Antiques & art in Victoria

antiques&art IN VICTORIA

AUGUST - DECEMBER 2012

HIGH STREET

PETER ARNOLD

ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS

BOO RARE

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IN & PR S P MA A

ALI USTR A RT

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TS

Hurnall’s

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Antiques & Decorative Arts 612 High Street, East Prahran, Victoria 3181 Tel and Fax: 03 9510 3754 Mobile: 0407 831 424

S OOK

By appointment

SOLD & T H BOUG

606 HIGH STREET, PRAHRAN 3181 TEL 03 9529 2933 FAX 03 9521 1079

Condition of all items guaranteed

Specialist dealer in Australian Colonial Furniture (c. 1830-1950) and Australian Decorative Ceramics including works by Remued, the Boyd family, McHugh, Melrose, Campbell, Douglas, Seccombe, P. James, Perceval, Ricketts, Jolliff, Klytie Pate.

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PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL WINNELL

Specialising in French antiques and Art Deco Please contact us for more information 491 High St Prahran Vic 3181

Specialising in antiques and artworks

03 9510 8522

0415 929 712

Warehouse by appointment only 0412 560 371

QUALITY WORK • COMPETITIVE RATES 3

FRENCH ANTIQUES and Art Deco

S

ince 1985 Leclerc Antiques has been importing French antiques and art deco objects into Australia. We have now extended our products to include original French decorative lighting. Lighting is a very important feature in any welldesigned apartment or home and should not be compromised.

Leclerc now imports and stocks a range of fine quality light fittings to accommodate any period or modern home. The selection includes gothic wrought iron chandeliers, antique bronze gaslights, Napoleon III crystal chandeliers and Flemish brass chandeliers.

We are now specialising in French art deco lighting. Our latest arrival is a fine collection of genuine art deco lights manufactured by Degué, Noverdy, Schneider, Muller Frères, Verlys, Leleu, Ezan, Petitot and Meynardier and other magnificent designs.

Leclerc Antiques personally select every light, organises packing and the shipping out of France into Australia. By eliminating the middle men, we are able to offer quality items at a very competitive price. Our stock arrives in its ‘as found’ condition, which gives prospective buyers the opportunity to undertake the restoration themselves; a trend we have noticed that is growing in popularity.

Otherwise, where necessary, we can organise restoration for you. This is done to

the highest standard as we use some of the best skilled people in the business. It is our policy not to cut corners on restoring these fine pieces.

TIPS ON BUYING A CHANDELIER 1. As a rule, buy the best you can afford.

2. Buying unrestored lighting can be a minefield!

3. Restoring a chandelier is a time consuming job so it is wise to purchase a quality light from a reputable dealer that offers service and guarantees the product.

4. When buying a chandelier, make sure it has been restored and rewired to Australian and New Zealand standards.

5. Beware of cheap ‘French-looking’ chandeliers often sold at auctions or online.

Many of these poorly-made lights are imported from Argentina or Egypt where they use 110 volts current, the wire not designed for 220 volts current. These fittings are best avoided. You’ll notice that serious reputable dealers do not stock such fixtures.

6. Always use a licensed electrician to install your chandelier.

Not so long ago, a lady came to my showroom with a ‘French-looking chandelier.’

She had been told that she could get it rewired and restored for only a couple of hundred dollars. What she had bought was in fact a light made of different parts sprayed with gold paint. We had to break the news that it was not worth rewiring.

APPRECIATING IN VALUE I always believe that you get what you have paid for. Many people are not aware of what

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good value antiques are unless they walk into a good antique shop. Antiques dealers are hard-working people with many costs including stock, restoration, importing and their time spent running the shop.

I have found that good pieces are becoming scarce, both here and overseas. One reason may be that banks are offering poor returns on money so people are buying antiques as investments. Another reason is that collectors are loath to part with their collections. Quality antiques are an international currency and can be traded anywhere in the world.

Leclerc Antiques looks forward to welcoming you for a private viewing of our latest shipment from Europe.

Pascal Leclerc ART DECO & ANTIQUES 03 9510 8522

Editorial Content FRONT COVER Samuel Holden (artist), F W Smith (engraver), Joseph Paxton (author), Hovea Celsi, 1836, plate from Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, engraving on paper, hand-coloured with gum arabic, 22.8 x 16.4 cm.

Purchased with funds from public donation, 2011 See p. 38 004 006 007 008 009 010 012 013 014 016 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 032 034 035 036 037 038 047 047 048 049 050 051 052 053 055 056 057 058 059 060 061 062 063 064 066 067 068 069 070 071 072 073 074 075 076 078 079 080 082

French antiques and Art Deco – Pascal Leclerc Be inspired at Image De France – George Manoly Understanding French furniture designs Expressions Gallery Zygmund Libucha at Veronica George Gallery Travel posters: insight into tourism from the 1930s to 1970s Collecting Bakelite jewellery Emporium Botanica, a total sensory experience Coinworks explains there is more to the Holey Dollar than meets the eye The beginnings of time in horology 1300-1500 – Michael Colman The hospitable refectory table – Guy & Trish Page Marisa Avano art at Redgum Proudly Australian Boomerang Craftsmen Australia It may not be Darwin but the species does have an origin – Ron Gregor The Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia’s, 25th annual art exhibition Farewell to Artique Artist profile: An insight into Gregory R Smith FVAS The Victorian Artists Society – in the interests of art At Schots Home Emporium campaign military furniture is given fresh life The art of botanical illustration 2012 at Domain House Gallery Love Vintage returns in October to the Royal Exhibition Building Kenneth Jack AM (1924-2006) Power and Passion at Cotham Gallery 101 – Catherine Stockey You know you’re a collector! – David Freeman Chair maker to Marie Antoinette and Emperor Napoleon – Roy Williams The 2012 Kenneth Jack annual memorial watercolour exhibition – Glyn Clarke Australia’s iconic 1810 Hannibal Head holey dollar is to go under the hammer The English longcase clock Capturing flora at the Art Gallery Ballarat Bendigo Art Gallery’s redevelopment Ian Hill: The Riverina Series Howard Products for that wonderful finish in four easy steps – David Foster Di King Gallery’s third annual show explores three themes Sherbrooke Art Society’s Spring exhibition is perfect for a weekend art experience in the Dandenong Ranges Without Pier Gallery Exhibition program Hand-made Italian tiles at Schots Home Emporium where you unearth the uncommon Collecting Meerschaum pipes More to see at Sorrento and Flinders Fine Art Galleries – Rebecca Barbour Mornington’s time capsule: Beleura House Museum Exhibitions to view at McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery Worcester myths: not all stories are fact – Paul Rosenberg Melrose art pottery on show at Geelong Gallery Welcome to the workshop – Joel Duggan At Oakwood Restorations innovative and practical solutions for the home Introducing Find Lots Online, Australasia’s fastest growing auction portal Eagles Nest Gallery featured artists and exhibitions Coming attractions at Hamilton Art Gallery A new fair – the Ballarat Spring Antiques & Vintage Fair The Art Gallery of Ballarat blooms this spring Gallery on Sturt presents Jamie Boyd Art Gallery on Sturt, experience the joy of being ... Richard Spare’s art – Robert C Littlewood Bendigo’s food, wine and flowers in full bloom Celebrating 150 years: rail in Bendigo and the Bendigo Brass Band at the Post Office Gallery – Clare Needham The Majid Collection continues the series on Persian carpets – Majid Mirmohamadi Di and John Koenders presents a symphony of spring at Mayfield Gallery Victorian Antique Dealers Guild – meet a Guild member The mysterious Monsieur Descubes: a botanical thriller NGA Pacific Arts presents Maunwial & Waungial: Sepik spirit figures – Sylvia Cockburn From The Riviere College to The Hughenden – Susanne Gervay A specialist furniture manufacturer – Churchill Chesterfield made in Australia The Australian Antique and Art Dealers Associaton Geelong Gallery presents Sentinels and Showboats milestones in print collecting

ADVERTISING RATES Colour gloss advertisers receive 1,000 run–ons of their advertisement with our compliments for use as flyers, posters, invitations etc Advertising rates include design & production (excludes photography)

1 unit 2 units (vertical) 2 units (horizontal) 1/4 page 1/2 page (vertical) 1/2 page (horizontal) Full page Double page

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AMANDA ADDAMS AUCTIONS

AUCTIONS HELD ON THE FIRST MONDAY NIGHT OF EACH MONTH AT 6.30 PM Receive all the latest news. Register for our new email newsletter and receive all the auction details and catalogues

SALE DATES 2012 Monday 3 September 2012 6.30 pm Viewing: Saturday 1 September 11 am – 4 pm Monday 3 September 12 noon – 6 pm Monday 1 October 2012 6.30 pm Viewing: Saturday 29 September 11 am – 4 pm Monday 1 October 12 noon – 6 pm Monday 5 November 2012 6.30 pm Viewing: Saturday 3 November 11 am – 4 pm Monday 5 November 12 noon – 6 pm

QUALITY SINGLE ENTRIES OR LARGE COLLECTIONS (ANTIQUES, ART, COLLECTABLES, DECORATIVE ARTS AND DECEASED ESTATES) ARE ALWAYS INVITED FOR SPECIAL AUCTIONS

AMANDA ADDAMS AUCTIONS 194 Bulleen Road, Bulleen, Victoria 3105 Tel: 03 9850 1553

www.aaauctions.com.au David Freeman 0419 578 184 Amanda Freeman 0419 361 753

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HIGH STREET

BE INSPIRED A

at Image De France

ustralians have an enduring love for beautiful homes and quality design. In terms of furniture, French antiques are unparalleled in the world and so it is not surprising to find many Australians decorating their homes in the formal French style.

The quintessential French appreciation for beauty and fine art has perhaps in the past has been perceived as overly formal. However, the move towards the French style shows recognition that some of the rich shapes are filled with a warmth that adds to the casual elegance for which we strive.

FRENCH STYLE IN PRAHRAN If searching for that signature piece reminiscent of France look no further than Image de France in the heart of Prahran; immerse yourself in the essence and beauty of French furniture, lifestyle, art and decor.

Throughout Image De France gallery, delicate Sèvres porcelain, antique clocks and bronze figurines rest upon intricately handcarved cabinets while classical paintings line the walls. A multitude of beautiful chandeliers hang from the ceilings, adding to an atmosphere that is truly amazing.

Browse through one of the many furniture books in the galleries while looking at the pieces on hand. Many pieces within the gallery have a story that stretches from one of the most artistic and opulent periods in French history,

to present-day Australia. The sense of occasion that this creates within the gallery is met with an appreciation for the commitment required in sourcing and bringing pieces together.

SOURCING THE BEST Architect George Manoly started his business to fulfil his passion for high quality handmade French style reproduction furniture. He recognises high quality furniture and good artisanship when he sees it. Meet George at the gallery and he will take you on an educating journey through European and especially French history.

So come and wander through our gallery of art and fine French decorative art including furniture, bronze statuary, chandeliers, clocks, Sèvres vases and glassware. We have something to liven up every room in your home.

To find out more contact George Manoly IMAGE DE FRANCE 03 9529 5003 idf@imagedefrance.com www.imagedefrance.com

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HIGH STREET

Louis XV style kingwood bureau plat, c. 1850

UNDERSTANDING French furniture designs KINGWOOD BUREAU PLAT The French bureau plat, also known as a writing table, was widely used from the 18th to the 20th century. Most bureau plats had a leather insert top which took the place of a coarse cotton material called ‘bureau’ that was used on very early pieces. Bureau, the French word for desk, was derived from this material.

Bureau plats were usually mounted with decorative bronze hardware and typically had three drawers, like this Louis XV style piece illustrated, which dates from around the mid 19th century. It also has three drawers to the front with repeated bronze mounts to the back.

It is in kingwood and has fine bronze mounts to the knees depicting the head of Mercury with wings and sits on lion paw shaped leg tips. The bureau plat also has a tooled tan leather top surrounded by bronze hardware.

Bureau plats are timeless, seamlessly fitting into the decorative style of the 21st century.

FRENCH 18TH CENTURY COMMODE Commodes were extensively used throughout France. This one is a good example of a Louis XIV commode, circa 1750. Typically, it has two short drawers at the top and two long drawers to the bottom. This one is made of

solid walnut of lovely mellow colour, having decorative bronze handles with iron locks and a serpentine shaped front.

Simple in its design but very elegant, it was used in provincial homes for storage and everyday use alongside other commodes within a household. Today, these pieces are placed in any part of the home, from living rooms to bedrooms. An interesting use is as an entrance hall piece with a mirror above.

