A passion for puzzles has led to two firsts for artist Shelly Hamill this weekend ? her first solo show will be the first show to open in the new Elliott Gallery.

For those who are not aware, the Elliott Gallery is in the new Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation building, on Jubilee Road, Devonshire.

Mrs. Hamill, whose work was selected for this year?s Bacardi Limited Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Bermuda Art, will open ?Sudoku: Paint by Numbers? today.

It is a show of recent works, which all incorporate the theme of Sudoku and the number nine.

?The show will feature a variety of works in differing mediums including acrylic, tile mosaic, woodblock and mirrors,? said the artist, who is becoming recognised for her decorative and original style.

?This show and all of the pieces in it are inspired by the number puzzle Sudoku,? she explained.

?I recently learned how to do the puzzles and am hooked! Now everywhere I go, I see squares and nines.

?I wanted to explore different ways to represent this.

?I hope they inspire people to think and play and to see art in their everyday.?

In doing the Sudoku puzzles, Mrs. Hamill found the way she saw the world changing.

?I started to see things around me that were squares,? she said.

?I started by painting and using colour to represent numbers, then evolved into using many different mediums to represent the 81 squares in a Sudoku puzzle.

?Sudoku is a numbers puzzle where each box of nine hosts the numbers one to nine, each row across and up and down hosts the numbers one to nine.

?You are given only a few numbers to start with as clues, you must figure out the remaining numbers and their placement.?

Mrs. Hamill learned to paint in watercolours from her grandmother Jane Keller.

?She is a great inspiration,? said the artist, who is thrilled to be the first artist chosen to show at the new Elliott Gallery.

?Working with Fiona (Rodriguez-Roberts, Kaleidoscope?s director) has been a real treat and she has made the whole process easier,? said Mrs. Hamill.

The busy mother of three usually finds time to work when her children are in school.

?I create during the school day and treat it like going to a job,? she said.

When asked to describe her favourite piece in this show, she said: ?There are two wood block pieces. I love the larger of the two.?

The artist admits to being slightly unnerved by her first solo show ? though excited.

?I have only participated in group shows thus far,? she said. She also placed second this year in the Butterfield Bank Art Festival.

?Preparing for this show has been harder than anything else I have ever endeavoured ? aside from parenting,? she said.

?This tops any bridal fair, Art in the Park, wedding or special event I have ever planned. It has really stretched me emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

?I am a adrenaline junkie and will definitely do it again.?