Dayton resident shows off his puzzle prowess

ArtCrafters in Dayton, Tenn., will offer a chance to "Meet the Puzzle Guy" when its showcase of Tim Baisley's jigsaw puzzles goes on display.

Baisley, whom family and friends consider a "puzzle solution expert," will be on hand from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The collection, titled "The Puzzling Guru," will remain on view through Nov. 17.

Baisley, 53, has pursued his hobby since the 1980s and estimates he has put together at least 200. He has given many of them away to family, friends and rest homes.

"I like most any designs, but I particularly enjoy scenery puzzles," he said in a news release.

Baisley's prowess with puzzles is a source of pride to his parents, Bill and Maxine Baisley. In a phone interview, Bill Baisley said his son was born with a mental disability, the result of brain damage at birth, but he drives and holds down a full-time janitorial job at Robinson Manufacturing.

His hobby has become a passion.

"He can really put puzzles together," Bill Baisley said of his son. "He [works them] in his spare time sometimes up to 1 o'clock in the morning."

Patience is the key, according to Tim.

"Sometimes it takes me two months in my spare time to complete those with a thousand pieces," he said.

About 25 of Baisley's puzzles will be featured in the exhibition, including landscapes and animals, "a lot of different scenes," his father said.

IF YOU GO

  • What: "Meet the Puzzle Guy" Tim Baisley.
  • When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday.
  • Where: ArtCrafters, 1356 Market St., Dayton, Tenn.
  • Admission: Free.
  • Phone: 423-775-1401.
  • Website: www.artcraftersdayton.com.
  • Note: The "Puzzling Guru" exhibit continues through Nov. 17 (10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays).

HOLIDAY STROLL

ArtCrafters will be among several downtown Dayton merchants participating in the annual Holiday Stroll, their kickoff to the Christmas shopping season, 5-9 p.m. Thursday. Portions of Market Street, the main thoroughfare through downtown, will be closed for the event, which includes special sales, entertainment, refreshments and prize drawings. For more information, contact MainStreet Dayton at 423-775-9847 or www.mainstreetdayton.org.

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