While we were visiting my mom in Owensboro, Kentucky over the holidays, we took a little day trip over the river to Newburgh, Indiana (which is an adorable small town on the Ohio River - seriously - I would live there) for a little sight-seeing and shopping. While strolling through one of the art galleries, I came across this artist/illustrator and immediately fell in love!
Charlie Harper (1922 - 2007) is an artist/ illustrator who was born in West Virginia and has had a most interesting and diverse career. He graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnatti in 1947 and had had success in both commercial illustration and personal designs. I love his bright colors, his whimsical yet structured & geometric style and the fact that most of his subjects are animals! When once asked to describe his art style, Harper replied, “When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.”
What a wonderful and talented guy! Happy Friday!
I bought sets of his stationery a few years ago and fell in love with his stuff. So colorful!
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