GOLD COAST Original 36"x24" painting on gallery wrapped canvas.

*The first ever Private Art Auction right here!*

From now until Tuesday, August 26th, I will take your bids for this original, Gold Coast.

Please send your highest bid offer to me at art@natashawescoat.com. If you want to offer more, after you've already emailed your offer, you can send more.

On Wednesday, August 26th, I will announce the winner.

Herb Williams (http://www.herbwilliamsart.com), winner of the Next Star Artist competition, has been receiving plenty of fantastic reviews of his work from some major publications some of which I have provided links to below.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/art/archives/142050.asp

http://www.accordingtocaroline.com/read-me/2008/4/3/smells-like-childhood.html

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2498895.html

http://www.globenewspaper.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19810158&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=570459&rfi=6

http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/all-crayola.6512956jul26,0,5624709.story

http://americanwaymag.com/tabid/2855/tabidext/3758/default.aspx

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=36534

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications

VIVA ROUGE Original painting

HARBOR SPRING BREEZE Original painting

REGAL SHADE Original painting

                            My Mother

                               by

                    Renee Ashley Baker

      The Beautiful Mrs B (who always dressed like the ladies in Vogue Magazine) is pictured above wearing a beautiful sheer silk blouse,  her  "24 kt gold"  rings and earrings, and-- her favorite Diamond Heart Pendant Necklace (Coeur de la Mer?)

      My mother always, always owned fur coats.  She owned a full length mink coat  and a mink stroller,  and a mink stole.  (In fact, in the early 1960's my mother owned a "real leopard coat"  that was exactly like the one worn by First Lady Jackie Kennedy while Jackie  was still living in the WH with President Kennedy). 

      My mother summered in "The Hamptons" and attended "dinner parties" with politicians (a U.S. Congressman).  She also sat at dinner tables with "important families" (with the last name "Dupont").   My mother  "paid for" my  ballet lessons and she took pictures of me "dancing solo" at my dance recitals.  Financially--my mother was "confortable" (she had a "net worth" of $250,000).  And--during  her "last years" my mother, like a  wise Grecian Goddess, came to understand much. 

          And....my Mother did great things--she raised "the Good Son" and she raised Renee Ashley Baker.  And --she wanted me to "go to Hyannisport" and "go to Washington DC"  long before I knew I'd have to.

I'LL HAVE ONLY HAVE "ONE"  MOTHER.... 

Signed, Renee Ashley Baker  

    P.S.   Denver is a dirty, C-list, shakedown, extorting, cowtown which is why I tore the book up. (I will NOT write the book again).   This C-list, cowtown (named Denver) needed me and my mother to throw Denver a bone.  I "tore up the book" so that Gail/Gale couldn't see it and I "tore up the book" so that Warner Bros couldn't have it.  ME AND MY MOTHER ARE FROM ST. LOUIS , MISSOURI....  

and further....

      PORTRAIT OF A LADY....

Portrait of Lady Barbara Lowther on Horseback"  (painted by Munnings in 1919).  The painting,  previously estimated at $1.6-$2.9 million, was sold at auction (by Sotheby's) on May 7, 2008.

 "Summer Evening" by Childe Hassam

About Childe Hassam (b Oct 17, 1859, d August 27,1935).   Frederick Childe Hassam was an American Impressianist  Painter born in Dorchester (Boston) Massachusettes.  He attended drawing classes at the Lowell Institute, as division of M.I.T, and was a member of the Boston Art Club.

     Hassam is famous for his series of 22 flag paintings, which he began in 1916, when he was inspired by a "preparedness parade" (for World War *) which was held on Fifth Avenue in New York City....

      In 1919 Hassam purchased a home in East Hampton, New York.  He died there at age 75.

NOW....VIEW VIDEO: "THE  DIAMOND STANDARD 2"

(Note: Renee Ashley Baker is NOT going to California.  Renee Ashley Baker will visit Hyannisport Massachusettes and will Renee Ashley Baker will reside in Washington DC.  Disney Corporation will distribute Renee Ashley Baker's first motion picture, in movie theatres worldwide, under an "output deal" valued at $53.5 million dollars.  Renee Ashley Baker will make a "profit" of $104.3 million dollars....)

1 August - 21 September 2008

Private View: Friday, 1st August 6:30-8:30
First Thursday August Reception: Thursday 7TH August 6-9 pm
First Thursday September Reception: Thursday 4TH September 6-9 pm
Location: Contemporary Art Projects, 20 Rivington St, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3DU. Old Street exit 3
Gallery Hours: Monday - Sunday noon - 8pm

Without art collections, how would we understand our cultural roots and trace its development to
the present?

While viewing great institutional collections of art by historic figures is educational and
inspirational, personally collecting artwork made by a contemporary artist in his/her formative
stage is infinitely more exciting and rewarding. In this annual gathering of highly collectible
artworks by over 100 emerging contemporary artists, Contemporary Art Projects invites you to
Start Your Collection!

