Remember those boxes that arrived in December? The ones that had to sit unopened while we dealt with basement flooding and I worked on line art for the next project? I can finally show you what was inside.

Photo of two puzzles illustrated by me and published by eeBoo.

Two puzzles I illustrated for eeBoo. The Sorcerer's Den box first—a 1000-piece puzzle, the first in a new series. As I held it in my hand, my initial reaction was critique. Are the colors too dark? Are the shapes too stiff? But then I noticed the pattern in the rug and thought how much I like all the patterns. Then my eye caught another one, and before I knew it I could sense my eye moving around the whole image. This is what I want. With illustration you're often trying to deliver a clear message, a precise focal point. But sometimes you're just inviting the viewer in. Giving them something to enjoy, to pore over. Lots and lots of eye candy. This is that.

Sorcerer's Den 1000-piece puzzle box by eeBoo, illustrated by Jennifer M Potter, featuring cozy magical den with Irish Wolfhound on yellow striped loveseat, orange cat on green cushion, turquoise apothecary cabinet, hanging dried flowers, and raven

The puzzle features a cozy, colorful den. An Irish Wolfhound is curled up on an overstuffed loveseat. There are cats, mice, a raven, crystals, stacks of books, and trailing plants everywhere. A library of herbs and ingredients. Nautilus shells and mushrooms under bell jars. The sorcerer herself is in the background at her workbench, mixing potions. If you like puzzles and a witchy forestcore aesthetic, this one's for you.

The second puzzle is the Explorers School of Magic, 100 pieces for kids. My eye moved around this one too, but differently—not object to object, but room to room. Each space telling its own story. Life drawing class with a dragon model, a puppet show in the bedroom, swimming in the greenhouse, planet gazing in the science room. Baking elaborate cakes in the kitchen and sending them out to the dining hall on floating carts. Creatures everywhere.

I made both of these during one of the most difficult times of my life. Coloring in the hospital room, distracting myself from how sick my dad was. They kept my hands busy when I needed it most. My dad pulled through, and having them here means something. It could have gone so differently, but there's nothing but joy here.

Open box of the Explorers School puzzle showing the pink striped tile backs

I put the Explorers School together recently. First thing I noticed—eeBoo added pink and red stripes to the backs of the pieces. Just decorative, but it makes each tile look special. Like a little treasure. A little confection.

Close up detail of the kitchen scene. Elaborate cakes, the brick oven with cauldron bubbling, kid chefs in white hats, a cat on the checkered floor, dishes washing themselves

I started with the edges, then sorted pieces by room—the color variations made it easy to collect them into little piles. Kitchen pieces here, bedroom there, science room over here. I think that'll be fun for kids, building it room by room. Each one its own little world.

It's been several months since I finished this illustration, so I got to revisit it with fresh eyes. Sometimes I'm too close to my work, too critical. But this came out cute. The Sorcerer's Den is still in its box. A 1000-piece puzzle is a commitment I haven't had time for yet.

Completed Explorers School of Magic puzzle showing all nine magical rooms

Both puzzles are available now—you can find them on eeBoo's website or at shops that carry their puzzles. If you see one in the wild, let me know.

Two Puzzles