Charley Harper: Coastal Creatures 500-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Charley Harper (American, 1922 –2007) Poster for The Conservancy, Naples, Florida, 1983 Coastal creatures converge in this jigsaw puzzle of Charley Harper’s stylish midcentury poster for The Conservancy (now The Conservancy of Southwest Florida) in Naples, Florida. Harper celebrates wildlife in the zone where freshwater and salt water mix, in crisp lines and vivid colors. Seabirds fill the air, and wading birds fish among shallow roots of mangrove trees. A baby sea turtle plays while an endangered manatee pokes its wrinkled gray head up to breathe. With heart and humor, Harper captures one of the last remaining examples of a unique American ecosystem.

Charley Harper

Midcentury modernist Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) portrayed the natural world with heart and humor. In vivid colors and simple shapes, his cardinals, ladybugs, and clever critters have become icons of wildlife art. His illustrations were published in magazines and books, notably Ford Times and The Giant Golden Book of Biology. A longtime conservationist, Harper created posters for more than 50 nature- and conservation-oriented organizations. His US National Park Service posters—massive, requiring a year each to paint—showcase delightful depictions of entire ecosystems in a style he defined as “minimal realism.” In his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, his public works are the legacy of an artist truly beguiled by the wild, one whose art was a quiet catalyst for ecological action.