Artists inviting their work to be collected through this show include;

Alex Dewart, Alex Hudson, Alexander Adams, Alexander Heaton, Alice Peillon, Anka Dabrowska, Anna Dickerson, Anssi
Sojakka, Baron Gilvan, Ben Walker, Brian Cheeswright, Bruce Ingram, Carolyn Gowdy, Cathy Lomax, Celia Hempton,
Chris Humphreys, Claire Beale, Coral Churchill, Daisy Richardson, Dana Suckling, David Leapman, Debra Swann, Dilys
Finlay-Stephens, DJ Robert, Dominic Kennedy, Donna Irvine, Elinor Evans, Emily Jo Sargent, Facetk, Farah Syed, Fiona
Lumbers, Freya Douglas-Morris, Gabriel Tejada, Gavin Maughfling, Glauce Cerveira, Graham Carrick, Grant Foster,
Gregory Smart, Guocheng Chen, Hannah Brown, Hee Seon, Helen Melland, Hermione Carline, Hitoko Urago, Hogan
Brown, Hugh Gillan, Hugh Gilmour, Imogen Welch, Isabel Young, JA Nicholls, Jake Clark, James Faure Walker, James
Mcmeakin, Jane Gifford, Jane Ward, Jeni Snell, Jennifer Merrell, Jessica Wolfson, Jo Wilmot, Joceline Howe, John
Guest, John Holland, John Hooper, Joseph Richards, Julie Greenslade, Julie Umerle, Karl England, Katherine Russell,
Kevin Broughton & Fiona Birnie, Lara Viana , Lauren Foulkes, Lily Schroder, Linda Jane James, Lizi Sanchez, Louisa
Chambers, Lucie Winterson, Lucinda Oestreicher, Madeleine Hunter, Madeleine Strindberg, Majed Aslam, Mandy J
Hudson, Marie Mackay, Marisol Malatesta, Masashi Echigo, Matthew Stradling, Max Mulhern, Mia Taylor, Michael
Bartlett, Michele Fletcher, Natasha Kahn, Natasha Rydlewski, Nerys Mathias, Nicky Hodge, Nina Mangalanayagam, Paul
Butler, Paul Davis, Robin Dixon, Rosalind Davis, Rose Gibbs, Sarah Sparkes, Shi Chi Lin, Sophie Bedingham Smith,
Sumiko Seki, Tamara Dubnyckyj, Tarragon Smith, Tempy Osborne, Theo Kaccoufa, Tina Gibbard, Tomas Georgeson,
Veronica Slater, Yuco Ota, Yuki Snow, Zoe Crosse

Educated at top international art colleges, many have won prestigious art prizes, and all form part
of the contemporary art matrix. This exhibition is an excellent opportunity to survey current
thought and new trends and see early stage development of a number of interesting, up-andcoming
artists.

The exhibition takes the form of a dynamic mini-Art Fair and includes painting, watercolours,
drawings, photographs and sculptures. To aid collectors in starting or extending their private
collections of contemporary art, all artworks are priced up to £200 (framing may be extra).

Gallery opening hours will be extended to 12 - 8 pm daily, including weekends, throughout the
exhibition. Works will be displayed on a rotating basis, and may be collected from the gallery at
the time of purchase. We will have an entire list of available works along with artist bios in the
gallery and on the comment website www.commentart.com. Please contact us for images of
works or other information.

20 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3DU
020 7739 1743 | 07799 776 016
info@caprojects.com | www.commentart.com

Do champagne, schmoozing, and irresistibly good deals on works by well-established artists all for a good cause seem too good to be true?  Perhaps it is.  Celebrity studded charity auctions are increasingly popular and covered by the mainstream media, but is the art up for auction a wise investment?  Does it differ in quality from a traditional Sotheby's or Christie's auction?  In the August issue of Art + Auction Lindsay Pollock examines the charity auction craze, good and bad, in her article, "Charity Cases."

Per the article, dealers and artists are loathe to see works donated to charity auctions immediately turned around and resold or "flipped" for profit.  Another problem is the low incentive for artists to donate their best work and the slight stigma that a work that has done the charity auction rounds might carry.  Dealer Ed Winkleman cautions, "I wouldn't recommend buying an entire collection from benefits...the work the artists are willing to donate is generally not their strongest."  Art advisor Wendy Cromwell adds, "coming from a benefit doesn't ding the art, but it isn't a great provenance."  

Not very encouraging bits of advice for budding collectors inspired by the egalitarian atmosphere at charity auctions.  The bottom line is that many nonprofits couldn't survive without the charity auctions that they organize and it is a great venue to get your feet wet in the art scene.  It is wise to bid on what you love and what you can afford and not worry about the return because it is ultimately an investment in a good cause, which is all that should matter.

Two Feet, Four Feet July 2008