BUFFET À DEUX CORPS This particular buffet à deux corps dates from the mid 17th century, circa 1650. The buffet deux à corps was a very functional piece of furniture used in nearly all provincial households alongside armoires and commodes. They usually had two doors above and two doors below and some were separated with drawers.

This Louis XIII buffet is made from walnut and retains its original iron hinging, drawer handles and hardware. It has a rare candle slide between the bottom and top section with a decorative carved frieze panel to the top.

The twisted pillars and geometric patterned doors are a typical style from the Gascony region in France. The walnut has a very mellow pale colour and patination.

ABOUT MARK KORONOWICZ ANTIQUES Located in Prahran east, Mark Koronowicz Antiques has a fascinating array of furniture and decorative items dating from the 17th century through to the mid 20th century.

Adorning the shop are mirrors, chandeliers and other interesting objects alongside selected pieces of furniture.

Mark has been trading in the industry for over 20 years and travels regularly to Europe on buying trips. He has built up a great source of valuable contacts which means hunting for that special item for his customers is his specialty. Whether looking for a 20th century designer chair or a 17th century French tapestry, Mark will be able to source that desired piece for your collection.

To find out more contact MARK KORONOWICZ ANTIQUES 03 9525 0545 www.markkoronowiczantiques.com.au

Louis XIII walnut buffet à deux corps, c. 1650, original hardware

ENGLISH, FRENCH & EUROPEAN DECORATIVE FURNISHINGS

Italian Walnut Renaissance Cabinet. c.1580

552 High St Prahran East 3181 MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

P 03 9525 0545 Louis XIV walnut commode, c. 1750, original fittings

M 0417 837 755

www.markkoronowiczantiques.com.au 7

HIGH STREET

EXPRESSIONS GALLERY E

Jeffrey Smart (b. 1921), Container train in landscape

xpressions Gallery offer a wide range of fine art limited editions from leading Australian artists including John Olsen, Jeffrey Smart, Howard Arkley, Lin Onus, Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Charles Blackman, Fred Cress, Garry Shead, Frank Hodgkinson, David Boyd, Jason Benjamin, Melissa Egan, Clifton Pugh, Jasper Knight, Margaret Olley, Helen Norton and Tim Storrier.

Our high quality fine art limited editions are available at an affordable price. A pleasure to own, they will hold their value and brillance for many years to come. Expressions Gallery also offer high quality framing in their onsite studio workshop.

ARTIST PROFILE: XIANZHU SHI Xianzhu Shi is a Chinese-born artist who now lives in Australia. His cross-cultural experiences have found expression in his work, which is more than the telling of his life in Australia. But this complexity is only one aspect of a profoundly rich cultural mix.

Just as important, and perhaps more interesting, is the blending in his art practice of Chinese, Western, contemporary and ancient, modernist and post-modernist influences. In Xianzhu Shi’s work a subtle and individual fusion occurs, naturally, without any troubled or forced self-consciousness.

Xianzhu Shi, Autumn Day

EXPRESSIONS GALLERY 03 9500 0667 xart668@yahoo.com.au

Expressions Gallery

Above: Jasper Knight (b. 1978), The Italian job Right: Jeffrey Smart (b. 1921), Surfers, Bondi

Below: John Olsen AO OBE (b. 1928), Spoonbill and Egret

Margaret Olley (1923–2011), Basket of oranges lemons and jug

1110 High Street, Armadale Vic 3143 Australia Tel/Fax 03 9500 0667 xart668@yahoo.com.au also at 332 Malvern Road Prahran Vic 3181 • Mob: 0413 992 501 FINE ART LIMITED EDITIONS VINTAGEPOSTER LINEN BACKING CUSTOMER FRAMING 8

HIGH STREET The Veronica George Gallery represents a large number of leading Australian glass artists and showcases many of their complex glass techniques.

In addition to the wide selection of tasteful gifts and special pieces for the interior, we have unique works of art for the collector.

As well as the magnificent variety of original hand-blown glass and bronze sculptures, there is a fine collection of contemporary jewellery by well-known Australian artists.

veronica george G A L L E RY 1082 High St, Armadale Melbourne 3143 Ph: 03 9500 9930 Fax: 03 9500 9125 veronica@veronicageorge.com.au www.veronicageorge.com.au Open 7 days Mon to Sat 10 am to 5.30 pm and Sun 11 am to 5.30 pm

ZYGMUND LIBUCHA at Veronica George Gallery

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nitially, Zygmund commenced studies in electrical engineering in his native Poland, but found this was not his vocation, realising that as he had a yeaning to learn a craft, to shape things with his hands. So, instead of fulfilling a parental ambition, he decided to become a silversmith.

Fortunately, his home city of Gdansk has a fine tradition in gold and silversmithing and he was able to undertake an apprenticeship in Gdansk’s leading workshop. For the next three years he learnt the fine art of gold and silversmithing which culminated in his passing the journeyman exam. Shortly after, he was awarded his Master’s Certificate.

During this period he spent evenings in a sculptor’s studio situated next to the silversmithing workshop, initially carving in wood and later creating sculptures in bronze.

In 1982 Zygmund migrated to Australia.

The richness and beauty of Australian fauna and flora boosted his creativity profoundly and he is now well known as a creator of many designs depicting Australian animals and flowers.

While living in Sydney he attended workshops with highly regarded sculptor John Gardner, and made works mainly in bronze. Shortly after moving to Brisbane in 1988 he started working in stone. He now works in bronze, marble, granite, sandstone and black Chillago marble. In 1997 Zygmund stopped working as a silversmith becoming a full-time sculptor.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT ‘Working for so many years as a silversmith I developed a great need for detail and even now when I sculpt on a large scale I cannot divorce myself from it. I guess I want to enjoy every piece of stone as long as possible, striving to create a piece that people will be compelled to touch.

Although the amount of time I spend on each sculpture increases enormously, the more time it takes, the better. Carving some of my works takes as long as it would take to write a novel, while smaller ones need less time to finish, perhaps as long as to compose a concerto.

Harmony and beauty of a design is more important to me than being “funky” or “sexy”.

I don’t use found objects!’

To view Zigmund Libucha’s latest sculptural works visit VERONICA GEORGE GALLERY 03 9500 9930 veronica@veronicageorge.com.au www.veronicageorgegallery.com.au

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TRAVEL POSTERS insight into tourism from the 1930s to 1970s

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he beauty of the travel poster lies in its capacity to document a specific moment in time. Travel posters present us with visual tour of the most desired tourist destinations from an era where travel was for privileged high flyers. As such, it’s not surprising that most of these posters portray images of elegance and sophistication. Travel conjured up images of women in white gloves, straw hats and matching leather suitcases, a very different picture to how travel is viewed these days.

The tourism industry has seen many an innovative marketing campaigns and top-end artists and publishing companies have long been employed to entice the public. These posters, like all posters, capture distinctive moments in time. In this case, we’re thrust back to an era when travel was exotic, elegant and extravagant. We’re able to understand how a certain destination, country and culture were viewed by society at that time. Travel today might have lost the elegance that was once at its very core, but these beautiful posters have not. We’re celebrating this beauty at Vintage Posters Only and we’d love for you to join us.

MEET SAM JOHNSON Vintage Posters Only owner Sam Johnson, a.k.a. the Poster King, began his interest in vintage posters when living in Paris during the

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early 1990s. On seeing the vintage posters that adorned the walls of cafes, restaurants and shops the P.K. (as he’s known to many) started his own collection which soon grew into a gallery of works that can be viewed at his Melbourne shop front.

WHY OUR POSTERS ARE SPECIAL We are just obsessed with these stunning artworks. Every poster has a story to tell, from the artist who created it, to the product it is selling. So what is it that makes our posters

special? Firstly, they are all original vintage posters. This means that they are prints existing from the original print runs ranging from the 1930s to 1970s. Quite often they have a history behind them. Many were hung in subways, buildings or kiosks, basically anywhere that had a large enough surface for the public to take notice.

Secondly, some of the most important poster artists of all time are represented in the collection.

Villemot, Savignac and Cappiello were all masters of their art and to have their work accessible to everyone is rare in the art world.

POSTERS FOR ALL COLLECTING INTERESTS We have an extensive collection and an array of categories. We’ve got posters relating to cars and bikes, fashion, food and beverage, art exhibitions, events and entertainment – everything you can think of.

Vintage posters are great for decorating any space and are a guaranteed talking point in any home or business. Given that there is such a wide range of images and themes available, it is possible to find the perfect vintage poster for anyone.

You can view our posters in store or on our beautiful new website at www.vintagepostersonly.com.

Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding posters, we are more than happy to help. We love what we do, working with posters all day everyday and sharing these stories and this experience with anyone who is interested. If you can’t afford the holiday to Hawaii or the Bally heels, come in and grab the poster!

VINTAGE POSTERS ONLY 03 9500 2505 sam@vintagepostersonly.com www.vintagepostersonly.com

HIGH STREET

Wanting to buy original lithographic posters from the turn-of-the-century to 1970. Condition not important!

Paying Australia’s best prices.

Contact: Sam Johnson 03 9500 2505 Email: sam@vintagepostersonly.com www.vintagepostersonly.com

1136 High Street Armadale Victoria 3143 11

HIGH STREET

Collecting Bakelite jewellery T

he first entirely synthetic plastic was invented by chemist Leo H. Baekeland who patented it in 1907.

Given the trade name Bakelite, it was cheap to manufacture and was used in a variety of mass consumer items, from kitchen and tablewares to cases for radios, telephones and fridges. As

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it could be tinted, Bakelite was also used in the manufacture of jewellery. The production of Bakelite jewellery began in the early 1920s and was very popular in the 1930s.

This plastic could be made in bright vibrant colours: yellow, butterscotch, red, green and brown being the most common. It could be

transparent or marbleized by mixing various colours. As it was a malleable material, Bakelite was moulded, carved, painted and made into fabulous jewellery pieces which today are highly collectable. There are other early plastics, but Bakelite jewellery is the most sought after – it is very wearable and they are unique statement pieces.

Bakelite was made into every type of jewellery: bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, fur clips and buckles. The most popular pieces today are the heavily carved bangles – hinged bracelets are called clampers – and huge necklaces. The most desirable colours are red, black, orange and the rare blue. During the Great Depression large amounts of Bakelite jewellery were produced; it was affordable and cheerful in bright colours and often in whimsical designs.

Coco Chanel’s inclusion of Bakelite pieces in her 1927 accessories collection elevated it to the realms of haute couture. She continued to include it in many of her collections and there are photos of her wearing many Bakelite pieces. Other notable designers to use Bakelite for their costume jewellery designs included Hattie Carnegie and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Clear Bakelite, often called Prystal, was invented in this period; these pieces today have often mellowed to a pale yellow and are referred to as ‘apple juice’. Reverse carved pieces are highly desirable where a design, often animals or flowers, has been carved into the back. Another popular design features hand painted and coloured or laminated pieces where two colours are seamlessly joined together.

During World War II production of Bakelite jewellery ceased as the material was used for

the manufacture of goods needed for the war effort. After the war many new plastics came along such as Lucite, which has also been fashioned into amazing jewellery pieces.

Bakelite jewellery came back to prominence with the sale by auction of Andy Warhol’s collection after his death in 1987.

Since then there have been several large collections dispersed, the most recent of these being the Susan Kelner Freeman collection with many pieces fetching over US$6,000.

BEWARE OF FAKES As there are reproduction pieces and many pieces are marked with the wrong date, it is always best to buy from a reputable dealer.

There are many tests for Bakelite including hot water tests, simichrome paste, clunk tests, etc. However, there is no substitute for handling vintage Bakelite and studying the designs and carvings.

Beware of pieces that are heavily carved and have a fine white powder-look in the depths of the carving, these are generally reproduction.

CARING FOR BAKELITE Never use modern cleaners as they can discolour the piece. Simichrome paste (available from some hardware stores) can be used to remove fine scratches from Bakelite and olive oil can be used to restore lustre to many pieces.

For more information and details about Bakelite jewellery contact ONLINE ANTIQUES 0407 321 865 www.onlineantiques.com.au

HIGH STREET

Left: 3 tulips by Jenny Phillips Below: Amanita muscaria

by Severgnini

EMPORIUM BOTANICA – a total sensory experience

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mporium Botanica is a high quality retail store specialising in botanically influenced uncommon gifts, home accents and artworks.

