Bidding on the autographed and Houle-illustrated copy of WEIT has gone up another thousand simoleons, and there’s still a bit more than a day left:
I take no credit for that high price, which I attribute to all the nice autographs that festoon the book and the spiffy artwork, but I’m still pleased that it will provide unexpected help for Doctors Without Borders (the recipient of all the proceeds), who say that donations can do stuff like this:
So we now have 6000 treatments for children with malaria, and 200 months of therapeutic food for a malnourished child. I hope the well-heeled remember that when they’re putting in their bids.
Note as well that at Kelly’s Books Illuminated auction site, 100% of the money for her beautiful cover painting (a full-sized version of the final cover of The Illuminated Origin, with bids now at $970) goes to DwB, as well as $36 out of the $120 for the Darwin’s orchid + pollinator print, of which there are 4 left. Here’s one of the latter with her description of how it’s done:
I’ve been illuminating orchid and moth prints, a limited edition of 30. I’m painting directly on the surface of the print with mica-based pearlescent paint (made by Fine-Tec in Germany) and shell gold to represent sunlight reflecting off the leaves, flower, and insect wings. It’s not easy to capture the effect in a photo, but this one comes close.
Kelly says she’ll continue to add items with charitable donations to the site, so keep checking back.
And, if you want a nice gift that isn’t as pricey, there are lovely greeting cards featuring Darwin’s first phylogenetic tree in gold letters, 10% of the price also going to DwB (I have a box of those, which I send out only on special occasions). I can’t imagine better presents for the evolution-friendly, especially since you’re helping a good cause at the same time.
Finally, let me leave a link to Kelly’s Facebook page, where she explains the various techniques she uses to create her paintings, prints, and illuminations.
Fantastic!
I expect there will be a flurry of last-minute bidding as the deadline approaches. I see this at charity auctions all the time. People who really want an item (and are willing to pay for it) often stay out of the early bidding, then swoop in with their top bid at the eleventh hour when there’s little chance of driving the price up with a serious bidding war.
How brilliant! Congratulations Prof. CC on a job well done.
“Human history can be viewed as a slowly dawning awareness that we are members of a larger group. … Initially our loyalties were to ourselves and our immediate family, … [but w]e have broadened the circle of those we love. … If we are to survive, our loyalties must be broadened further, to include the whole human community, the entire planet Earth”.
— Carl Sagan (Cosmos, p. 339)
two thumbs up.. excellent.
Kelly’s art is breathtaking.
Take that curmudgeons who thought people wouldn’t pay much for a book signed by scientists, Ben and a cat!
Sub
Nice going i keep commenting here because facebook for whatever reason doesn’t let me comment on the site anymore.So i have to comment somewhere right.I would contact them but don’t miss it that much really.
Update: $7,877.99 !
Time left: Time left:2m 21s Today 2:00PM
Current bid:US $8,300.00
Time left:1m 42s Today 2:00PM
Current bid:US $8,988.97
Time left:1m 3s Today 2:00PM
Current bid:US $10,050.00 [ 43 bids ]
Wow!
Time left:14s Time Left 15s Today 2:00PM
Current bid:US $10,357.97 [ 45 bids ]
Sold! for US $10,357.97 [ 45 bids ]
I’m so glad the doubters have to eat crow. I scuttled on over to Sean’s site to give them a “ha!” but Jerry already had. 🙂
YAY! A 5 figures sum!!!!!