And a Painted Bunting in a Pear Tree….

It is a tradition at Fabulous Frames & Art to offer a new adornment every year based off of a Charley Harper design and this year a dynamic duo was chosen. The Piece ‘Painted Bunting’ will be featured on adornments and ornaments along with its traditional serigraph format.

“Painted Bunting”
Charley Harper

Originally released in 1974 this pair has been waiting almost 40 years to make to a come back. They are best described in Charley’s words:

“Painted Bunting”
Charley Harper
Serigraph

“Wow! Over there! Perched on the palmetto! Ever see such complimentary complementary colors? The painted bunting, adult male, is a bird you must see to believe, but that’s not easy. With all that direct male advertising in living color, you might expect him to come on like a billboard, but he shyly shuns the boulevard for the underbrush. Next to him, his mate is regular plain Jane. Why? So she won’t turn a nest building with baby buntings into a dead giveaway”.

“Painted Bunting”
Charley Harper

Come visit these two flamboyant feathered friends at any Fabulous Frames & Art location

You’re Invited to our 24th Annual Harper Celebration!

Please join us at the Fabulous Frames & Art Montgomery gallery for our 24t^h annual Charley Harper celebration, on Saturday, December 7^th from 11am-5pm.

An added bonus to the unique atmosphere of this holiday show is a free print of Harper’s creation “Little Sipper”. This print comes free with any purchase of a Harper print.

“Little Sipper”
Charley Harper

The hovering ruby-throated hummingbird nips nectar from a morning glory, enjoying a breakfast beverage, a motionless in-flight meal, the power of the flower. These hummers beat their wings as fast as 53 times per second to hold their bills still for sipping.

Also on display will be a vast assortment of Charley’s serigraphs, lithographs, giclee prints, and posters, as well as some originals. Charley & Edie’s son Brett will be the host, and we will have light refreshments on hand.

We hope to see you at our celebration!

Our Fabulous Frames Founding Family

Our Montgomery store address:

10817 Montgomery Rd

Cincinnati, OH 45249

Welcome Andrew Van Sickle

The opening night for any event or show is one filled with breathless anticipation, joyful moments, and finally a feeling of accomplishment after the guests have left and there is nothing but the remains of the excitement that once was.

Capturing the emotional charge of nights like those is a tough task for anyone, but Ohio artist Andrew Van Sickle has crafted a way to bring together the initial celebration of Cincinnati landmarks such as the Roebling bridge and Music hall with a unique pop art sensibility and color palette.

“Roebling Bridge 1866”
By: Andrew Van Sickle

Known for his eclectic sensibility his work not only hangs in Fabulous Frames & Art but is also featured in the private collections of Hollywood socialites such as Tara Reid and Paris Hilton. His print of Music Hall’s opening night includes over 300 individual colors.

“The Opening NIght of  Music Hall 1878”
By Andrew Van Sickle

His iconic-based work is heavily influenced by an early love of cartoons, Roy Lichtenstein, and a stint running an art studio alongside Andy Warhol’s older brother Paul Warhola.

“Fountain Square 1866”
By Andrew Van Sickle

To have an exclusive chance to own one of your own prints visit the 4^th street location of fabulous frames!

A Feline Phenom

Most cat owners would agree that their four-legged friends are truly the masters of their domain. Even prolific artists like Charley & Edie Harper fell under the enchanting spell of these domestic beasts.  The Harpers had two cats of their own, Snowy & Gussy, who found their way into Edie’s work.

The Harper’s Cat Gussy
Photo Cred – A-Line Magazine – RVP Photography

Her series  “cat in a basket “ features baskets being filled not only with cats but also anything from gourds to holly to lilacs. This simple geometric print uses triangles to capture the essence of a curious cat surveying the outside world from inside their safe perch.  Our Master Mat Designer Paul used his own artistic skills to continue these simple lines to add a special look to this beveled mat.

“Cat in a basket with Lilacs”
Edie Harper

Cats are funny creatures and never seem content in one place for too long and Edie’s cats are the exact same way. They have shown up on prints, coffee mugs, coloring books, and recently on adornments. These small shining cutouts capture light and would brighten up any Christmas tree during the holiday season.

To see more of Edie’s feline friends stop by any Fabulous Frames & Art store!

Cold Weather & ‘Cool Carnivore’

The chant ‘Who-Dey’ can be heard all around Cincinnati on any given Sunday but this week it will be heard loud and clear Thursday night as the Bengals take on the Dolphins and try to improve their record to 7-2.

This football fever has even reached the Charley Harper collection as his ‘Cool Carnivore’ print from 1979 seems to mimic the exhaustion that our hometown team feels after each game.