REPRESENTING BOTANICAL ARTISTS Born from a need for botanical artists to have a regular gallery space in which to promote their works to the public, Emporium Botanica now represents a large selection of Australia’s leading botanical artists, with both original artworks and limited edition prints to select from. These artists include Jenny Phillips, Fiona McKinnon, Mali Moir, Diana Emery, Meg Cole, Anne O’Connor, David Mackay and Beverly Allen.

The store is also pleased to be able to offer high quality studio conservation framing for your in-house purchases.

BOTANICALLY INSPIRED WARES Walking through the doors is like entering a botanical conservatory – a total sensory experience including imaginative product

stories, candle and Arpège aromas, and streamed music.

The store carries a large and exciting selection of beautiful botanical home and giftware from around the world, including the Neom organic range from the United Kingdom, beautiful natural and pure candles, diffusers and bodycare; Taitu from Italy, an amazing selection of tableware, joyously displaying flowers, leaves and ladybirds on high quality bone china; Vagabond House from the USA, whimsical, superbly detailed pewter ware; and Blue Leaves from France – intricate, silver server ware adorned with flowers and leaves.

To further enhance your shopping experience, we offer complimentary gift wrapping.

Especially appreciated at Christmas time when the store comes alive with people carrying out bags of beautifully wrapped gifts.

Emporium Botanica looks forward to having the opportunity of welcoming you to the store in High Street, Armadale, or if you can’t make it in, please visit the website or like us on Facebook.

For more information we can be contacted at EMPORIUM BOTANICA 03 9509 9111 www.emporiumbotanica.com.au

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Coinworks explains there is more to the Holey Dollar than meets the eye

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he term ‘dollar’ may seem quite modern to the casual observer, but in fact the term also applies to the very first coin struck in Australia, the holey dollar.

It was created in 1813 and is one of the world’s most famous coins.

Manufactured on the orders of Governor Macquarie to meet a chronic shortage of currency in the colony’s early boom years, Australia’s first coins were created by punching holes in 40,000 imported Spanish silver dollars. The variation in dates and styles of the 40,000 coins has created a wonderful diversity amongst the surviving holey dollar examples.

While the majority of Spanish dollars imported by Macquarie were minted between 1800 and 1805, the earliest known dollar is dated 1757 with the last being 1810. The coins were also struck at various Spanish mints operating around the globe: in Mexico, Lima, Madrid, Seville, Potosi, Guatemala, Santiago in Chile and Santa Fe de Bogota in Colombia.

While the Mexico mint was a prolific producer of silver coinage, holey dollars with ties to other mints are highly prized. To this day no holey dollars have been found with ties to Chile or Columbia and only one piece to Guatemala, held in the Montreal Museum.

Four examples have ties to the Madrid mint and two to the mint in Seville. Of the remaining mints, ten per cent pertain to Lima and eight per cent to Potosi.

It also has to be noted that as the Spanish dollar was the world’s greatest trading coin, the majority of coins imported by Macquarie were well used. Holey dollars that show minimal wear are highly prized.

Holey dollar struck on a 1780 Charles III holey dollar Mexico Mint

While much fuss is always directed towards the holey dollar, Coinworks will display four of the finest known examples of the colonial dump.

Acquiring a superior quality specimen of the dump is nigh on impossible: its lesser value of 15 pence meant it was widely circulated in the colony, as opposed to the high denomination holey dollar which had a narrower band of circulation. The listed dump is valued at $250,000.

A TOUCH OF CLASS The final touch to this exhibition is the inclusion of Australia’s first gold coins struck in 1852, including the two types of Adelaide pound and, for the first time ever on display in Melbourne, the revered 1852 Adelaide five pound.

1852 Adelaide five pound: obverse

EMINENT COLONIALS EXHIBITION 27 August, Melbourne

Holey Dollar struck on a 1798 Charles IIII Spanish dollar Mexico Mint

In conjunction with their Eminent Colonials Auction on 27 August, Coinworks is presenting a multi-million dollar exhibition of Australia’s first silver and gold coins.

The coins will be on display to the public throughout the day, commencing at 10 am and concluding at 4 pm.

1852 Adelaide five pound: reverse

Eminent Colonials Exhibition Date: Monday 27 August Venue: 1st Floor, RACV Club, 501 Bourke Street Melbourne Time: 10 am – 4pm

There are eight distinctly different styles of holey dollars, defined by the date of the original Spanish dollar and the design details depicted on it (the legend and the portrait).

Some types are obviously rarer than others.

Take for example the Hannibal Head holey dollar, being auctioned by Coinworks on

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1852 Adelaide one pound

DON’T FORGET THE DUMP

EIGHT STYLES OF HOLEY

Below: Holey dollar struck on a 1789 Charles III Spanish dollar Lima Mint

27 August. It is the only one of its kind in private hands. This coin was sold privately in 1988 for $40,500, then bought in 2007 for $260,000. Less than a year ago, a similar one sold for $485,000 so this coin’s present sale estimate of over $500,000 is well within reach.

This exponential increase has translated to it being watched with keen interest as well as becoming a serious investment.

Coinworks has sold four elite holey dollars over the last 12 months, all of which will be displayed alongside the Hannibal Head holey dollar reflecting the diversity and colourful history of Australia’s first coin.

For more information contact COINWORKS 03 9642 3133 www.coinworks.com.au Above: Holey Dollar struck on a 1807 Charles IIII Spanish dollar Potosi Mint

Below: 1813 Colonial dump Type A/1

Above: 1813 Colonial dump Type D/2

MALVERN

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1. Pair of diamond stud earrings set in 18 ct white gold, wire coronet housing claw set old-cut diamond, weight approx 1.3 ct each, white gold butterflies secured to the back.

ATDW 2.6 ct. Sold $18,640 2. Vintage 18 ct gold bracelet designed with two central rows of flat topped panels, each finely engraved with foliate motif, spaced horizontally by three finer rows of slender solid bars, concealed clasp and safety catch, l: 18 cm weight: 95.2 grams. Sold $5126 3. Necklace of 18 ct yellow gold, with bezel set central cabochon emerald weight approx 35 ct, framed by various sized brilliant-cut diamonds total 1.2 ct and six smaller cabochon emeralds, two pearls, one ruby and enamel work, connecting to 7 mm cultured pearl strand with concealed clasp. Sold $5310 4. Chinese ivory fan, late 19th/early 20th century, blades finely carved in low relief on a pierced ground oval cartouche to the centre carved with a Western monogram, mounted and framed 19 x 34 cm (open). Sold $3540 5. Emerald and diamond ring set in 18 ct white gold, emerald: 1.26 ct, baguette diamonds: total 0.25 ct. Sold $3081 6. Sapphire and diamond pendant. Set in 18 ct white gold, handcrafted by Ian Sharp Bijoux Jewellers, Ceylonese sapphire weight approximately 21.1 ct, grain set brilliant-cut diamonds, total approx 1 ct, fitted with a concealed bail. Sold $10,485

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7. Suite of silver entrée and dessert flatware for 6 made by James A. Linton (Perth, WA), c. 1930, including pair serving spoons, entrée forks, butter knife, dessert spoons, tea spoons, smaller spoons, all incised with ‘JAL’ sugar shovel made by H. Meyer, total weight: 726 grams. Sold $3378 8. Georgian period 18 ct ring inscribed maker’s mark ‘AC’, London hallmarks for 1823, inscribed internally J.P. Inwood 23rd Aug 1823, black enamelled detail, overlaid with applied gold initials, raised foliate gold work. Boxed. Sold $7111 9. Omega 14 ct yellow gold open faced pocket watch no 7596944, movement no 7587086, gold Arabic numerals, gold Omega logo hands, subsidiary dial, crown wind. Sold $1,534 10. Chinese elaborately carved ivory puzzle ball on stand, late 19th/early 20th century, h: 36.5 cm (overall). Sold $4310 11. Louis XVI style gilt metal mounted mahogany vitrine, c. 1950s, marble top and frieze above a single glazed door, 174 x 130 x 40 cm, the interior with lights to the top, a mirrored back and two adjustable glass shelves. Sold $2725 12. Pair of Royal Worcester vases, 1908, painted by Arthur C. Lewis, baluster shape scrolling handles finial cover, raised work and gilt details throughout, h: 33 cm, inscribed to base factory mark 248B/H50.38. Sold $4130 13. German porcelain plaque, c. 1870s, decoration after John Everett Millais, The Knight Errant, impressed maker’s mark, 33 x 24.5 cm. Sold $4484

AUCTION SCHEDULE 2012

FINE & DECORATIVE ARTS, ANTIQUES & JEWELLERY HEAD OFFICE: 47 GLENFERRIE ROAD, MALVERN 3144 T: +61 3 9509 6788 F: +61 3 9509 3455 email: philips@philipsauctions.com.au www.philipsauctions.com.au

Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Closing for entries Viewing

Sunday 9 September Monday 10 September Thursday 16 August Wed 5 - Sat 9 September

Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Closing for entries Viewing

Sunday 21 October Monday 22 October Thursday 27 September Wed 17 - Sat 21 October

Fine and Decorative Arts Modern and Antique Jewellery Closing for entries Viewing

Sunday 2 December Monday 3 December Thursday 8 November Wed 28 Nov - Sat 1 Dec

Visit www.philipsauctions.com.au for details of all current lots

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Drawing crown wheel, verge and foliot

Salisbury Cathedral clock, 1386

Wells Cathedral clock outer dial, 1392

The beginnings of time in horology 1300 – 1500 he mechanical clock appeared around 1280-1300, along with the crucial invention of the ‘crown wheel and verge’ escapement. This device requires a crown wheel, with an odd number of teeth to the side, like a hole-cutting saw blade mounted vertically.

Across the crown wheel is a vertically mounted arbor or shaft, with a balance wheel on top. Two small projections of steel called pallets are mounted on this arbor (the verge). Each pallet face meets a tooth of the crown wheel alternately spinning the balance wheel each way, allowing the crown wheel to escape (release) one tooth at a time.

The regulating of this escapement was controlled by adjustable driving weights, and required frequent adjustment to time. The crown wheel was held, the verge lifted out, the train let run freely to the desired time, stopped on crown wheel and verge replaced and set going. This required an attendant of some skill; considering that the clock may have taken two years to

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make, a mistake would be costly. The basic crown wheel and verge escapement lasted with several improvements for almost 500 years.

An alternative soon appeared to the crown wheel and verge. A horizontal bar was attached to the arbor in place of the balance wheel and suspended by pig or horsehair. At each end of the bar were notches where weights could be moved in for faster or out for slower. The new escapement was a ‘crown wheel and verge foliot’, known as a verge foliot. It worked the same way as the verge balance but was able to be regulated independently. This system was very robust, would tick away almost forever as long as its moving parts were kept oiled. However it was still a very poor timekeeper, but better than the crown wheel and verge.

The oldest surviving clock in England is in Salisbury Cathedral. It was verge foliot, has no dials but strikes the hour. It was made about 1386, for historical accounts show that in 1386

Hourglass or sand-glass in early Italian fresco, c. 1337-1339, held by figure middle right

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provision was made for a house for the use of the clock keeper. Ralph Erghum was bishop of Salisbury and was a regular visitor to the court of King Edward III. He later moved to Wells Cathedral in Somerset and commissioned another clock in 1388, having it installed in 1392. Both these clocks are the oldest surviving clocks in England and have been found in more recent times to be made by the same craftsmen.

These two clocks have now been attributed to Johannes Lietuijt, or the brothers Johannes and Williemus Vrieman, a group of three clockmakers invited to England in 1368 by King Edward III from the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxenbourg and the Netherlands).

The Salisbury clock was replaced by a new mechanism in 1884. It was saved from oblivion in 1929 when TR Robinson drew attention to its great antiquity. As can be seen, the wrought iron clock frame is held together with wedges. These earlier clocks were ground-mounted like the water clocks. The weights were suspended from pulleys higher than the clock. Eventually these clocks were put in a tower with weights hung below, becoming known as Turret or Tower Clocks.

In 1931 the original mechanism was cleaned up and put on display, and finally in 1956, with the help of Rolls Royce, certain parts were Xrayed to see what was original. By using original parts and some new, it was restored back to verge foliat from a previous pendulum alteration.

The restored Salisbury clock is probably the oldest clock in the world today still running.

The Wells Cathedral clock of 1392 strikes the quarters as well as the hours. It has two dials, one astronomical and three separate automata. The original movement now resides in the Science Museum in London, having been replaced in 1835 and that movement in turn replaced c.1890. The original astronomical dial at Wells Cathedral is the finest still preserved in England.

