March 27, 2012 Gateway Gazette 

It’s been just over a year now since we started bringing you the latest puzzle craze; the Pic-a-pix, thanks to their creator Diane Baher of Okotoks.  The participation of our readers has increased over the year and now we are happy to let you all know that Diane has published a book of her Pic-a-pix puzzles.

Pic-a-pix is the latest fix for puzzlers and originated from the Japanese form of Oekaki-Logic. It combines logic and math with an artistic touch. You can use colours to complete the puzzles, follow the mathematical clues and voila, right before your eyes, a picture comes to life. Diane’s sense of humour shines through, as well, in the titles to the puzzles.

What started Diane on this puzzle path? “A boredom and lack of ownership with Sudoku and crossword puzzles,” says Diane, “I found that if I got stuck with one of those puzzles I could just put it down and forget about it. Not so with the pic-a-pix puzzles.” A lack of availability of these puzzle books was the catalyst to Diane publishing her own book. “I would have a really hard time finding Pic-a-pix books.”

So putting her head and her hand into mapping out these pictures, Diane then transfers them to her drafting program. “They are not just computer generated,” Diane said, “I draw each one out by hand first.”

The book is on a good quality paper with a coil binding that allows the book to open flat and sells for $16 at local stores, art galleries and on amazon.ca. One dollar from the proceeds of every sale is donated to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary. Diane chose to do this because of the proven benefit of puzzles to brain health. “Use it or lose it!” she adds with a grin. Diane will also be selling her books at the Okotoks Market Square when it opens in May.

Congratulations Diane, the Gazette is very proud to be the first place your puzzles were published and we wish you all the best with the sale of your books.