"I thought it was awesome," Plunket Arrowtown secretary Cath Hudson, of Lake Hayes Estate, said. "Such a great picture of the Beehive and bumblebee finishes it off."
Inspired by her two pre-school children's colourful pictures magnetised to the fridge, Mrs Hudson and husband Ben wrote more than 300 emails and letters asking notable New Zealanders to donate simple, affordable and unframed art works for next month's auction.
Mrs Hudson said the concept had snowballed since, with many of the donated works of such good quality it would be a disservice to pop them on a fridge door.
Limited edition prints, sketches, doodles and stretched canvases were donated without condition of profit by cricketer Sir Richard Hadlee, Silver Fern Wendy Frew, Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball, psychologist Nigel Latta, children's book illustrator Donovan Bixley and artists Otis Frizzell, Tony Ogle and Jane Harper, among others.
A free preview of the works will be open to the public at Artbay Gallery, in the Mountaineer building, on Friday, November 5, and Saturday, November 6, from 11am.
There will be live, silent and "buy now" categories in the auction.
Reserve prices have yet to be determined.
The live auction will start at Artbay on the Saturday, at 7.30pm. Entry costs $5.