Around the early 14th century the hourglass finally appears to have been developed. The first known illustration of the hourglass is in an Italian fresco painted between 1337-1339 in the Palazzo Pubblico in Sienna; the

sandglass is held aloft formally indicating something of great or of new importance.

The invention of the hourglass or sandglass had required a form of breakthrough in technology. Not in the glass, but rather in the need for an alternative to sand. Sand, because of its abrasiveness, would soon grind and enlarge the hole thus destroying the time keeping. The introduction of the hourglass required a manmade medium, and this was finally overcome with the use of evenly crushed eggshell. The hourglass was used widely for timing at sea where it was not affected by the sway of the ship, often used to set the four hour watch. In industry, it was used as a timer in manufacturing. On Sundays it was used to time the sermon, where it was also known as a sermon or pulpit glass. If the clergy were so inclined they would say ‘Brethren, we will take another glass’ and turn the glass upside-down to continue the sermon for another hour.

European knowledge of the planet grew more rapidly in the 15th century than ever before. The ships and long range navigation needed for maritime enterprise were available from the 14th century making possible the great exploration which led to the 15th century being called the ‘Age of Reconnaissance’. Exploration turned southward heralding the age of discovery which was to transform the globe and create one world.

Education had largely been the responsibility of the Church. The most important development at this time was the creation of universities, which went on to become the major transmitters of information and culture. By 1400 there were more than 53 universities, resulting in the revival of the training of the clergy and ensuring that the education of a substantive number of laymen was done in institutions under the control of the Church and so suffused with religion.

The spread of education allowed for the development of a merchant and artisan class. In relation to horology, this meant the application of new techniques and an expanded understanding of mechanical devices. These early timepieces were manufactured from examples and drawings given earlier as

MALVERN

French (Burgundy) chamber clock with gilt brass case, c.1460. British Museum, London.

Highly important and a contender for the oldest surviving spring-driven clock in existence. All internal parts are of iron, was originally spring-driven and later converted to weight-driven for both time and strike

Diagram illustrating the fusee and barrel

gifts. An example was the Arabian water clock given by Haroun al Rashid to Charlemagne in 807 where up to 12 bronze bells were struck, with 12 horsemen emerging at noon from windows, which closed behind them.

During this time the setting of standards, regulation and institutionalising of apprentices passed into the hands of the craftsmen, with these artisans organised into guilds. These guilds grew as part of the social commune and achieved special jurisdictional independence for free men in medieval Europe. Many urban areas developed without guilds. In some ways the guilds in small areas could limit the advancement of skilled labour, whereas the larger towns eventually became the domain of merchants and craftsmen.

Within the first year the apprentice had to pass the required reading, writing and drawing exams for acceptance before full training commenced. At this time literacy was probably limited to one percent of the population resulting in those able to undertake an apprenticeship being a select group. Perhaps this is why it appears that horology was kept within a small nucleus, often within family groups.

An early example of the guilds and their workings in domestic clockmaking in Europe is that of Germany and central France. At this time clockmaking was not a separate guild in France but part of the Guild of Smiths which incorporated blacksmiths, locksmiths and the like. The first clockmakers guild was established in Paris in 1544, with seven masters listed.

The gold and silversmiths guilds in France controlled gold and silver use and yet somehow the early French clockmakers were able to access precious metals. Sometimes complete gold cases were created. Whether this was because of cooperation or because the king wanted something made and decreed that clockmakers could use gold is uncertain.

Not many examples of these early French clocks have survived, probably melted down because their gold content was used to manufacture other items. Far more German examples exist from this period as the German gold and silversmiths guilds did not allow the use of gold or silver by another guild.

Their clocks were mainly made with wrought iron cases with few examples of collaboration between guilds where the iron was gilded. This may explain how for many years it was thought that Germany was the original area for the manufacture of domestic clocks, but most likely this was fuelled by the

early examples found, aided by the paucity of complete French examples.

Early highly skilled artisans travelled to different cities undertaking commissions as requested, making the mechanism and then returning to their home. However, on occasion groups of master artisans removed to other towns or countries because of health (epidemics), political or economic reasons.

It was during this period that many members of the Italian artisan class relocated to France due to political and religious pressures. Earlier, Italy had attracted many craftsmen from all over Europe. In turn France lost this educated class with the persecution of the Huguenots. Some went to Switzerland with most resettling in the Lowlands (Holland) and England, a few making their way to Sweden.

The major invention of the period was the spring-driven timepiece. This appears to date back at least to the first quarter of the 15th century. Its invention made possible portable clocks and later watches and was crucial to the development of horology. The first reference is found in Italy written by a contemporary of Filippo Brunelleschi who in around 1410 was involved in the construction of various and diverse kinds of springs.

However a more accurate account of a French made miniature clock dated from around 1440-50 portrays in great detail the mechanism of a spring-driven mechanism.

The other major innovation of the period was the increased accuracy of the portable clock. This was achieved by the invention of the fusee in the last half of the 15th century, as documented in drawings of the time. A fully-wound spring released power in decreasing amounts.

The fusee is best described as a torque converter that evens out the power loss of the spring. In simple terms it is a truncated cone with a spiral thread cut into the surface. The power is delivered via a cord from the spring held in a barrel, the power fully-wound to the smallest end of the cone; as the spring power drops, the delivery of power goes up in torque value on the cone in an increasing leverage value, equalising the force delivered.

The fusee was the pre-eminent power equalisation system for over 400 years and was used in manufacturing until the 1960s in England and is still used today by clockmakers crafting individual pieces. With the current sophistication of manufacturing techniques the rationale for incorporating the fusee is primarily aesthetic.

Domestic iron clock of the late Middle Ages with a painted dial plate with castellated cresting, turret style four-poster frame with verge escapement and foliot, and doublebarrel winding system References Eric Bruton, The History of Clocks & Watches, Little, Brown & Company, 1979 Carlo M. Cipolla, Clocks and Culture 1300-1700, Collins, London Winthrop Edey, French Clocks, Walker And Company, New York Cedric Jagger, The Worlds Great Clocks & Watches, Hamlyn Kristen Lippincott, The History of Time, Merrell Holberton Joseph Needham, Wang Ling & Derek J. Price,

Heavenly Clockwork, Cambridge University Press Hugh Tait, Clocks in The British Museum, Trustees Of The British Museum G J Whitrow, Time in History, Oxford University Press Colin Wilson, The Book of Time, Jacaranda Press

Michael Colman COLMAN ANTIQUE CLOCKS 03 9824 8244 www.colmnantiqueclocks.com

Colman Antique Clocks WAT C H & C L O C K R E S T O R E R S

French Louis Philippe carriage style mantel clock, c. 1840 in tortoise shell veneer with fine ivory Inlay by Barbot, 9” handle up.

French mantel clock c. 1880 in fire gilded ormolu on bronze finish with 3 hand painted Sèvres panels possibly depicting 16th century Prague with cartouche style dial

French Empire figured mantel clock, c. 1810. Bronze ormolu finish with simple automaton, signed to dial Le Cointe - Renard à Laon. Secretly signed Pons to the pendule de Paris silk thread movement striking on silvered bell Pons, Honoré Pons DePaul awarded 2 silver & 3 gold medals in French Industrial awards as ébauche maker

George II double fusee verge bracket clock, c.1760, England, signature maker’s case, mahogany, ormolu mounts by Ellicott (England: London), profusely engraved back plate with pull cord repeat, in fine original condition

French 18th century waisted Boulle bracket clock c. 1760, on original wall bracket. Original finish and fittings, brass inlay, tortoise shell veneered case. The dial made of cast and chased surround with 25 fired enamel cartouche numerals, superb hand chased blued steel hands. Thirty day movement and large proportions, 5 turned shaped pillars, shaped plates engraved with maker’s name to rear plate and fitted with recoil escapement, Sun King pendulum

English mahogany cased bracket clock, 19th century on original wall bracket made

by Smith & Son’s, of Clerkenwell, London.

1421 Malvern Road Malvern, Victoria 3144 Australia Au s t ra l i an An t i q u e a n d Art Deal e rs A s s oc iat i on

Ph: 03 9824 8244 Fax: 03 9824 4230 Email: michaelcolman@optusnet.net.au Website: www.colmanantiqueclocks.com Member of the Watch and Clock Makers of Australia (formerly HGA) and the BHI

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SOUTH YARRA

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SOUTH YARRA

Tyson China Repairs & Sales

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WANTED ~ ~ DECEASED ESTATES ~

~ QUALITY INTERESTING, DECORATIVE ITEMS ~ EG: Antique & Period – Porcelain & China Old Glass – Silver & Silverplate – Furniture Alabaster figures – Old lighting – etc…

We specialise in the repair/cleaning and presentation of old goods for resale Tired or dirty? Even minor damage to items can be improved by us, for sale.

Assistance and advice can be provided for estate distribution, repairs & cleaning of your items to ensure a quality presentation of your goods or maintained value of your valuable family heirlooms.

Call today to ensure you receive maximum value from your estate. Whether to keep or sell or distribute within the family, the correct advice is vital. Small improvements can lead to significant increase in value.

~

Peter Tyson – Tyson China Repairs 375 Malven Road, South Yarra 3141 03 9826 9910

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CANTERBURY

The hospitable refectory table R

efectory tables take their name from their original use in the long refectories or communal dining rooms in monasteries. The larger refectories would have a number of long tables where monks would have their meals.

Secular use of these tables appears to have originated in the Mediterranean regions of Europe where their designs became more ornate. In the late 16th century, an adaptation of the refectory table became popular in central and northern parts of Europe.

For example the Italian artist Giulio Romano travelled to France in the early 16th century and brought concepts of the Italian style to the French court of Francis I. Later in the 16th century the secular refectory table spread to Flemish and German areas. The refectory table thus evolved into a banqueting or feasting table in castles and other noble residences.

The original refectory table was hand made and created of oak or walnut (the latter being more popular in the Mediterranean regions).

The design of the refectory table evolved from the early design of trestle-supported boards.

The refectory table developed widely into more sophisticated bulbous legged tables and draw leaf tables. These were often enriched with carved friezes and carvings to the legs.

These later refectory tables frequently had an extension top and included extra leaves stored under the main body of the table. An ingenious arrangement of supports provided additional table surface at one or both ends.

The leaves were pulled out if required. The bulbous legged tables became more refined through the 17th century and from 1650, more types of table became available including gate-leg tables. Legs became less heavy, while turned legs, such as baluster and other styles came into fashion.

HUGE RANGE OF QUALITY FRENCH BEDS

Guy Page

PAGE ANTIQUES Formerly of High Street Armadale

“The best selection of queen-size beds”

ge Hu

ent m ship

un t s ju

de a o l

PAGE ANTIQUES WAREHOUSE 323 CANTERBURY RD, CANTERBURY VICTORIA 3126 PH 03 9880 7433 10 AM – 5 PM 7 DAYS (SUN 11 AM - 4 PM) Email: guypage@bigpond.com 0411 175 320 www.pageantiques.com.au

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Around 1900 refectory tables were revived and their popularity continues today. These aged, warm, hardy and hospitable tables are the perfect addition to modern open living areas. Their boarded or parquetry waxed surfaces are more practical for everyday use than the french polished surfaces on more formal dining tables. Their low-placed stretcher and wide overhanging tops give them both practicality and appeal. They look great amongst sophisticated furniture. If a more formal setting is required, dress it up with upholstered high back chairs and finish the look with a centred brass candelabra. To retain a more casual look, use ladder-back, leather, rush or modern chairs.

The generous widths of refectory tables provide plenty of room for displays or for dishes of food placed down the centre. The stretcher bases that come in varying forms are very practical, allowing for extra leg room and the design used for the leaves make the ends useable. Fixed top refectory tables are perfect if you do not anticipate needing a longer table.

Some refectory tables are suitable as side tables. Another use is as a desk. Especially popular are those with carved end supports joined by cast iron stretchers.

The lighter looking provincial Louis XV draw leaf table continues to be a popular style. The delicate, lightly carved cabriole legs and curved lines provide an appealing alternative to those

of a simple design as many refectory tables have interesting parquetry tops that often extend into their leaves. The lovely light woods and quality carvings of these revival pieces add charm and style to both period and modern homes, the latter often benefiting from a character piece that provides a warm and inviting place in an otherwise minimalist setting.

