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.