Exotic Garden - Lagoon Paradise

A lush jungle paradise packed with animals at every level: a giraffe and lion share the waterside on the left, flamingos wade through the shallows, and a leopard sprawls across a tree branch overhead. Elephants drink at the far bank while a hippo lurks half-submerged, and somewhere in the canopy a monkey and a toucan are going about their business. The colour palette is the real talking point: coral-red foliage sits against deep teal water and purple-bloomed trees, with a soft pastel sky peeking through the mountain backdrop.

The artist is Marie Amalia Bartolini, and the style has the feel of a vintage natural history illustration crossed with decorative folk art. Every tree and bush is almost too perfectly arranged, like a painted Garden of Eden. It's busy without being chaotic, which makes sorting by area fairly satisfying: the bold orange round-topped trees on the left are an easy starting point, and the teal water gives you a clear spine to work from.

That said, the dense green canopy sections and the mid-tones of the distant mountains will ask for some patience. A solid 1000-piece build for anyone who enjoys a well-illustrated scene with plenty to discover as it comes together.