Charley Harper: The California Desert Mountains 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, California, 2002 California quail trot across a cacti-laden desert, while a cougar peeks out between the horns of a bighorn sheep. A hawk soars above while a rattlesnake slithers out of the scene, below. Spend some time in the desert with Harper’s clever composition, reproduced here in 1,000-pieces.

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.