Trains & Lights, Firever

The holiday season in Cincinnati is really special. As you go down the streets you see so many houses lit with a multitude of colored lights. Its as if we live in a gingerbread city. There was even gorgeous dusting of snow over everything yesterday morning. This, of course, isn't much compared to other parts of the US right now, but it was really nice.

If you find yourself in the Cincinnati area for the holidays take the time to drive around at night. Galbraith Road is especially fantastic. As is the Cincinnati Zoo's Festival of Lights. Fountain Square, in the heart of downtown has outdoor ice skating underneath a gigantic holiday tree. If you get down by there early enough, walk over to 139 E. 4th St. for the 64th Annual Holiday Train Display. Because this is such a train town, you can go look at more holiday train displays at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, in Devou Park, just over the river in Kentucky, or take a quick drive up to the neighborhood of St. Bernard's Municipal Center to see the Queen City Hi-Railers display a 3-rail O-gauge modular railroad; and if you just haven't had enough Christmas trains, then head over to the Cincinnati Museum Center and visit Holiday Junction.

If you're interested in shopping, there is plenty of that in the area, too. In fact, head over to the Cincinnati Nature Center this weekend for the opening of the Charley Harper Art Show. Opening Reception runs from 1pm to 3pm, Saturday, December 12th. The show runs from Dec. 9-31, 2009, 10am - 5pm. Prints, posters, silkscreens, and more will be available for purchase. Or just go directly to charleyharperartstudio.com and order online.

Holidaze

Wow, the elves are working overtime here. We're beginning to sell out of items and are doing our best to keep those pointy-eared workers busy restocking our inventory. Hopefully, we'll only be out of those items for bit. The Charley Harper Art Studio would like to offer an apology for any inconveniences and thank all of our patrons for their patience. Just kidding. We don't employ elves. Its raccoons.

If any of you wonderful readers are in San Francisco this weekend, stop by Deco the Halls Modernism Show and do some holiday shopping. Charley Harper Art Studio will be there. The lovely Sandy Crouse will be more than happy to assist you with finding the appropriate gift for your favorite loved-one. She knows all the answers to all the questions, too.

Did you see us in December's Vogue Magazine? We are setting the bar for the fashion world. Remember, when you think fashion and couture, think Harper.

We Like Ty!

"Ty Wilkins is a designer and illustrator living in Wichita, Kansas. He works full time for Gardner Design and is the founder and editor of the popular typography blog Type Theory." He's also a Charley Harper fan and a very polite young man. We like polite. Check out his website. He's going to be making 30"x30" limited edition screenprints of some of his imagery soon.

Next time you visit the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden , visit the World of the Insect exhibit and say hello to Karen Schmidt and see wood that she collects from out behind the Charley Harper Art Studio for the beetles she cares for. Lots of beech trees in these here forests.

If your near yellow Springs, OH this weekend, come see our booth at the Glen Helen 27th Annual Nature Arts & Crafts Show. "The Show's setting is beautiful. it is housed in a limestone, timber, and glass building situated on the rim of Glen Helen nature Preserve." Glen Helen is a 1,000 acre nature preserved owned by Antioch University.

This Weekend is Chicago!!

Happy Autumn! Did you change your clocks? Are you ready to visit us at the 20th Modernism Show, at Winnetka, Illinois this weekend? What could be better than visiting Chicago and coming by to say hi to us? This volunteer-produced show is in the Winnetka Community House, at 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka, IL. It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 7 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 8. There's a special preview party on Nov. 6th. from 6:30 to 9:30 and the cost includes show admission. There is also a VIP breakfast with Jan Parr at 9 a.m. Nov. 7, the cost of which also includes show admission.

"Modernism encompasses art movements that began in the late 19th century when artists, architects and designers were seeking a way to shed the stuffy, lavishly decorated style of the Victorian era. Clean lines, simple style, and sleek materials are among the hallmarks of Modernism. Well-known modernist slogans include, “Less is more,” and “Form follows function”."

The Winnetka Community House is a non-profit recreational, educational, and cultural arts organization serving the North Shore of Chicago. Founded in 1911 as a nondenominational gathering place for the village, the Community House’s programs sprang to life immediately with a variety of activities for all ages. Today, the Winnetka Community House welcomes more than 250,000 visitors annually.

Return of the Abominable Snow-Cat!!

OK, a break from packing orders and getting ready for Trick-r-Treating! Its wet again. The leaves are like fireworks. The dogs are rolling in things they shouldn't. Snowy, the cat, slipped out of the house and had everyone worried for a few days until turning up in a groundhog hole under the back porch. Life stays interesting.

