The best thing about the art auction now under way at Towner is that all the proceeds will go to support the work of St Wilfrid’s Hospice and Towner but this is also an exceptional opportunity to see a wide range of ideas about art and consider what any particular piece is worth. This is, after all, a marketplace.

My first impressions were of a room full of colour and variety. Then, focusing down on the 1366 postcard sized artworks, donated by around 450 artists, I was struck by the imagination, skill and intensive work that had gone into making them. As you’d expect, there are plenty of local views and portraits of people, pets and other animals, along with botanical drawings and some beautifully composed abstracts. There are some mini-masterpieces here.

Subjects have been tackled in range of media: drawings and watercolours mainly, but there are also oils, pastels, collages, photographs and even some embroidery. There’s added interest in seeing influences from other artists, some more obvious than others. I spotted hints of Botticelli, Cezanne, Lowry, Modigliani, Van Gogh and Vettriano. And the spirit of Matisse seemed to be everywhere. Someone had managed to combine Magritte and Banksy in a single image (803): a remarkable achievement. There’s a delightful spoof of Chiharu Shiota’s recent Towner installation (781) too. And is number 818 a spoof of Grayson Perry, or could that be the real thing ?

The auction starts on March 14 and continues, like the exhibition, until March 23. I shall look forward to seeing which items prove most attractive to buyers as the bids go in. And to learning, eventually, who made each piece. Some successful bidders will discover that they've bagged an artwork by one of the well known names who’ve contributed, including Tom Conti, Ronnie Corbett, David Dimbleby, Kaddy Lee-Preston, Andrew Marr, Graham Norton and four members of the Cabinet. Or by Grayson Perry who has given five pieces.

But there are plenty of recognised local artists represented in the show and contributions from “secret artists” for whom this is a unique opportunity to display their work. Bidders who secure any piece of art that gives them pleasure will also have won a reminder of the remarkable range of artistic talent out there.

How to choose an illustration for this review, from so many charming and colourful contenders? I decided to go for the first of several pictures that made me smile: Bad Hare Day (356), to remind me of a fine day of art.