All the images on this blog are the copyright property of the artist and his agent, and may not be reproduced without permission.

Napster sincerely hopes that people viewing these images will enjoy them as much as we did in their creation, and that viewers will enter into the spirit of the exercise, as tongue-in-cheek and wonderful as it has been and continues to be.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Going Dutch

Exciting stuff.   Napster has been asked to donate one of his artworks to a Charity based in Holland.
He is happy to comply. 

Eyes on Animals will be selling his card as a Christmas card to raise money for their Charity. With their Dutch connection, the piece they chose is Skaters -- a lovely abstract of skaters swirling and twirling, scarves flying in the winter air.

One of our guests, here from Ottawa, exclaimed the moment she saw this picture: "It's the Rideau Canal! The skaters!"

Eyes on Animals is an independent animal-welfare inspection organization with its headquarters in The Netherlands. Eyes on Animals was created in 2009 to fulfill the urgent need of overseeing that current European animal-protection legislation is being put into practice. They have volunteer investigators who are regularly in the field conducting inspections and watching out for animal welfare problems. While they work primarily in the Benelux, they also go to other countries where they feel they could be of help. 
 

 
The European animal-welfare laws are good in theory and are based on the following `five freedoms`:
  • freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
  • freedom from discomfort
  • freedom from pain, injury and disease
  • freedom to express normal behavior
  • freedom from fear and distress
Napster whole heartedly supports this.  He was thrilled to get a postcard from the Co-ordinator/Head of Inspections, and he hopes his artwork will help to raise money for this very worthy cause.

 

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Family Ties

This is Tigger.  When Napster was born, in a hayloft at Lane's End Stables, Bobcaygeon, Tigger was not only his littermate and sister, but also his protector.

When Sue found the kittens, there were three little ginger 'blobs' curled up sleepily, and one little 'tiger' hissing and spitting to keep Sue away.

That little Tiger was Tigger... who still lives at Lane's End.

In August Napster donated a print to the Lane's End Horse Trials and Breast Cancer Fundraiser, and his person Nancy had a chance to visit with Tigger.  And with Sue.

It's nice to touch base with the family.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Bengert's Fox

Ann Bengert has long been a fan of Napster's work.  Last year she took home several prints as gifts, and when up at her Lake of Bays cottage this summer, she dropped by to acquire a few more.

One thing lead to another, and while she was schmoozing the artist, he decided he would paint with her.  What a thrill!

Since one of her favourite paintings is his Equine Portrait, in part because she loves the strong colour palette he used for that work, she wondered if she might be lucky enough to get a matching painting -- a different subject matter, but a similar palette.

Carefully she prepared the colours, strong, bold, undiluted, with a splotch of white paint right in the centre of the plate, since white accents seem to be one of the Cat's favourite accents.

Ann supports equestrian sport, through her position with the Toronto Dominion bank. She has her own horse and rides regularly so it is no surprise that she likes the Equine Portrait.

Well, it is most interesting.  Given the same colours, Napster whipped and mixed, blended and blurred and produced what we think is an outstanding piece of art.  Ann immediately spotted the fox, strong and proud, staring off to the right, standing in an autumn field of tall grasses and low bushes. An appropriate subject for a hunter rider! 

A closer look, however, reveals the jumping horse leaping to the left of the painting.

Turning it, Ann found bluebirds, and turning it again found a portrait of her pony, Ms Moneypenny, head tilted to the right.

She loved the piece. But she was left shaking her head that her best laid plans to acquire two Napsters in the same colour range had been so beautifully foiled. Which just goes to prove that the work is Napster's, and he will not compromise his art.

Incidentally, Equine Portrait goes up for sale at the Lane's End Horse Trials on August 14th, raising money for Breast Cancer research.  Fitting. Lane's End is where Napster was born.

Fire and Ice

Think of a land of opposites -- of volcanoes and glaciers, hot springs and cold arctic waters, sweeping landscapes and narrow gorges. A land of northern lights and almost no trees...   Iceland.

It is a land of rare beauty, and contradictions, a place that can be many things to many people.

So how very fitting that it is now home to some of Napster's artwork -- which is itself beautiful and full of interpretations!  Margaret and Gunni snapped up an extensive collection of his cards to take home with them.

Iceland is also home to Annie  Thorisdottir, the Fittest Woman on Earth. She recently won the  2011 Reebok CrossFit Games, beating out 50 female finalists from a starting field of over 1600. Thorisdottir, age 21, hails from Kopavogur, Iceland and won $250,000 for her victory. 

Her outstanding achievement has inspired Napster -- he has been diligently walking this week: up to the stable, down to the lake, and jumping up onto his dining table.  Anything that encourages him to increase his activity levels is a good thing, so thanks Annie, for giving him that little psychological shove.  After all, it was part of his exercise and diet program that brought him into the world of art in the first place!

Hong Kong!

Napster always finds it exciting when he gets to add another country to his list. He keeps a world map, and has us stick in a pin for every country where his art has been purchased. So he was just delighted this week to sell to Jarvis, who's heading back to Hong Kong tomorrow!
This is his first sale into Asia, so it is pretty thrilling.  This adds to his current list, which includes Granada, Barbados, USA (including Hawaii), all of Canada from coast to coast, England, France, Switzerland, New Zealand...It's been a busy week for Napster, as he moves into new international markets -- but those are for other posts.  This one is all about the beautiful city of Hong Kong, and his first Asian sales.  He never dreamed, when he embarked on his artistic career, that his work would travel so far afield.
As for us, we're just speechless!

Commedia dell'Arte

This is one of Napster's most recent works, produced in July.

We are still turning it, spending some time studying it, waiting for the true nature to reveal itself.

We love the colours, and the bold, fearless sweep of the strokes.

For the drama lovers, there is clearly a mask -- from the Commedia dell'Arte perhaps?

Those who love birds tell us they see a wild swan.  We've also heard that it resembles autumn leaves floating on  quiet lake...  We're not sure we've quite caught all the nuances in this -- which brings us back to the theatre mask, and the mysteries hidden behind that as well.

High Fashion - House of McQueen

Inspired by the Royal Wedding this spring,  in particular the fascinators, and showing a keen interest in the high fashion seen on runways around the world, Napster has a new painting.

With her blonde hair and a fascinator that is more attractive than some we saw at the Royal occasion, the long-legged model shows off her cape to advantage, walking her high fashion dog down the runway.

Unless, of course, you see something totally different. Napster doesn't mind -- his art is for his people, and he's always happy to hear new interpretations.

Particularly striking with this piece is the way he has 'pulled' the paint in a continuous curve along the sleeve of the cape.

Don't be surprised if you see a similar offering appear for Fashion Week. Napster has been known to inspire designers.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Celebrity Sighting at the Beach

Napster was out for a stroll, enjoying the beach here at Bondi Village.

One of the guests, seeing him, exclaimed in glee -- "A Celebrity Sighting"

And he wasn't even wearing his dark glasses...

Napster doesn't fear the papparazzi...that's for sure.