We are happy to say the new website gallery of Charley Harper original works is online. It can be viewed at www.charleyharperart.com.

Mark your calendars for next weekend. The Discover Modernism: The 20th Annual Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL starts Friday, November 6th, and runs through Sunday, November 8th. Please stop by our booth and say hello. Remember, last years calendars sold out and the Tree of Life prints are going fast!

Also mark your calendars to visit us at "Deco the Halls" Art Deco and Modernism show & sale in San Francisco, CA, December 5th & 6th.

Octoberama!

Long time, no blog! Last time the studio posted anything it was still nice and warm and sunny. Where is our Indian Summer? Its chilly and damp here back in the trees surrounding us. Luckily things are so busy it keeps us moving and we don't get much of a chance to get cold. Even Rena, and she's always cold! There's lots to talk about, so let's start with upcoming events.

This weekend Brett Harper will be on-hand to sign copies of the new $49.95 hardcover edition of Todd Oldham's Charley Harper - An Illustrated Life at Books By The Banks this Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati, OH. Its a free book festival with lots of activities for all ages as well as lots of new books to peruse, and of course, come get your signed edition of the new Charley Harper book!

Look out for the month of November!

Nov. 6 - 8th, the Charley Harper Art Studio will be featured at the 20th Annual Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL.

Nov 11 - 15th, Hamilton County Park District will be hosting Art in the Parks. Fabulous Frames & Art joins Nature’s Niche Stores in presenting the art of the Harper Family. A wide assortment of uniquely framed and unframed prints will be available to purchase in Ellenwood Nature Barn at Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve.
Nature’s Niche will have a new brass adornment and glass ornament with Charley Harper’s American Goldfinch. Charley Harper designs can also be found in four styles of 2010 calendars, boxed holiday cards, note cards, memory games, jigsaw puzzles, peg and floor puzzles, wrapping paper, counted cross stitch charts, board books for children, jewelry, mugs and other assorted items. Brett Harper will make personal appearances on Saturday and Sunday during show hours. Show hours are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 11, 13, 14 and 15, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, November 12, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Nov. 12 - 15th, the studio will be at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, in Harlingen, TX.

Nov. 20 - 22nd, we'll be at Glen Helen, in Yellow Springs, OH

Nov. 28th, look for us at Aullwood Audubon Center, in Dayton, OH

And that's just November. There are more shows in December and January. In fact, we're flying south for that winter month and will be in Miami and Palm Springs exhibiting during Cincinnati's colder moments.

Don't think that shows are the only things keeping us from updating this blog as often as we'd like. There is a new catalog being prepared for print. There are new wall murals in the works. Mug designs...and so much more.

Check out the handpainted Charley Harper needlepoint canvases that are currently available through The Purl Bee.






The studio would like to extend a special thank you to Sue and Bill from Wild Birds Unlimited, in Albuquerque, NM, for taking the time to stop in and say hello while they were visiting Ohio. They're big fans of the Harper family's artworks and when you're in Albuquerque, stop by and say hello to them! Tell 'em we sent you!

As promised, here's another title from the vast reference library here at Charley Harper Art Studios. The Sibley Guide to Birds written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. Talk about a book full of marked pages!! One can tell this National Audubon Society book was a valuable reference for Mr. Harper.

A quick bit of trivia... did you know that Charley Harper's studio used to be his carport? That's right. He had the son of the gentleman that built the house convert the open-air carport into a fully functional enclosed studio!


And finally, please remember, when you're out as goblins and ghouls running amuck for treats, stay out of caves. The bats that live there are hibernating and nobody likes to be woken up from a deep slumber.

If we don't post again before Halloween, carve us up a good pumpkin, leave us out something tasty for the trick-r-treatin' and put on a good scary costume to frighten off bad spirits and we'll see you next time!!

Whew!! It is muggy outside. You would think it was June all over again. It just started raining and you can hear the drops hitting the beech and pawpaw leaves.

Local Cincinnati designer and birdwatcher, Jill Baker, paid the studio a visit yesterday to show off her new leg. Jill had the top of her new prosthesis covered in Charley Harper birds. We had been hearing about this for a couple of months and were glad to have her visit the studio to show it off. Jill said the last thing she would see before surgeries on her leg at Cincinnati Children's Hospital were Charley Harper's bird's that decorated the hospital walls. Wow. Thanks for sharing that with us Jilly! Be sure to say hi to her at some of the bird shows around the country.

OK, time to get back to work and prep for being at SF20, San Francisco's 20th Century Modernism Show and Sale this weekend!