Charles Harper's Birds and Words

After seeing a retrospective show of both Charlie and Edie Harper at the Cincinnati Museum of Art, I had to purchase this book. Charlie's bird silkscreens are illustrations, designs and fantastic artpieces all in one. His minimalist approach can teach any artist what to leave out in order to improve a painting. I can only imagine what it might have been like to have been a student of his. The works are rich and clean and the reproductions in this book are excellent quality. Also, make sure and notice the clever side-characters he puts in to help represent the environment that each bird lives in: snails, frogs, butterflies and flora... each exquisitely designed and can stand on their own as amazing. A side note: I wish there were a similar volume of Edie's works, she is every bit as clever and talented an artist as Charlie and one can easily see the influence of each on the other.

This book is a gem. We bought it as a gift for our 8 yr. old son who is a bird enthusiast, and my husband and I, both illustrators, love it just as much. Charley Harper's illustrations are at the same time ingenious, gorgeous and often humorous. This is one of my favorite books and a great value too.

This book was a very good example of Charley Harper's artwork and how he developed his own style. He was a very unique and interesting artist. I love his work. And his comments that he put with his art is also fun to read. He was a unique artist. I had seen him on Sunday Morning and decided I liked what I saw so decided to pursue purchasing some of his art in books. The preciseness of his art is quite unusual and I am amazed how he enables you to see the birds in their natural habitat by using the utensils he used to create his art. I would love to see some of his silk screen work. He paid attention to detail and color and it is reflected in his work.

I have an original copy of this book which was given to me by my grandmother. The art and the text are whimsical and playful but have a strong undercurrent of environmental respect. Mr Harper is brilliant. This book would be worth three times as much as the list price,

I'm a big fan of Charley Harper's art, but what's makes this book so special is Charley's writing. His sense of humor and word play are equal to his paintings! Great gift for all occassions.