These tables need only the occasional wax and protective surfaces should be used with hot dishes. In return, they provide a social centre that is practical, welcoming and hospitable.

Come to our warehouse in Canterbury where a good selection of draw leaf tables has recently arrived from Europe (refer to accompanying advertisement). Many other European antique items, including furniture, clocks and objects of art are in stock for your browsing and selection. You are always welcome!

Guy & Trish Page PAGE ANTIQUES 03 9880 7433 / 0411 175 320 guypage@bigpond.com

CAMBERWELL / CITY / SURREY HILLS / MOONEE PONDS RESTORING ANTIQUES OF TODAY

Trask

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Antique Restorations French polishing Upholstery

Phone/Fax 03 9372 0850 0418 458 420 6 Hinkins Street Moonee Ponds 3039

Watchmakers and Jewellers Est. 1947 • Largest watch repair centre in Melbourne • We repair all brands of quartz automatic and mechanical watches and clocks • We do pressure testing to all brands of watches • We have the biggest range of watch bands and batteries in Melbourne, custom fitted • Expert restoration to all vintage wrist and pocket watches • Valuations and deceased estates a speciality • Will buy old watches and jewellery in any condition • We have the largest range of pocket watches in Melbourne • We stock vintage watches • Expert jewellery repairs • Seiko Repair Centre • Premier stockist of Thomas Sabo in Melbourne • Stockist of Swiss Military Hanowa watches

EXCLUSIVE FOR MELBOURNE

Camberwell

Luminox watches – Swiss made IN STOCK NOW

209 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne 3000 (Opposite GPO) Ph 03 9670 5353 Fax 03 9670 4236

ANTIQUE CENTRE 25-29 Cookson Street Camberwell VIC 3124

18 November 2012 – 9 am to 4 pm

Tel 03 9882 2028 or 03 9813 1260

Malvern Town Hall (Banquet Hall), Glenferrie Rd, Malvern

OPEN 7 DAYS

For sale – vintage pens and pencils, fountain pens, leather goods, hand-made paper, vintage writing equipment and ephemera, ink, calligraphy, stationery and a Market Table where one or two or a few pens can be sold. Pen and pencil collectors, special interest groups and pen retailers and manufacturers will be present.

Marisa Avano art at Redgum

Inquiries to melbourne.pen.show@westnet.com.au

www.melbpenshow.com.au

‘The viewer is allowed to experience a moment in time - uncluttered with detail’

L Berry Red

ooking for artworks? Next time you’re in the Dandenong Ranges, pop in and visit the Redgum Gallery in Olinda. Artworks include paintings by local artist Marisa Avano.

Born in Melbourne, Marisa grew up in a family of artists, and her work forms part of local and overseas private collections. Inspired by nature and travels around Australia, Marisa’s painterly style is a constant signature throughout her work. Her use of colour and expressive brushwork add to her distinctive style.

Marisa’s paintings have been described as ‘soulful,’ ‘strong’ pieces which interpret her experiences of the world. Whether they are reflections of urban scapes or observations of landscapes, Marisa has a unique way of transcribing what she sees and feels into her paintings. She likes to allow the viewer ‘to experience a moment in time – uncluttered with detail.’

Take a drive to Olinda and Redgum Gallery situated at 47 Olinda Monbulk Road.

Surrounded by cafes and numerous other boutique shops, it is a wonderful way to spend a relaxing afternoon.

REDGUM GALLERY 03 9751 2546 www.marisaavano.com

Contemporary Artwork

T intersection

by

Marisa Avano www.marisaavano.com

Autumn Day

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CANTERBURY

PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN: Boomerang Craftsmen Australia

T

he boomerang, invented by the Aborigines, is a labour saving device that makes hunting easier. In existence for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans to Australia’s shores these hunting devices were designed in two forms – returning and non-returning. Non-returning boomerangs are made of heavier wood and are slightly curved. The more familiar curved

shaped boomerang is lighter and is designed to return.

Boomerangs were also used in religious ceremonies and although other early civilizations found in Egypt, Africa, Europe and North America invented throwing sticks, the returning boomerang is a unique Australian Aboriginal invention.

CANTERBURY TRIBAL ART CENTRE artefacts bought & sold ABORIGINAL ART, ARTEFACTS, COLLECTABLES, BOOMERANGS, DIDGERIDOOS, AUSTRALIANA, CORPORATE GIFTS

RETURNING BOOMERANGS Boomerangs generally have a range of 20 metres with the longest recorded throw being 232 metres. Today, makers craft boomerangs that can stay aloft longer and cover hundreds of metres. Watching a boomerang being thrown and returning is a visual marvel and always leads to the question: Why do boomerangs come back? The answer is complex and is explained clearly on Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre (www.questacon.edu.au) which states: ‘When a curved boomerang spins in flight, the two wings experience different amounts of lift. One wing always enters undisturbed air, while the other wing is faced with air that has been churned up by the first wing, causing less lift. Also, as the boomerang spins, one wing moves in the direction of the boomerang’s flight and has more lift than the other wing which is spinning back. The boomerang tends to flip over but the spinning motion changes this flipping over action into the curved path of the returning boomerang

by Simply, the flying spinning boomerang’s when in flight the shape of the boomerang wing and its angle relative to the flightpath (angle of attack) deflects air downward and creates an upward force called lift.’

ABOUT BOOMERANG CRAFTSMEN AUSTRALIA

Open Friday/Saturday 11 am – 5 pm Sunday 11 am to 4 pm open other times by appointment

3 Rochester Rd Canterbury Mob 0412 200 144 Email crolls@bigpond.net.au

www.boomerangcraftsmen.com 22

Located in Melbourne, Boomerang Craftsmen Australia has years of experience so whatever your needs, whether for competition or recreation, we have the boomerangs. In addition, Company Director Rob Croll has been world boomerang throwing champion twice and Australian boomerang throwing champion a record ten times! His vision and passion is to provide anyone who is interested in boomerangs with all the equipment and information needed.

MAKING A BOOMERANG They are constructed from a large variety of materials and for all purposes, including: • natural wood • plywood • foam

• plastic • competition • wood Individual boomerangs can be decorated with the recipient’s name burnt onto the boomerang, or you can purchase from our large range of hand-crafted stock. Many of our boomerangs are made and decorated by Aboriginal craftsmen and artists.

We also specialise in corporate orders, whereby boomerangs are made and decorated as requested. Many businesses use these as gifts for clients while others are ordered for awards to staff or clients.

Boomerangs can be ordered individually or in bulk with discounts available for bulk purchases. No order is too big or too small.

TAKE A THROWING CLASS Lessons in boomerang throwing are also provided, and boomerang throwing workshops and demonstrations can be organised for schools, community groups and corporations.

DIDGERIDOOS FOR YOUR COLLECTION Didgeridoos are also available in a range of sizes and prices and come in plain or decorated varieties. Boomerang Craftsmen Australia also offers didgeridoo playing lessons by appointment.

In addition, an enormous selection of authentic artefacts, paintings and antiques are offered for sale. These are on display by appointment only, in both Canterbury and Mt Waverley, which are just a short train trip from Melbourne CBD. With a boomerang your purchase will keep on returning you pleasure!

To find out more contact BOOMERANG CRAFTSMEN AUSTRALIA 03 9807 2386 0412 200 144 crolls@bigpond.net.au

SOUTH YARRA

WANTED

NOW BUYING $$ CASH PAID $$ FOR YOUR UNWANTED GOLD JEWELLERY Chains, bracelets, rings, pendants, fob chains, cufflinks. Also buying gold coins, ingots, bullion, sovereigns

WATCHES WANTED PATEK - ROLEX - OMEGA - IWC Collections Fine Jewellery will consider any wrist or pocketwatch. Cash paid for Cartier, Breitling, Tudor, Jaeger LeCoultre, Vacheron Constanin, Tag Heuer, Chopard, Panerai, Audermars Piguet, Breguet, Chronoswiss, Girard-Perrigaux, Glashutte, A. Lange & Sohne, Longines, Piaget, Zenith, Rolex, to name a few

COLLECTIONS FINE JEWELLERY • Tel 03 9867 5858 148 Toorak Rd, South Yarra • www.collectionsfinejewellery.com Open Hours Monday-Friday 10am-5.30pm, Saturday 10am-4pm

Modern Rolex ‘Oyster’

Vintage Rolex ‘Prince’

Modern Jaeger ‘Reverso’

Longines hour angle

Cartier Santos 100

It may not be Darwin BUT THE SPECIES DOES HAVE AN ORIGIN

I

n 1904 Cartier made a special model wristwatch for Brazilian aviator, Santos Dumont. The Cartier ‘Santos’ was born, its distinctive steel and gold appearance having been fashioned after the cockpit of his aeroplane. The Santos is still in production today and is made in great numbers.

Lindbergh relied on a wrist chronograph made by Longines, but designed by him on his trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. The Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch is still a part of Longines’ flagship range, being available in a variety of metals and dial configurations.

Longines’ tradition of historic models continues with the current range of Weems Navigation watches. Lindbergh, in fact, studied navigation under Commander PVH Weems, who first realised that an aeroplane moving at 200 to 300 miles an hour had to make compensations in navigation because of this speed. By the time the pilot worked out exactly where he was, he wasn’t!

The Weems second-setting watch with rotating bezel was invented by Weems and produced by Longines. Lindbergh added his own refinements and changed the watch significantly. Longines, to their credit, saw merit in both, and are still producing both.

Mercedes Gleitz’s swimming the English channel in 1927 while wearing a Rolex Oyster proved a great advertising success, for it so impressed the journalists of the day that they called it a trend (wearing a watch, not swimming the channel). 1928 was the first year that sales of wristwatches actually surpassed those of pocket watches. The Rolex Oyster probably had no small part to play in helping to achieve this feat. Today, the great, great grandson of this original Oyster, and many variations thereof, are produced at the rate of 500,000 per annum.

The wonderful style and clean lines of the extremely modern Jaeger ‘Reverso’ were first conceived before 1931, the year they went into

production. Jaeger has recently greatly increased the range of these ‘modern’ watches to the point that now over 20 different models and sizes are available. This original Sports watch that rotates to protect the crystal, with shockproof movement and corrosion resistant, was designed for ‘the ski slopes, tennis court and the polo field’ of the 1930s. It still looks great on the sports field today.

In 1963, several top quality wristwatches were bought anonymously from a Texas jewellery store.

Over the next two years they were put through an exhaustive series of precision tests by the scientists at NASA. The Omega ‘Speedmaster Professional’ came out as number one after the rigorous program. In l965 it was adopted as NASA’s official watch.

The ‘First watch worn on the Moon’ is currently in production, although with a Cal 861 movement (for the technically minded) as opposed to the original Cal 321. The original had a manual wind movement while the current

series is available both as a manually wound and as an automatic watch. Today the automatic is cheaper to buy than a true reproduction of the original manual wind watch. Both movements are made by Lemania, and a variation of these is used by Patek Philippe in its perpetual calendar with chronograph.

Vacheron Constantin, with a reintroduction of their ‘Historique’ range of chronographs, is another example of a modern watch with its roots firmly planted in history.

Today’s watches have all the technical excellence and reliability that we expect of them. Their elegance and style, however, comes from an era when these qualities seem to have had more importance than today – at least to some of the major watch houses.

Ron Gregor COLLECTIONS FINE JEWELLERY 03 9867 5858 www.collectionsfinejewellery.com

23

EAST MELBOURNE

Harris Jan, Autumn Leaves

Libby Wirt, Trentham Falls

Pamela Pretty, The Pool

Linda Finch, Leah

The Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia’s 25th ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION 19 – 30 OCTOBER

T

he Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia (PSVA) has pleasure in inviting you to its 25th Annual Art Exhibition being held at the Victorian Artists Galleries. This important selling exhibition showcases a range of artistic styles with many prestigious artists displaying their work. Artists are invited to submit one or two works for judging, giving the public the opportunity to purchase the best the society members have to offer.

The opening and award presentation will be held 20 October, 2 pm – 4 pm.

During the exhibition the Victorian Artists Galleries will be open 10 am – 4 pm weekdays, 1 pm – 4 pm weekends.

Jon Dwyer will judge this year’s show. Jon has been in the art business for over 30 years. His early professional years were spent working at Leonard Joel’s where he eventually headed up the art department. Over the years, Jon established himself as Australia’s leading expert in art. After some 20 years at Joel’s, he joined the famous auction house Christie’s. At Christie’s Jon was a

Director, Head of Valuation and Business Development and later, Head of the Australian and International Painting Department.

