The Art of Charley Harper

Frog Eat Frog
Whitecoat

Upside Downside
Provocative Plumage

Charley Harper (1922- 2007 ) provides us with a unique view of animals and other aspects of the natural world--not through realistic paintings, but by means of stylized drawings and paintings that capture the essence of his subjects using the fewest elements.

He describes his style as minimal realism. In his art, the parts of the creature or ecological system are all there and are recognizable, but distilled in a manner that enhances our appreciation for their unique combinations of shapes and colors (i.e., less is more). He like to joke that he doesn't count the feathers of the birds he paints, just the wings. His different perspective on the world always includes a little humor and mystery.

Devere Burt - - Masterworks for Nature

From the early 1950's through the mid 1970's Charley received regular illustration commissions from Ford Times Magazine. He made many covers for Ford Times, many more internal illustrations, released several exclusive lines of prints for its readership, and developed his knack for puns in its pages.

Some of the most highly collectible images in Charley's repertoire come from these years and, with the recent expansion of interest in his work, prints from this time are growing increasingly rare and valuable. A number of Charley's most beloved bird images are among these Ford Times era prints. These were collected in a book titled "Birds and Words". Copies of "Birds and Words" from the original edition are scarce and increasingly valuable.

Ammo Books has recently re-issued the book, and copies of the new edition are now readily available.

Grand Union Hotel
Largemouth Bass

Purple Finch

Heath Hen

Green Jay

Mantis

Charley has designed over 50 "bio" posters for non-profit conservation groups, nature centers and zoos, United States national parks and monuments, and international wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere preserves. One of the first federally commissioned posters was the ecology of Glacier Bay National Park in the 1960's. This poster, as well as six other Charley Harper National Park Service posters have just been re-released by the studio.

Other works include the design of ceramic tile murals for the Federal Building and Convention Center in Cincinnati, as well as the Biology Building at Miami University in Ohio. He has also illustrated interpretive displays for Everglades National Park in Florida. In addition, Charley has created over 100 limited-edition silkscreen prints and giclee prints, as well as many lithographed open edition prints.

Charley Harper passed away June 10, 2007, but the studio he built is still active under the continuing supervision of his son, Brett Harper. Charley only released prints of a small fraction of the thousands of images he created in his lifetime Those previously unseen images are slowly coming to light as Charley's estate is settled and the studio has been releasing new editions of some of these lost gems. Below are some brand new images just released by the Charley Harper Art Studio.

Tree of Life

Neck and Neck

Poison Dart Frog