen and brush, he realized he was drawn to something quieter and more personal. He chose storytelling not through movement, but through still images—each one carefully composed, inviting the viewer to slow down and look closer.
Since the 1980s, Scott has been bringing timeless tales to life—and for more than four decades, his luminous canvases have quietly invited us to linger. Rendered in warm, textured oils and suffused with gentle light, his paintings don’t merely retell beloved classics; they lead us to see them afresh.
There’s a richness to his work that goes beyond colour or composition. It lives in the layers of feeling, the tenderness of expression, the small details that reward a longer look. The worlds he creates are calm, curious, and mischievously charming—imbued with the sense that magic is always there, waiting for those who pause long enough to notice.
And in the paintings we turned into puzzles, that quiet sense of magic is right there at work.
You can almost feel the morning light spilling into the room as Goldilocks stretches beneath a patchwork quilt. You can hear the laughter and music drifting through Puss in Boots. You can sense the hush of surprise—and the Emperor’s pride—as he marches past a crowd of wide eyes and whispered reactions. And at a grand table set for two, you can almost hear the gentle clink of golden plates in The Frog Prince.
Each puzzle captures a moment—a familiar scene that echoes through a story we’ve always known.
A Conversation with the Artist
We had the chance to ask Scott a few questions about these four illustrations—their stories, the process behind them, and the details that stayed with him.
Do you have a personal favourite among these four stories?
“If I had to choose a favourite story from these four tales, I think it would be a toss up between Puss-in-Boots and The Emperor’s New Clothes. I have always liked the character of Puss and admire his quick-witted and plucky ways in which he manages to keep improving his Master’s fortunes.
I also love the message within The Emperor’s New Clothes. It’s a timeless tale of pride, vanity and deception, and is also written proof that these tales, even though hundreds of years old, can still remain relevant."
Was there a detail in one of the paintings that you especially enjoyed including?
“ I always enjoy interpreting costumes, furnishings and other details into the paintings, that I hope will add to the overall visual storytelling of the picture. But one additional piece of the tale that I liked bringing into The Frog Prince illustration was the image of the Princess’s father reflected in the cover of the foreground dish. The King’s insistence that his daughter honor the promise she made to the frog is a very important part of this tale, so it was fun to subtly work his presence into the painting."
What do you enjoy most about painting these stories?
“I think what I most enjoy about painting these stories is spending time with the stories themselves as I go through the steps of sketching and laying out the books. I love putting the characters into context and attempting to bring them to life through the medium of oil paint, and hopefully making them living and believable actors in these classic tales. I also find that spending time in that enchanted world, suspended somewhere between fantasy and reality, is a wonderful place to be."
It's this quality—the ability to create a space between fantasy and reality—that makes Scott's work so perfectly suited to puzzling. As you piece together each painting, you're not just assembling an image; you're stepping into that enchanted world he describes, one piece at a time.
The Stories That Stay With Us
As I began this little puzzle brand, I found myself especially drawn to works that stay with you—not just while you're puzzling, but long after the last piece is placed.
Scott’s paintings remind me that childhood stories don’t have to stay in childhood—they grow with us, and meet us where we are.
Later this year, we’ll be bringing you two more of his paintings: The Journey Begins and Merlin and Arthur—works drawn from deeper myths and legends, where wonder and adventure quietly stir.
If you’ve ever wished to stay in a story a little longer, maybe puzzling it together—one piece at a time—is a way to do just that.
- Shelly
Vancouver