Pastel painting has previously been seen as a Cinderella of the art mediums, but the art world and the public is at last acknowledging the integrity and value of this wonderful painting tool. The vast array of vibrant, subtle and plainly gorgeous colours entice an artist to use these pastel sticks to create the most attractive, exciting and varied paintings, which can last for many hundreds of years without the detriment of fading, retaining the intense colour and vitality as when first painted.

Pastel is a versatile medium offering immediacy and freedom. Some artists like precise photographic realism, others love the looseness and more expressive styles possible where there is contact between the fingers, the pastels and the paper. Pastel also offers a broad tonal range with glorious colour purity.

It can be subtle and understated, raw, startling or bold, and in an artist’s hands a sense of

motion and wildness in flowing, vibrant strokes is possible.

HISTORY OF THE PASTEL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA In May 1986, the late Margaret Lourey, with a small group of dedicated pastel enthusiasts including our first patron, Ming Mackay, Arno Roger-Genersh, Janet Hayes and Richard Barker formed the Pastel Society of Victoria. The first annual general meeting was held on 6 November of that year, and in 1987 with many of the new members of the Society, they held their inaugural Annual Art Exhibition.

On 24 November 1993 the Society was officially incorporated under the Association’s Incorporations Act. The aims of the Society were to encourage the use of pastel and seek greater recognition from the public by focusing attention on the renaissance, permanence and beauty of the medium. The Society further aimed to liaise with other pastel societies in Australia and internationally.

CURRENT PSVA ACTIVITIES The Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia is a very active group dedicated to the exploration and use of pastel as an artistic medium. The Society encourages new membership and invites interested persons to share their creativity and ideas, to improve their skills and

Pete Marshall, An Elegance of Egrets

Barbara McManus, Carnivale Rehearsal Venice

24

Anne Taylor, Maldon Country

gather tips from other members. The current patron of the PSVA is Andrew Mackenzie, an art historian and enthusiastic supporter of the medium.

Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month (except January) at Mt Waverley Community Centre, Miller Crescent, Mt Waverley, from 7.30 pm to 9.45 pm. These consist of activities such as demonstration, information and sharing of expertise and coaching evenings. There is an extensive book and DVD/video library available. Paint-outs and workshops are tutored by renowned artists, offering participating members the opportunity to explore new ideas and develop their skills in a pleasant social environment.

VicPastel News is a bi-monthly newsletter/magazine of news, ideas, members’ achievements, interesting information and our valuable sponsors’ advertisements. The PSVA is supported by sponsors who donate their art supplies and often their time in encouraging and informing artists about the materials and techniques available. Members are eligible for discounts on art supplies from our retail sponsors.

To find out more contact PASTEL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Membership Secretary: Linda Finch – 0403 878 419 lindafinch@opusnet.com.au Correspondence Secretary: Anne Taylor – 03 5968 5181 annetay1@msn.com

Christine Broersen, Retro Jar

Farewell to Artique F

or 20 years, Carole Milton has enjoyed working in her studio, a converted stable at the rear of her home (Selbourne House, circa 1889). Carole named her studio Artique, a coining of her art and her family’s business interests in antiques.

Having recently sold Selbourne House, and therefore closing the door on Artique, Carole is holding a final Open Studio in September to which she extends an open invitation.

EASY TO FIND Artique is located at the corner of Fitzwilliam Street and Selbourne Road, Kew. Entry is from Fitzwilliam Street off Glenferrie Road.

There is ample on-street parking available.

For more information contact CAROLE MILTON 03 9818 5111 / 0403 859 204 miltoncarole@gmail.com

ART BOTH REALIST AND IMPRESSIONIST

Port Campbell Pier

Well known for her flower studies, Carole has also enjoyed en plein air painting by going on several extended painting trips annually. The subjects of this popular impressionist/realist artist therefore range from roses, camellias and daisies to landscapes featuring such beauty spots as Point Campbell, Dunkeld in The Grampians and Peterborough on the Great Ocean Road.

A multi-award-winning artist, her work has been exhibited in galleries in London, Paris and New York. Carole is also included on the registers of the National Gallery of Victoria and Women’s Art Register and she is widely respected as an experienced teacher and art judge.

FOR THE DIARY The last time her lovely works can be viewed will be on three Sundays in September – the 2nd, 9th and 16th. The Studio will be open then from 2 pm to 5 pm. Some works are framed, however all will be available for sale at reasonable prices.

Irises

Carole Milton

The Avenue Bacchus Marsh

OPEN STUDIO 2, 9 & 16 September 2012 Cnr Fitzwilliam & Selbourne Rds Kew, Vic 3101 (Enter from Fitzwilliam St) Hours: 2 - 5 pm Phone: 03 9818 5111 Mob: 0403 859 204 miltoncarole@gmail.com Mornington Victoria

25

EAST MELBOURNE

Springhill Lilac

Autumn Light, Taradale

Portrait of Mr Pete Chandler AM KSJ

‘Something I Said’, Roses

Artist Profile

AN INSIGHT INTO GREGORY R SMITH FVAS G The King Islander

A Collection Well Noted, oil on canvas

GREGORY R SMITH FVAS invites you and your friends to the opening of his solo exhibition of paintings titled

ONE MORE TIME IS NEVER ENOUGH On view from 12 noon Official opening: 7 pm Thursday 6 September 2012

Victorian Artists Society Galleries 430 Albert Street, East Melbourne Duration 2 weeks Exhibition closes 2 pm Thursday 20 September 2012 Gallery Hours 10 am - 4 pm weekdays; 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm weekends

regory R Smith FVAS was elected President of The Victorian Artists Society in 2010. Since 1990 he has run a very successful art school for painting students as well as convening ‘Outdoor Activities’ for plein air painters, co-ordinating many exhibitions, and judging, demonstrating and lecturing from time to time. Gregory generously continues to give of his time and knowledge by mentoring many artists and always encourages others to find their creative nature.

Among such numerous art-related activities, the time set aside to paint has become more valuable than ever for this tonal realist oil painter. Once set up in front of an easel, whether indoors or outside, his focus on the subject at hand is clear, especially after thirty years of disciplined observation and training.

He has received many art awards over his painting life, recognising a refined quality through his portraiture, still life, landscape, floral, interiors and life work. Although he appreciates such honours associated with it, for Gregory nothing beats the simple act of observing then putting down paint. ‘We either get a shape right or we don’t, we either get its tone correct or we don’t and we either adjust the temperature of that time correctly or we don’t. We all understand there is a little more involved, but a simple philosophy goes a long way.’

SOLO EXHIBITION: ONE MORE TIME IS NEVER ENOUGH In September Gregory is holding a solo exhibition to view his previous year’s work.

His 28th one-man show, this exhibition showcases his tireless drive to discover and is appropriately titled One More Time Is Never Enough. The exhibition will cover a diverse range of subjects and themes revealing his understanding of draftsmanship, cause and effect of light, the use of oil paint and an ability to convey his experience with the subject.

For more information about the artist and the show contact GREGORY R SMITH 03 9379 4693

Right: Down Church Street, Maldon

26

Chrysanthemums of April

Portrait of Tess

EAST MELBOURNE

Ray Hewitt, Landscape Mary Hyde, Late Afternoon Light

Julian Bruere, Snow gums

Ted Dansey, Kananook Creek

The Victorian Artists Society

IN THE INTERESTS OF ART H

istory speaks for itself when you mention the institution affectionately known as ‘The Vics’. Its association with the pioneers of Australian art is well documented. Since the early days when O R Campbell, James Robertson and artists the calibre of Buvelot, William Pitt, J A Panton and others formed the Victorian Academy of Arts, till its amalgamation with the Australian Artists’ Association to form the Victorian Artists Society, it has always been ... in the interests of art.

From its inception, names such as Mather, von Guerard and Chevalier, Withers, McCubbin, Streeton and Longstaff have all had close relationships with the Society. Present day artists such as David Taylor, Barbara McManus, Max Wilks, Gregory R. Smith and Amanda Hyatt continue to inspire budding artists and future greats. Many artists have come and gone, others are still here and many are yet, waiting in the wings, to be discovered.

Having survived two world wars, depressions, recessions, controversies, frivolities and a host of egos you would have to say the Vics is made of stern stuff, continuing ... in the interests of art.

ART CLASSES Students and developing artists have access to the best teaching staff available – from drawing and oil painting with Christine Wrest Smith, traditional oil painting with Paul McDonald Smith and Ray Hewitt, portrait painting in pastels with Barbara McManus and landscape pastels with Pamela Pretty.

Works on paper including acrylics with Annie Finkelde, watercolours with Ted Dansey or drawing and painting in your preferred medium with Julian Bruere. All of these taking place within our wonderful 140-yearold, purpose-built studio.

FIRST-CLASS EXHIBITION SPACE Boasting a home that was built as an art gallery back in 1892, and a studio that goes back even further, the Victorian Artists Society is the perfect venue for exhibitions.

With the intimate Cato gallery on the ground floor and the spacious Frater, Hammond and McCubbin galleries upstairs, artists can expect to hang their works in first class surroundings.

Member exhibitions with their entertaining opening nights will always attract a lot of attention. Furthermore, membership is not restricted to the established artist alone – anyone with an interest in art can enjoy the social activities of the society’s exhibitions, join in paint-out picnics days, try their hand at portraiture or life class, and much more.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS There is an exciting line-up of exhibitions from local and international contributors at VAS over the next few months.

Victorian Artists Society’s Spring Exhibition Opening night Thursday 23 August at 7 pm ALL WELCOME Sponsored by Gordon Moffatt AO and judged by artist, Lyn Mellady AGRA. Showcasing our members’ fine work, in all mediums.

Please come and join us for light refreshments at the opening night.

Workshop Sunday 26 August Bookings essential: Non Member $95/ Member $85 A workshop is being held at the VAS with special guest noted American artist and teacher Mike Kowalski.

Painting outdoors can at times be a bit of a challenge, especially in the cold wet weather of Melbourne. Artists often have to rely on sketches, notes and photos. An artist can become too dependent on information contained in a photo. This one-day workshop aims at helping artists to collect relevant information they need and how to turn it into a good painting.

Subjects covered through the day include composition, perspective, drawing, observational skills, value and colour choice/mixing will be explored. Each student will be working from photos and or sketches of their own and will work on producing a painting based on them throughout the day.

Mike will be instructing and demonstrating in both oil and watercolour. To make a booking call the office on 03 9662 1484.

Daniel Gibbings Johns 26 September-1 October A solo exhibition being held in the Cato gallery.

FIVE: Back Together Again 3-16 October Julian Bruere, Ted Dansey, Ray Hewitt, John Hunt and Mary Hyde are keen plein air painters who paint with feeling and observation. You won’t want to miss this one!

Scenes from Childhood 3-9 October Built on the theme of childhood memories these and other sketches are from the studio of Nornie Gude and Laurence Scott Pendlebury being shown in the Cato gallery.

AMA – Australian Medical Association 10-16 October Works by Mai Maddison and esteemed colleagues Bold & Beautiful 17-29 October The Pastel Society of Victoria 17 October-4 November

Clive Sinclair solo exhibition 7-12 November Winner of the VAS 2011 Artist of the Year award Clive showcases his talents in this solo exhibition.

RMIT – Graduate Exhibition 7-18 November Graduating Fine Art students works from object based practise in gold and silver smithing and ceramics.

The Victorian Artists Society’s Artist of the Year Exhibition 26 November-11 December Opens Thursday 29 November Come and have your say! The Artist of the Year award is given based on members’ choices from all seasonal exhibitions in 2012. As this exhibition will determine the Society’s Artist of the Year, displayed works are by invitation only. Featuring works by artists voted the Society’s best for 2012, this is the Society’s showcase exhibition.

The Victorian Artists Society Galleries are open Monday – Friday 10 am-4 pm and on weekends 1 pm-4 pm when there is an exhibition.

For further details regarding the above shows, enquiries about exhibition space or VAS art classes, please call the office between 10 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday.

The VICTORIAN ARTISTS SOCIETY 03 9662 1484 admin@victorianartistssociety.com.au www.victorianartistssociety.com.au

Craig Oliver: Yours, Mine and Ours 16-28 August This solo exhibition is being held in the Cato Gallery.

The III Serendipitous Art Exhibition Opening night Friday 17 August 6.30 pm-8.30 pm Serendipitous art is fantasy, colourful, dangerous and unexpected but mostly exciting.

