Suddenly Me with Richard's No. 1 Print

Two days ago, I received delivery of the most bitter-sweet item, the Zenyatta print by the amazing artist, Lauren Wood, that Richard had been excitedly anticipating, and even mentioned again the day before he died.  And this was not just any print.  It is No. 1 of 300.  That’s right, No. 1.

Richard had been talking about and showing me Lauren’s art for the past couple of years.  He deeply admired and respected Lauren’s family and would have claimed her as his own.  He would text me pictures of her work each time he saw something new, and even brought home a brochure of her work to show me.  Lauren is the daughter of jockey agent, Mike Wood, and wife, Jean Wood, long-time friends of Richard’s.  Lauren and her brother, Aaron (Bubba), were raised around race tracks across the country, including Omaha, Nebraska, Hot Springs, Arkansas, and here at Remington Park.  They are the most amazing family - good, kind, intelligent and quiet but witty people - everything that you could ever hope for in friends.  And as kind and polite as they are, they still loved the “rude, crude and socially unacceptable” Richard.  

Lauren is essentially a self-trained (aka “just plain naturally talented”) artist that does the most beautiful art in charcoal, specializing in equine art (although her other works are equally impressive).  In 2010, she unveiled a beautiful charcoal original of Zenyatta.  She’s only 23 (and even younger when it was released), and Richard and I were both amazed by the amount of talent coming from such a young artist when we saw it.  You would think by her work that she’s been doing this for decades.

A few months ago, Lauren announced that her Zenyatta original would be published as a limited edition print, with only 300 to be released.  When Richard heard this, he of course approached her about getting “his” print.  And one thing is certain about Richard - if he couldn’t bargain it out of you, he would GUILT it out of you.  And it made no difference that you had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, he would make something up.  There was no shame.  And that’s exactly what he did to Lauren.

And so the STORY goes:

Richard was home one weekend, and he tells me that he’ll be getting a Zenyatta print from Lauren.  Then he proceeds to tell me that not only will he be getting a print, he’ll be getting No. 1 of 300.  I ask him how in the world he was getting the No. 1 print, and he says, “Well, she tried to give me No. 10 or something, but I told her that I wanted No. 1.”  He then tells me how she said the No. 1 print and the first few would probably go to family.  His response: “What do you mean, family, I AM family, I’ve known you since you were a baby, and I’m your biggest faaaan.”  Somehow, and I will never truly understand, he was able to talk/guilt her out of  that No. 1 print.  He, of course, was so proud of himself in doing so, and I must admit, the fact that he was able to get No. 1 was almost as impressive as him bringing home the original as both seemed equally impossible.

Although I knew it was coming and happy to be getting it, it was hard to receive after he died.  He had just talked about it the day before, and it just so happened that Lauren’s Dad was picking it up from the frame shop on the day he died.  He heard the news just as he had left the shop.  They were devastated by the news of his death as well - and they had, after all, just lost Lauren’s “biggest fan.” ;)

I love it and will cherish it always, it’s just so painful that it isn’t him hanging it up on the wall with pride, bragging again about how he had the No. 1 print and pointing at the number in the bottom corner, making sure that I really saw it.  I’m sure he would have immediately taken a picture on his phone and sent it to his brother, mom and the girls.  Missing out on his joy in actually getting it is so hard.  I will hang it with pride for him, and I’ll always have a wonderful story to tell about how he “landed it,” but it just won’t be the same.

And now it’s suddenly me with Richard’s No. 1 Print.

PS - Go to Lauren’s page on Facebook, “Fine Art in Charcoal by Lauren A. Wood,” (http://www.facebook.com/lawsartllc), “LIKE” her page, then leave her a message that you were sent by her BIGGEST FAN - Richard McNaughton.