At the end of the month, 31 works from Kay Saatchi's personal collection — including Ron Mueck's iconic hyperrealist sculpture "Big Baby" (1996) and a series of rare Lucien Freud drawings — will be offered at Christie's London. They are expected to fetch up to £3.4 million. Kay might have been working closely with her ex-husband Charles for more than 20 years (they divorced in 2001), but she's much more than ex-Mrs. of the most-famous-collector-in-Britain. Kay, who has just moved to L.A., is the curator behind "Anticipation," a talent-spotter's dream series of art graduate exhibitions in London. She is also a collector in her own right, and has acquired over the years key works ranging from Picasso to Marc Quinn. ARTINFO UK caught up with Kay Saatchi at the beginning of her new life in California.

It must be a very exciting but also a quite nostalgic moment for you. Which work is going to be the most difficult to let go?

Probably the "Big Baby." I saw it during a viewing in L.A. and it was really heartbreaking because it looks so great in L.A. — but it's going to be difficult for all of them. I treasure them all.

View Slideshow: "It's a New Beginning": A Q&A With Trend-Spotting Art Maven Kay Saatchi on the Christie's Sale of Her Collection and Her Move to L.A.

Why did you decide to sell the "Big Baby" in the end?

When I decided to sell the Lucian Freud drawings, which is probably a good idea, I was convinced do a little bit of a clear out, with the understanding that I would put together a new collection here in L.A. I have taken quite a lot with me, but I also bought a house that has huge windows all around, so I don't really have the wall space I had in London. There are some practical considerations too.

Is this sale a way for you to shed the old skin and all the memories, good and bad, associated with these works and this particular time of your life?

Yes, it's kind of like a move on. Every time you make a change, there are some good things about it and some sad things about it.

You were introduced to Ron Mueck by Paula Rego. How do you remember this moment?

I saw Ron's work for the first time in Paula's show at the Hayward Gallery (1996). He had made Pinocchio for her to paint from and she very kindly put it in her exhibition. Then I met him along the way.

How did you start collecting art?

I've always been very interested in art, since I was teenager. When I lived in New Orleans after university, I used to buy things. It's been a passion all my life. Why it has been, I don't know, because I grew up in a small little town in America, which is not really the hub of the art world.

In London, you became a prominent figure. And even though your name wasn't put forward as much as your ex-husband's, you were very active within the Saatchi Gallery, curating dozens of exhibitions. Your series of young graduate shows "Anticipation" has carried on with the spirit of research that was a driving force behind the Saatchi Gallery. You seem very dedicated to promote the younger generation.

It's really fun to seek out the emerging artists. That's basically what we did with Damien Hirst. I met him when he was at Goldsmiths. "Anticipation" was a continuation of that. And I think it has really helped these young artists too. For some of them, it made a big difference to their careers and I kept in touch with them all.

How do you link the role of the curator with the role of the collector?

One of the reasons why I started doing "Anticipation" was because I had run out of room. With these shows, I could get other people to buy the work! I could invite a group of young and established collectors to come, acquire the work of these young artists and grow up with them. I could be an instigator. I no longer had that fantastic gallery space to do shows in, or the financial resources to do so. It was a good transition for me.

Do you see yourself doing an "Anticipation" in L.A.?

I'm hoping to. I've been to the young galleries in L.A., I've been to a couple of student shows at UCLA but I'm basically waiting until September to really jump in and decide what I'm going to do here. L.A. is a completely new place for me. I'm kind of starting over — which is fun.

You mentioned that you were about to start a new collection. Do you already have a guiding principle for it, or are you just going to let the art guide you and see where it goes?

Probably just see where it goes. I did bring quite a few things from London that I thought would work here: a wonderful Marc Quinn piece, a Gary Hume, and a lot of "Anticipation" artists that I bought in the last few years. But I have this wonderful big wall in my drawing room, which is still empty! That's a good first project.

Last thoughts on the upcoming Christie's sale?

It's a bit heartbreaking but it's OK. I've been the caretaker for these pieces and some of them have become quite valuable over the years. I want to live my life here much more simply now. It's also really fun to discover and live with new art. It's a new beginning.