Gregory R. Smith FVAS: One more time is never enough Opening night Thursday 6 September at 7 pm 6-20 September President of the VAS Greg Smith will again fill the galleries with a wonderful exhibition of works for sale.

VAS Country Members 5-18 September A special exhibition for our country members in the Cato Gallery.

Adiya Ariunbold 30 August-4 September Official opening Saturday 1 September 2 pm-4 pm A new artist to Australia, but well-established in his homeland of Mongolia, Adiya will be displaying various works. Come and see this exciting artist.

The Chinese Art Society of Australia 21-26 September Australian Lingnan Chinese Art Association 21-26 September

27

AT SCHOTS HOME EMPORIUM campaign military furniture is given fresh life

O

ver 35 years ago, when Heather and Neville began trading in antiques, it didn’t take them long to develop an appreciation for fine furniture and quality workmanship that had stood the test of time. Schots Home Emporium then progressed into reproduction furniture, during which they never lost their appreciation for such craftsmanship and attention to detail.

A tribute to their antiques background, Neville and Heather insist on only featuring furniture, architectural pieces and fittings for the home that display ageless craftsmanship and functionality. Their devotion to using time honoured techniques when designing and creating each piece ensures that every bolt, join, stitch and detail counts. Each piece is imbued with its own distinct personality, patina and character.

A VICTORIAN STYLE RE-INVENTED One of their most recently introduced ranges is the campaign styled furniture. Based on the colonial military furniture from a bygone era, the campaign style has seen a resurgence in popularity.

During the Victorian period in England, British officers often enjoyed some of the simple comforts of home through the use of demountable furniture that could be transferred with them between camps.

Military – or campaign furniture as it was known – was made for the man who demanded luxury and comfort, an attractive piece with a functional purpose.

A campaign piece is usually typified by dovetailed drawers, brass corners and strap

28

work which offered the piece protection, strength and its distinctive campaign look.

These are features Schots has transferred across to its campaign styled collection.

CLASSIC FEATURES WITH MODERN FORM The Campaign collection possesses a classic, timeless style that brings new life to a past furniture design. Each piece within the range has its own unique character, reflecting its hand crafted and hand finished production. In addition, every piece is organically scuffed to reflect the wear and tear and imperfections their original counterparts possessed. The collection blends both functionality and form suited to more modern conveniences while retaining the individuality often lost in more modern furnishings.

The collection consists of a number of very traditional designs from the Granbury tall boy to the bureau demountable desk. While the traditional campaign style was convenient for the colonial British traveller, Schots recognises that today’s home owner appreciates more convenient aspects of modern furnishings – antiques reinvented – and so have designed an extension to the traditional range. This extension retains the general campaign look and feel while having modern conveniences like sliding doors on the cabinetry and runners on the drawers.

ARRAY OF OPTIONS Schots has a breadth of furniture options within this range including bookcases, display cabinets, kitchen storage cabinets, hall stands, side table, extension tables, wine cabinets,

desks, filing cabinets, coffee tables and even a chess set. The campaign collection is available in a traditional patina brown finish and a more contemporary French provincial styled honeytan with French white detailing. Each piece is finished with solid brass hand antiqued hardware and a durable protective lacquer, ensuring your piece not only looks stunning but stands the test of time.

STORE LOCATIONS You will find this collection amongst a large array of furniture, bathrooms, lighting, hardware, doors, fireplaces and homewares at Schots Home Emporium in Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill. Schots is opening soon a Geelong store on Melbourne Road.

For more information contact SCHOTS HOME EMPORIUM 1300 693 693 info@shots.com.au www.schots.com.au

CITY

The Art of Botanical Illustration 2012 at

DOMAIN HOUSE GALLERY 10 – 25 November

C

ollectors and curators of botanical illustration note that this year’s exhibition of The Art of Botanical Illustration’ (TABI) presented by the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne (the Friends) will have a fine selection of works from some of Australia’s most highly regarded botanical artists.

Although botanical illustration is often used for scientific purposes, it has the emotional power of contemporary fine art. Over the last ten years there has been resurgence in the popularity of botanical illustration worldwide, and in Australia this is partly due to the Friends high profile biennial exhibition The Art of Botanical Illustration. The event’s growing profile, both nationally and internationally, has ensured its place as a major botanical illustration exhibition for artists and collectors.

Botanical illustrations have an illustrious history. Napoleon and Josephine commissioned Pierre-Joseph Redouté, once official court painter to Marie Antoinette, to illustrate a series of the flowers they loved best – roses. Redouté’s work, 170 stipple-engraved watercolour plates are acknowledged today as one of the world’s most beautiful and important collections. Redouté published Les Roses as a tribute after the death of Josephine. He is regarded as a grand master of botanical paintings. His paintings and prints today in the USA are priced from $10,000 to over $1m.

Australia’s own Celia Rosser can command prices well in excess of $50,000. However, you can find the highest standards of botanic art here in Melbourne at far more reasonable prices.

Come along and decide for yourself. Unframed works of botanical art, cards and calendars will be on sale for the duration of the exhibition.

FINEST BOTANICAL ART ON SHOW The Art of Botanical Illustration provides an opportunity for botanical illustrators Australiawide and internationally to submit work to this prestigious exhibition. This exhibition provides an amazing array of the finest botanic art to choose from. Purchase for pleasure or investment but be aware that the works you will be selecting from have the highest credentials.

Far from being a dead art form, botanical prints and original watercolours are very much alive and make a stunning addition to any interior decoration.

As Jenny Phillips, Director, Botanical Art School of Melbourne says, ‘I would far prefer to collect original work from living artists. It’s a fabulous way to form a basis of a worthwhile collection – at the same time you are perpetuating a highly skilled art form and building living artists.’

SELECTION CRITERIA Each artwork is carefully selected by members of an independent, invited panel to ensure that the highest standards are met. The work must adhere to the following criteria: • it must provide an accurate representation of the form and botany of the chosen subject; • the characteristics of the species or variety must be adequately conveyed; • the representation should be an artistically pleasing, balanced and a considered work of art; • it must be identified and named accurately according to standard botanical practices; and • it must have been completed within the previous two years.

Of approximately 300 paintings submitted, some 150 works are selected for the TABI exhibition. Over the years many beautiful works from this renowned exhibition have been purchased for inclusion in the State Botanical Collection held in the National Herbarium of Victoria.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne takes this opportunity to purchase original works for the State Botanical Collection as the exhibition provides superb illustrations to assist in botanical research as well as significant works of botanical art.

CELIA ROSSER MEDAL To be presented 9 November One of the highlights of the TABI Exhibition is awarding of the Celia Rosser Medal first introduced by the Friends in 2004. Celia is renowned for her beautiful watercolour illustrations but is best known for the three volume monograph of the entire 76 species of Australian banksias – the first time in the world that a single artist has accomplished this scope of work. The award celebrates her contribution as a technically accomplished artist whose work demonstrates the highest degree of scientific accuracy as well as being artistically aesthetic and her commitment to a long-term body of work of international significance.

The award is presented to an exhibiting artist whose works show excellence in one or more aspects of the art form and is made at the discretion of the exhibition selection panel, with a final review by Celia Rosser.

The 2010 Celia Rosser Medal was awarded to Terry Napier for four excellent works and his contribution to teaching botanical art. Terry painted the Iris ‘Pass the Wine’ which is this year’s icon for the exhibition. Terry contributed to the Victorian Florilegium – a collection of original painting of the plants of Melbourne’s Government House Garden and presented to the Governor for the people of Victoria. A number of his paintings have been commissioned as corporate gifts and together with private purchases are found in Japan, Canada, USA, South Africa, England, Scotland and China, as well as throughout Australia.

CONFIDENCE IN THE ART MARKET Given the current financial climate some collectors may be shy but advice from Sotheby’s should give you confidence. ‘Among seasoned investors, fine art is generally acknowledged to possess features that make it a particularly attractive alternative asset class. It is a common misconception that the art market is a lottery in which prices behave in an arbitrary and unpredictable manner.’ This is further strengthened by the comments of Katherine Tyrrell, USA artist and author of Marking a Mark blog: ‘Art is one of the few tangible assets that also qualifies as a passion investment. There is more enjoyment in displaying art on your wall than in displaying stock certificates.’

Two organised guided tours of the exhibition will be held, led by experienced botanical artists.

Mary Gregory, Beta vulgaris

Alison Gianangeli, Epiphyllium xackermannii

Acknowledgment The Friends thank the Bank of Queensland, Toorak branch for their generous sponsorship of the exhibition.

FRIENDS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, MELBOURNE 03 9650 6398 friends@frbgmelb.org.au www.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org

Marta Salamon, Hydrangea macrophylia

DAILY DEMONSTRATIONS The TABI exhibition will have an artist in residence each day. Prominent botanic artists will demonstrate their watercolour techniques. Artists include Edyta Hoxley: (watercolour on vellum); John Pastoriza-Piñol: (watercolour); Sandra Sanger: (watercolour); Terry Napier: (watercolour); Joan Mason: (watercolour); Kate Nolan: (watercolour); Jean Dennis: (watercolour).

DISPLAY OF ARTISTS’ SKETCHBOOKS Many botanic artists record plant details and colours in their sketch books before the specimen dies or changes colour. This is a common practice amongst artists painting in various media.

Viewing sketchbooks is an excellent way to gain insight into the artistic process through the quick impressions captured in these books.

PEOPLE’S AWARD This year we have added a bit of fun to the viewing. Everyone can vote for their favourite painting in the Eckersley’s People’s Choice award.

On arrival at the TABI exhibition visitors will be given a voting form enabling them to choose the painting that most appeals to them. The winning artist will receive a $500 voucher to spend at Eckersley’s on painting supplies.

29

CARLTON

Candice De Ville. Photograph: Brooke Orchard

Fabulous vintage fashions on the catwalk. Photograph: Graeme Passmore

LOVE VINTAGE RETURNS IN OCTOBER to the Royal Exhibition Building

T

he second annual Love Vintage show was held in May in its new home at the Royal Exhibition Building. After the wonderful success of this show, organisers Expertise Events were inundated with requests from visitors and sellers to hold another show in 2012.

Yes Melbourne, Love Vintage Summer is coming! From 5 to 7 October, the Royal

Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens will again play host to this now twice-yearly event.

The show is a shopping extravaganza, combining the best vintage and retro sellers with entertainment and education to create and atmosphere of fun and excitement. The show appeals to serious collectors, vintage dabblers, and those that just like to reminisce.

DRESS IN STYLE FOR THE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL At the October show there will be an emphasis on ‘Cup’ fashion in time for the spring racing carnival. Love Vintage is the perfect place to find that special frock for the races, plus all the accessories including vintage jewellery, hats, handbags, shoes, wraps, sunglasses, gloves, stockings, even corsetry.

Shop for the complete classic outfit, or chose a signature vintage piece to create a unique look. Whether you are after the ontrend 1920s flapper style, a beautiful 40s suit, a fabulous party dress from the 1950s, or something more retro, you’ll find it here, along with expert help in fitting and caring for your vintage clothing. Plus there are vintage suits, waistcoats and more for the best dressed fellows too.

FASHIONS AND ACCESSORIES FOR ALL SEASONS With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, you will also find fashion for seasonal celebrations as well as an array of covetable homewares and collectables that make beautiful gifts – and every piece has a story to tell. Discover unique Bakelite jewellery, vintage advertising prints, antique linen and so much more.

Circa Vintage Hats. Photograph: Little Miss Rock

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Find something special.

Photograph: Little Miss Rock

If you missed the May show, you won’t want to miss the return of Love Vintage in October. Sign up for show updates on www.lovevintage.com.au.

For more details contact Expertise Events LOVE VINTAGE 02 9452 7575 info@lovevintage.com.au www.lovevintage.com.au

Forever Vintage. Photograph: Graeme Passmore

KEW

KENNETH JACK AM Power and Passion at Cotham Gallery 101

(1924-2006)

P

ower and Passion celebrates the achievement of an artist of international standing. The paintings and graphics in this exhibition have been made available for sale from the Jack family private collection. Many of the works included in this exhibition are well known, with images appearing in books and publications about the life and art of Kenneth Jack, however some of the highlights of this show have not been available since the 1950s.

Kenneth Jack is recognised nationally and internationally as a master painter and one of the most progressive teachers of his day.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE ARTS Jack has been the recipient of numerous prizes and awards. In recognition of his services to art Jack was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and Member of the British Empire (MBE). He was the first Australian to gain admission to Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours (RWS) in England. He was also a member of the National Register of Prominent Americans and International Notables and a life fellow and patron of the International Biographical Association (Cambridge, England).

