Charley Harper: MidCentury Artist and Birder

When we saw the Charley Harper exhibition at Cornell Lab of Ornithology last spring, I hadn't realized how much his work would seep into my consciousness. With my growing passion for streamlined midcentury design only growing, his colorful images capture the essence of birds in a uniquely stylized way. So when I was searching for a new 2012 calendar this morning, Charley Harper's images came to mind. With January already gone, I thought, hey I'll get a discount. On the contrary, Harper's calendars are SOLD OUT on many sites and now commanding higher prices. Fortunately I was able to find one at its original price before they were all gone. What this means, of course, is that my Charley Harper illustrated first edition of Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two Cookbook must be worth at least double the $3.50 I paid for it at a yard sale.

The New and the Old

After visiting Cornell's Lab of Ornithology this weekend, habitat seemed to be a central theme. Whether for humans or animals, where we live is an evolving process. The lab's new facility, a beautiful piece of modern architecture based on the structure of a bird, functioned perfectly with its mix of public spaces and research facilities. In the distance was the traditional and classic Kip's barn, a harbinger of the past.
Birds, too, need evolving habitat, and it can be found in some unlikely ways. One Cornell project meant to supplement chickadee nesting sites uses PVC pipe, whose hollow structure could be made to mimic the interior cavity of a rotting tree. Next to it sat a more traditional bird house for comparison. Wouldn't you know it, the chickadees preferred the PVC-- a simple enough way for even a novice to create some new habitat. For directions to build your own, click here.