 

The original intention behind the print was to bring into focus the effect of excessive hunting of the Bengal tiger and what that might mean to the livelihood of the species. In fact, the year that the “Cool Carnivore” print was released another tiger, the Javan tiger, was hunted into extinction.

More recently the Bengal tiger has been recognized as having the largest population of any endangered tiger species and is on track to maintain that status.

With roughly 2500 Bengal tigers worldwide and 100 times as many Cincinnati football fans* its not a surprise that the “Cool Carnivore” has started to show his face on snazzy tailgating accessories like our mugs and glasses.

Tune in this Thursday at 8:30 to catch the Kick off of the Cincinnati Bengals and turn up to one of our five locations to view “Cool Carnivore” for yourself!

Harper Ever After

Some people look back fondly at old love letters, or in some cases emails, to reminisce about time gone by. Now just imagine that sketches, lithographs, oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and everything in between captured your romance. That is the reality for the dynamic duo of Charley and Edie Harper.

The relics of their partnerships are on display for the ‘Harper Ever After’ exhibit at The Cincinnati Art Academy.  These artifacts include humorous early drawings by both Edie and Charley from their days at the school.

The subject matter gets much darker with the sketches from the recently graduated Charley after he was sent off to the battlefields of WWII.  These rarely seen sketches and letters follow him through Europe and back home including his view of a bombed out church and valentines sent to Edie who was waiting stateside.

The rest of the exhibition follows a much brighter trajectory as they traveled across America and explored the unique habitats and rituals of numerous animals and ecosystems. Even capturing their own growing family with a portrait of their son Brett.

Looking back on the expansive body of work the Harpers created over their lifetime is truly inspiring. The ‘Harper Forever’ exhibit will run until November 1^st 2013 and The Art Academy of Cincinnati galleries are open M-F 9am-9pm.

Charley Harper: Gone, But Never Forgotten

Cincinnati’s beloved Charley Harper, world-famous artist, died on this day in 2007. He will forever be missed.

Charley’s Cardinal

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”-Dr. Seuss

A Few Photos from Our May Downtown Doggie Day, Including the Cutest Dog Model You’ve Ever Seen

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Our May Downtown Doggie Day is Almost Here

Our May Downtown Doggie Day takes place on Saturday the 4th, between the hours of 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Fabulous Frames and Art is thrilled to partner with local artist Marc Wavra for a series of in-store pet portrait events at our downtown Cincinnati location. His exceptional skill as an art photographer, combined with his love of all animals, makes him the ideal person to bring out your pet’s unique personality.

His custom 15″x15″ stretched canvases are a brilliant alternative to the standard animal portraits offered at pet stores. A session lasts approximately 5-10 minutes, and results in a treasured image that is both a keepsake and a work of art. Please join us for this special occasion. We will be serving light refreshments (treats and water) for your furry friends. If you require a sitting at a specific time, reservations are recommended. Walk-ins are welcome on a first come first served basis. Don’t live in the Cincinnati area? Never fear! Marc can also work off of your high quality photograph.

For more information, or to schedule a sitting, please contact us at: 513.579.9998 or alicia@fabframes.com.

Be sure to check out the gallery for a few adorable examples of his work. Enjoy!

Marc Wavra dog portrait #2

Marc Wavra dog portrait #3

Fabulous Frames and Art

17 West Fourth Street

Cincinnati, Ohio 45225

Edie Harper: Her Biblical Works and a Little Love Story

Charley Harper and Edie McKee met cute. The year was 1940, and they were fresh-faced youngsters enjoying their first day at art school. Fast forward seven years, to a world newly released from war: with their respective patriotic service behind them, and their education finally finished, they married. They were never apart again.

The Harpers were accomplished artists. Although Charley, who died in 2007, gets more press than Edie, who passed away in 2010, make no mistake: she was an extraordinarily gifted woman whose mastery of multiple mediums was, and remains, nothing short of breathtaking.

As the 1970s approached, Edie turned her keen abilities to portraying scenes from the Bible. As delightfully whimsical as her other work, these Biblical illustrations are some of her best known and loved pieces. That she shared her husband’s gift for visual distillation is never more obvious than when looking at this series.

We are excited to announce that our Montgomery location is hosting a show of Edie Harper Biblical illustrations. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by to see them in person! For those of you who cannot make it in, we’ve assembled a gallery of some of the images that will be on view. Enjoy!

FABULOUS FRAMES AND ART

10817 MONTGOMERY ROAD

CINCINNATI, OHIO 45242

513.489.8862

HOURS OF OPERATION:

MONDAY-THURSDAY: 10:00-8:00

FRIDAY-SATURDAY: 10:00-6:00

SUNDAY: CLOSED

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