Who Knew!? Surprise Award sends Napster to 24 Sussex Drive

Here was something we didn't expect.

Last weekend, Laureen Harper was in town, with Minister Tony Clement. They went out on Stand Up Paddleboards, they visited the SPCA, they presented awards to the volunteers of the Marine Society in Gravenhurst. They did the 'glad handing' appearances that they do.


And then, out of the blue, on the S.S. Segwun, Tony presented Laureen with a painting. The comment is made that it should be in the National Art Gallery -- Napster would be happy to paint a companion for the much debated "Voice of Fire," which cost the nations millions. For a small fee, he would be happy to provide "Voice of Fur." Seriously...



One of Napster's. Now, he got it a bit wrong, when he said Napster's tail 'got dipped into paint' -- Napster picks the paint up all by himself. Nobody touches the tail...

but we quibble... Tony needs to drop by and spent five minutes Painting with Napster... He'd be very welcome.

Mrs. Harper is a fan of cats. She described the print as "fantastic."





The print is one that can be hung several ways -- horizontally it is titled Ascending. It has been auctioned in the past to raise funds for the local United Church.






But when you turn it, it becomes a lovely Woodpecker. And sold hung that way for the Me to We Fundraiser a few years ago.

We don't know which way it will hang in 24 Sussex Drive, but we do hope it will bring Mrs. Harper great joy.









Napster was so overcome by this news that he had to go lie down... While he has a print with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and another with the Governor General, he was quite suprised by this presentation.



But he also wanted Mrs. Harper to know that to date he has raised almost $9,000 for various charities. Most recently, one of his works auctioned for Busting Out, a Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat team in Ottawa. That print went to a couple -- she from Sweden, and he from Malaysia! Napster has been sold all around the world!

Muskoka Music Men come to Call ... and Sing

Napster was honoured to welcome the Muskoka Music Men to his house this evening.

They were here to sing during the Chowder Bowl Clam Race.  42 Clams came to the start, and are racing overnight under drizzly wet conditions.

The Music Men are fantastic. They come each year for us, with a Barbershop Quartet.  Napster points out that is is a V.L.Q. this year -- a Very Large Quartet. The more the merrier we always say!

Without them, the Clam Race would just be a bunch of clams vying for a trophy. With them, it is an Event with a capital E.

They raise funds for speech therapy, and Napster is delighted to meet friends who also raise money for worthy charities.  He came down immediately to say hello and hopped up on one of the stools. We think he perhaps was rather hoping he would be asked to sing harmony...

A visit with a Collector

 Napster is always delighted to meet his fans.

Last week Gavin was here. He is already a collector of Napster's work, and this summer added another print to his personal gallery.

Napster was thrilled to spend some time snuggling with Gavin in his studio.  It brings him great satisfaction to know that his art is making people happy!

Oh Man! Napster sells art to Oman!

Such excitement! Sherry was with us for the last two weeks, for the annual Family Reunion that has been going on every summer for the past 52 years and as the kids grow up, and the grandkids start their own families, the Reunion just keeps getting bigger and better.




Sherry and Rob have been posted to Masqat, Oman for the next few years. Sherry joined the Omani Womens' Guild, and is working with a group of young entrepreneurs. Recently she was selected as a coach for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards and will be working with a young woman from Libya - exciting stuff!

She scooped up three of Napster's masterpieces to take back to Oman.

Running Wolf






Dolphins Chase the Moon

and Commedia del'Arte

They work beautifully together as a triptych, and Napster is thrilled to add Oman to his list of collector countries.


He posed with Sherry this morning, proudly wearing his "Purrrr-ka"...

Oh Man! Napster sells art to Oman!

Such excitement! Sherry was with us for the last two weeks, for the annual Family Reunion that has been going on every summer for the past 52 years and as the kids grow up, and the grandkids start their own families, the Reunion just keeps getting bigger and better.




Sherry and Rob have been posted to Masqat, Oman for the next few years. Sherry joined the Omani Womens' Guild, and is working with a group of young entrepreneurs. Recently she was selected as a coach for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards and will be working with a young woman from Libya - exciting stuff!

She scooped up three of Napster's masterpieces to take back to Oman.

Running Wolf






Dolphins Chase the Moon

and Commedia del'Arte

They work beautifully together as a triptych, and Napster is thrilled to add Oman to his list of collector countries.


He posed with Sherry this morning, proudly wearing his "Purrrr-ka"...

Ontario North

 The Louvelle family are visting us from Cochrane this week.

Napster was delighted to meet his newest fans, and spent some time having a chat and cuddle with Maya and Abby.

Amanda and Frank -- with input from the girls of course, and in conversation with the artist himself -- chose Autumn Fox to take home with them, adding one of Ontario's northern towns to Napster's Collectors' locations!

Making Art History

 Dr. Anne Whitelaw teaches Canadian Art History at Concordia University in Montreal.





While she was here this week, she promptly snapped up a Napster to hang on her office wall.

Her choice? "Firebird".

In Huntsville she met up with Gerry Lantaigne, the brush behind the Group of Seven murals in Huntsville and Lake of Bays.  You can easily spend a few days tracking these murals in Dwight, Dorset, Baysville, Oxtongue Lake and Huntsville.

When we were chatting about Napster's work, the topic of the Group of Seven came up, following the mural discussion.

"Had Tom Thompson not died so young, and so tragically," Anne said (with only a hint of facetious whimsy) "it is quite possible his style might have matured to match Napster's freedom of abstract expression."