Auction nets hefty price for painting of Lumby’s favourite dog

A painting of a very popular North Okanagan dog has surprised the local art scene having been sold at auction for significantly more cash than anyone had thought it would.

The painting by Robin Ledrew featured Cooper, an eight-year-old border collie from Lumby who has become a local fixture.

Cooper became popular a year or so ago after he regularly appeared on social media in front of Lumby landmarks with the tagline, "Where's Cooper?"

Ledrew's painting There's Cooper! was put up for auction at her exhibit at The Village Gallery in Lumby.

While the rest of Ledrew's work hanging in the gallery was priced individually, the painting of Cooper was put up for auction with the proceeds going to the Monashee Community Co-op.

While the bidding started at $40 it quickly ramped until the final bid saw the painting sold for $500.

"Isn't that amazing," Cooper's owner Jerry Mason told iNFOnews.ca. "I thought people might get carried away and it would go for $60 or $80."

Even the artist was shocked by the price.

"I had no idea what it would go for," Ledrew said. "(But) I didn't take it as a personal compliment."

Ledrew said from personal experience she's sold her work at much higher than normal prices when the funds go to charity.

"The person is supporting the cause rather than the art," she said modestly.

The 13.5 by 27-inch acrylic painting took Ledrew roughly 20 hours to complete over several weeks.

And she didn't like it at first.

Although it was hanging in the gallery she took it back to her studio and played around with it some more.

"It took a while until I got to the point where I was really happy with it," she said.

The 72-year-old artist, who has lived in Lumby for more than 50 years, said she sold 12 paintings at the gallery exhibition with prices under $300. She said if she was going to sell the Cooper painting she would probably ask $200 for it.

The pricey painting is not the first project Cooper has been involved in which has far exceeded expectations.

In November 2020, Mason set about producing a Cooper calendar thinking he might sell 20. He sold 380 in the end raising money for local charities.

Cooper has also done work with the Regional District of North Okanagan promoting its dog licences and other public service announcements.

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