Painting by Numbers

I thought it was going to literally be a paint by numbers similar to Ben’s Holding out for a Hero, and looked like 3 crosses (Rembrandt?) - but then I read the words lol !! Fun one, thanks!

Very cool puzzle, thank you!

Solved, but not sure I used the intended metanism. I just recognized grid words that went with the painting. Thanks!

Reading the comments cleared up my confusion, except for RAIL. Did I miss something in the painting? Nice symmetry, as usual!

Well, I got the answer, but it was based solely off 49D. Now to go back and see what I was really supposed to do. Thanks for the puzzle, Rick!

This was fun - kudos to another work of art!

Geez. I looked ant the numbers/single letters but never thought to look at the words. Sheesh!

Very clever. Was kind of lost until I noticed PITCH FORK down the middle, and that 29 and 51 had been called out. Then it was fun locating the remaining elements. Nice puzzle to ease into the week.

Wow....your ability to hide both clues and easter eggs is insanely good. I got the number scheme early....but then also saw the Gable...which kinda distracted me to the house of seven gables...but there was not pitch fork in that one.

My first thought was that it must have something to do with the numbers in the clues which looked suspicious. Good thing I kept going.

Thank you, Cap’n!

My first thought was to try and play "connect-the-dots" from each of the nine answers to the corresponding number in the grid. Would have made for a cool mechanism, although it would rely very heavily on our ability to draw straight lines, which I have never been much good at (just ask my elementary school art teacher!). But once I realized I was using the wrong art technique, the answer took shape without too much trouble.

Well-crafted! Initially I just highlighted the single letter of the numbers that were mentioned in the clues. When they didn’t spell anything, I took a step back and saw the entire words. Nice AHA! Thx for the puzzle!

I recall a long time back, the WSJ had the same painting as an answer, and I was surprised at how many people said that they weren’t familiar with it.

You too are "pro"lific, Capn. "All IASK Of You" is more great AHAs like this - Thanks for this work of meta art!

Good one! I didn't notice the GABLE before, that's a nice touch.

Very cool! I got lucky and my brain immediately went to American Gothic after I noticed PITCH FORK running right down the center. I'm a dope when it comes to art, but this is one of the few that I'm vaguely familiar with. Initially, I kept trying to make some connection between the numbers and the colors of the various things referenced in each of the clues & number pairs, but wasn't getting very far aside from a few things like SKY (blue) and BARN (red, usually?) and maybe stretching the Area 51 one to green (little green men?).

Nice! I enjoyed connecting the dots on this one! Thanks, Capn Rick.

I kept trying to spell something with the numbers, then with the clues that held the numbers, then... It was while thinking, "OK, Sky blue, Barn red, Farmer brown (I KNOW you are not above a good pun), Sister..."hey wait a minutes, I know that painting, and it was done by Grant WOOD". I assume the rail was the rail on the porch? Nice on Rick, and enough of a departure from your usual that it gave me some fits at first. Enjoyed the literal AHA!!!

That was really fun! It took me a bit longer than it should have, but finally saw the words to go with the numbers. I tried to draw lines between them at first. That produced a hideous picture. Very nice construction.

You're an artist, Cap'n Rick - well done!

wonderful construction...thanks Cap'n Rick!

I guessed the mechanism to be that the grid entry told you what to paint into the numbered square. In the first example, PIE painted into square #1 (as clued) — replacing the S that was there, yields PIETA at 1-down. “Oh this will be fun!” said this former art major! But of course that was the only one — although someone on the web posted his art piece called “Odd Ork” — which would make that device work for ODD / FORK also, if that artwork were at all famous (it is not). FINALLY just read all the number words out loud and immediately thought of the Grant Wood master. Duh!

Another winner. Always look forward to your puzzles.

Well, I had the mechanism from the get go…colored the numbers but didn’t get anything resembling art! The last nudge did it for me. Oh, well! Creative idea!

Didn't really solve it, just entered the only famous Grant Wood painting. :) I saw the numbers pretty quickly, and tried first letters of those entries, and the connect-the-dots approach, and then tried highlighting the grid entries--but did it with solid colors. I was assuming it was a grid-art type puzzle where once I filled in the right boxes the shape of some famous painting would leap out. That obviously didn't work. :) When the nudges seemed to confirm that was the path I just assumed that I didn't know the painting until the fifth nudge told me which artist to pick (and wiki confirmed that the only painting I knew of his was probably the only one I was supposed to know). :) Shame, because the idea is inspired. But I don't think I'd ever have seen it. Still, that's my fault not the puzzle's, which is a work of genius!

I always enjoy your puzzles! Thank you for sharing your skills with the group!

Very ingenious. I would never have gotten to the answer without nudges.

According to Wikipedia, " It depicts a farmer standing beside his daughter." His daughter [slap], his sister [slap], his daughter [slap], his sister [slap], . . .

Wow! The meta is so clever, again. (I was able to answer with the increasingly explicit hints, and now I'm just trying to figure out the actual way to solve!)

solving this meta was thrilling :D