Page 20 - CFANnov13

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FEATURE |

A FARMER'S

HANDS

S
AT WORK

ROBERT
HARPER
on Canvas

on his peach

orchard during
harvest time.

How Robert Harper
EVENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD until he filled their cabinets. When Amy

Robert Harper likes a challenge. In his suggested it was time to graduate to
lifetime he’s bailed hay, sold watermelons, canvas, he agreed.
Captures Natural Florida

raised beef cattle, and grown citrus. Now he sells canvas prints of his
Formerly a Central Florida developer, the artwork, and donates his work to

Lakeland realtor is now growing peaches charitable causes. His original painting, by CHERYL ROGERS
and painting. “It’s probably the most Wetland Sanctuary, represents Florida

relaxing thing I do. I don’t get to do it as at the National Association of Home

much as I like,” he says of his painting.
Builders Housing Center in Washington,
Harper didn’t take up art until he was D.C. Inducted into the Florida Home Martin Johnson Heade of the Hudson from their cars from the 1950s through

about 60, when he came home one evening Builders Association Hall of Fame in River School Artists from 1825 to 1910. 1980s. “He definitely uses bright colors,”
to a painting party his wife, Amy, was 2004, he currently serves as chairman of He also was inspired by Hudson River he says of Harper’s work. “He did a

having with friends. They were painting the Hall of Fame Committee for the group School Artists Thomas Moran, Albert collection of native sea turtles. They were
on glasses and it looked like fun, so he in Tallahassee.
Bierstadt, Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, just real stunning.”

decided to try it. “I painted some different Harper likes to watch others and learn and Jasper Cropsey.
The studio is owned by former
scenes of animals on four glasses,” says new things. He watched other people bail Thomas Fagen, curator at The Studio Governor Lawton Chiles’ widow, Rhea,

Harper, who is also the broker/owner at hay and sell watermelons, so he tried that. at Gulf and Pine at Anna Maria, describes and features many different artists. “I

WebPro Realty.
With art, it was the same. He watched Harper’s work as primitive and realistic, would recommend him [Harper] to
From there, he started painting on some videos and read a lot of books. And in the tone of Robert Butler, one of the anyone. He will definitely have more

different glasses, and pitchers and plates,
he learned from other artists, among them
Florida Highwaymen who sold their work
shows in here,” Fagen says.

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