Kenneth Jack’s work appears in many famous national and international collections. His work is on display in every capital city art gallery in Australia. He has 500 paintings and drawings in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and his work is in the National Collection in Canberra, Artbank and many regional public art galleries.

Jack’s work is also included in major university and library collections including the Mitchell Library, State Library, NSW; the La Trobe Library, Victoria and the National Library of Australia in Canberra. Numerous corporations also hold his work. These include Myer, the National Trust of South Australia, Broken Hill Associated Smelters and major banks and clubs.

Internationally he is represented in the collection of HM The Queen; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Cincinnati Art Museum USA; Kuala Lumpur Gallery, Malaysia and the Dunedan Art Gallery, New Zealand.

the young art was acquired for the first time by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. On completing his studies in 1947 Jack commenced a 20-year career with the Education Department.

FORMATIVE YEARS

Jack proved to be an influential teacher and over time became responsible for changing the direction of art education. He guided students by allowing them to find their own path in art and became a mentor to many. In 1956 Jack was appointed full-time senior instructor of art at Caulfield Technical College, now part of Monash University. He used this senior appointment to establish a painting department and a separate printmaking department, so by 1958 the College was able to offer a fine arts course rather than a trade course.

When he was not teaching Jack worked from his home studio. As well as painting he was a proficient printmaker. He had set up his first printmaking studio in his father’s garage in 1948 using a converted collar press from a Chinese laundry and dry point etching needles from used dental probes.

He found the excitement of printing his own works inspirational. Printmaking gave him the opportunity to experiment and he became proficient in etching, engraving, woodblock printing, linocuts and serigraphs. In 1968 Jack retired from teaching to focus exclusively on his own work. For the next 30 years he travelled extensively on painting trips in Australia and throughout Europe.

A number of the painting and prints in this exhibition were shown for the first time in a touring exhibition titled The Kenneth Jack View which opened in 2010 at the Bundoora Homestead Art Centre. The following year the works were exhibited again at the Castlemaine Art Gallery.

Jack was a man of great personal integrity. In a career spanning more than 60 years he witnessed many changes in the direction of art and fashion, developing a style uniquely his own. This is an extraordinary exhibition and an opportunity not to be missed.

Kenneth Jack’s interest in art guided his choices from an early age. He was encouraged by his father, also an artist, who taught him to value what he did. As a student at Melbourne High School he studied geography and geology to better understand surface forms and masses for landscape painting. While undertaking his Leaving Certificate, he attended evening art classes three nights a week and Saturday morning at RMIT in preparation for both the Drawing Teachers Primary Certificate and Secondary Certificate exams. In his final school year at Melbourne High School he topped the state in art.

Following school Jack joined the Royal Australian Air Force. He was stationed for 18 months at the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne where he met Harold Freedman, the art editor of the RAAF publishing section, who became a mentor to the young artist. Later, when Jack was stationed overseas, he sent Freedman drawings which were published in the RAAF wartime magazines.

Although not an official war artist, Jack’s valuable documentation of the war in New Guinea, Borneo and the Halmahera Islands is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. While in Labaun, Borneo, Jack met the official war artist Donald Friend. He later wrote that Friend’s techniques influenced him for decades, although their final results were very different. This meeting was to have a lasting effect on Jack’s empathy for modernism.

When Jack returned to Australia in 1945 he was an experienced artist, confident in his career path. He resumed studying under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme at Melbourne Technical College with John Rowell. His drawing skills had come to the attention of Sydney Ure Smith who invited him to contribute illustrations to architectural books of Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney. Smith also organised a solo exhibition of Jack’s drawings at the Grosvenor Galleries, Sydney where work by

LIFE AS A TEACHER AND ARTIST

Catherine Stocky/Curator COTHAM GALLERY 101 03 9817 1957 stocky@hotkey.net.au

Droughtbreaker, 1963, 84 x 39 cm

Agony in the Garden, 1954, 110 x 77 cm

The Old Fisherman, 1959, 60 x 90 cm

Myer Music Bowl, 1960, 90 x 120 cm

Postal Deliveries, 1951, 75 x 105 cm

31

Arch Cuthbertson (1924-), Warrior Woman, 1959, oil

John Rogers, Off Little Bourke Street, 1948, oil

Neville Mirvane Bunning (1902-?), Merimbula fisherman, 1954, oil

YOU KNOW YOU’RE A COLLECTOR! Belgium Art Deco Keramis terracotta bust, c. 1935, h: 35 cm

Y

ou don’t realise when it happened or how it happened, but all of a sudden you realise that you are a collector. A sure sign is that you find it difficult, even painful to throw anything away – and I mean anything!

Before you know it, you have been collecting for years and in many cases, even decades. In addition, you have been conserving, recycling and reclaiming as well as reassigning and amassing. Your taste may stay the same or you may go off into different directions. You may even find yourself overpowered by your collection (more often it is a partner who is overwhelmed) and sell it all, but before you know it, there you go again – collecting.

FAME AND SHAME Collectors are highly sentimental, incredibly curious and they become experts in their own right. There are some who are secretive about their interests and pursuits, but I say, be proud! Through your careful attention and occasionally compulsive behaviour, you have learned a great deal of history, have conserved, recycled and reinvented – these are all noble attributes.

Collecting is a positive and rewarding addiction, you haven’t poured money down a drain, you have enjoyed the chase, the possession and use of objects and art that you collect. Eventually, you will reap the financial rewards when it is time to sell.

Atelier Hagenauer bronze figure, h: 35 cm

MY CONFESSIONS HOW COLLECTING BEGINS Initially, for some, collecting begins as a trend, a pastime or by accident when as a tourist. No matter the beginnings, it may always have been ‘in the blood.’ There are no boundaries or limits in the pursuit of a passion, so collectors come in all shapes and sizes and budgets.

Left: Wiener Werkstätte figures, Susi Singer (1891-1965)

I have been collecting now for 50 years.

During this time I have explored numerous directions. The two things that I have stayed true to are ‘A thing of quality is forever’ and ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’

I will always remember my first purchase in 1961 as a ten year old bidding against adults at the now-defunct Munyards Auctions at Croydon market in the outer eastern Melbourne suburbs. My purchase was a late 19th century Ansonia cottage clock, for 2 shillings and 6 pence. My collecting passions from 1961 to 1969, the learning phase, I purchased anything that was well-priced.

The next collecting phase between 1970 to 1979, was Australian pottery and carnival

glass. I amassed over 200 items and then sold the entire collection to a dealer. From 1980 to about 1990, I went through a serious Doulton Lambeth studio pottery phase – Hannah and Florence Barlow, Mark Marshall, Frank Butler, George Tinworth and their friends all came home to my house. Due to a marriage break up I had to sell that collection at an urgent fire sale price.

Inevitably, the art glass phase struck, from 1990 to about 1999, when I amassed a huge collection that I slowly sold; that entire collection now gone to new homes. Since about 1999 onwards, my passions have been art deco, 20th century design, art and Hagenauer African figures. I still enjoy finding a rare and exciting item to add to these collections.

TIPS AND ADVICE

Franz Hagenauer (1906-1986), bronze figure of ribbon dancer

Art Deco Hagenauer bronze figure, 1935

Hagenauer bronze and fruitwood figure, 1950

32

Art Deco Hagenauer prototype ebony and brass figure, the only one example ever found

Friends and clients over the years have asked me to guide them into the next big thing, what to buy and how to avoid pitfalls. My answer is always the same: only collect what you like or what you are passionate about. You can’t go by other people’s likes or dislikes.

There is no one answer to successful collecting. The variables are numerous because as you continue to collect you become an expert in your chosen field; with the growth in experience comes the growth of knowledge.

The loses along the way will lead you to greater wins.

Happy collecting!

David Freeman AMANDA ADDAMS AUCTIONS 03 9850 1553 / 0419 578 184 www.aaauctions.com.au

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CLIFTON HILL

Empire period fauteuil made by Jean-Baptiste Bernard Demay (1759-1848).

Stamped ‘Demay, Rue de Clery’

Chair maker to Marie Antoinette

and Emperor Napoleon B

e careful what you wish for!

Revolutions frequently accelerate change that was already in motion.

They also usually fail to deliver the goals of the revolutionaries, often in a most spectacular way. Egypt sets a recent example.

Revolution and culture Two thousand years ago Brutus attempted to prevent the Roman republic becoming a kingdom again under Julius Caesar by assassinating him. Almost immediately Rome fell under the rule of a succession of emperors that lasted over a thousand years in the Eastern Roman Empire, and hundreds of years in the Western Empire.

After the assassination of Tzar Nicholas in Russia, Stalin made a fairly determined effort to wipe out Russian citizens who were

aristocratic, educated, middle class or rural peasantry. Urban workers had the best chance of survival, and that was fragile. The French Revolution guillotined as much of the aristocracy as it could manage, and then guillotined the leading revolutionaries for good measure. History can be deeply satisfying! The public suffered the Reign of Terror and unrest until civil order returned with an emperor. It is a great mercy that the English Revolution was brief, albeit blood soaked, and a failure.

Revolutions can be a great stimulus to culture, however. The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte through the military to emperor gave stimulus to all the decorative arts.

Napoleon and the grandeur of the French Empire style are indivisible. Many authors have proposed that the Empire style was

Empire period fauteuil by Jean-Baptiste Bernard DEMAY (1759 - 1848) Demay worked for Marie Antoinette and Napoleon I. Stamped “Demay, Rue de Clery” $6500 Other signed French furniture available

Georgian & Continental Furniture • Porcelain

Silver • Ikons • Paintings • Imperial Russian

www.Roys-Antiques.com.au

410 Queens Parade Clifton Hill Vic 61 3 9489 8467 34

developed to achieve several political goals.

One was to distance the emperor from the deposed Bourbon kings by promoting a style different from that associated with Louis XVI. Another was to consolidate the power of the emperor by expressing the glory and magnificence of France visually.

French style under Napoleon In this latter goal Napoleon had an excellent model in Louis XIV, who built Versailles partly as a giant trade fair to proclaim France’s superiority in the arts, and to promote lucrative exports of luxury goods.

The luxury goods trade was an economic imperative vigorously promoted by the Royal administration. Versailles was open to anyone who was properly dressed. For men that meant wearing a sword, which one could hire at the gate.

Napoleon could not afford to let the prestige and vast income of the French decorative arts slip. The world’s willingness to pay a substantial premium for wines, decoration, clothes and perfumes enhanced by Frenchness – authentic or implied – is still compellingly strong.

Superficially, the styles of Louis XVI and Empire may seem a strong contrast. The light and elegant Louis XVI was already on its way to morphing into Empire in the 1770s when the Style Grecque was emerging. This style was much more academically based on the styles of ancient Greece and Rome. I believe that if the revolution had not accelerated the move to a more academic Classical style, which we now call Empire, it would have naturally developed anyway, perhaps a generation more slowly. Without the revolution we may be looking back at typical Empire style décor from the 1830s instead of the 1810s, and perhaps calling it Louis XIXth style.

Certainly there was continuity in manufacturing skills. Many artisans who had become master craftsmen and opened manufactories under the Ancien Régime continued to work and produce through the Revolution, the Directoire, the Consulate and then into the Empire. Notable amongst the small group of artisans who flourished under both royal and imperial patronage was Demay, the chair maker.

Jean-Baptiste Bernard Demay (1759-1848) Jean-Baptiste Bernard Demay was born in 1759. He would have been about 13 years old when apprenticed to the chair maker Claude Sene II (Master 1769). His family would have paid Sene to take the boy on as an apprentice for six years. After that Demay would have been a journeyman, a skilled craftsman who would be paid some wages. Although Demay could have worked for another master, it is probable he remained with Sene for his three years as a

journeyman. The journeyman period was six years for those outside the capital.

Finally, on 14 March 1784, he passed all the tests and paid all the monies to attain his Master’s credentials. He did this at the age of 25, much younger than the usual age of about 30. At this point he could legally open his own workshop which he did at 266 Grand Rue, Faubourg St Antoine, a very prestigious area for the trade. His early ascent to Master may be due to his relationship with his former boss’s daughter, Claudine Jeanne. They married and had two sons, one of whom would follow his father’s trade and the other became what we would understand now to be an interior decorator.

In 1806 Demay moved to his father-in-law’s workshop at 43 Rue de Clery. He took over the workshop upon the death of Sene around 1807. Demay continued making furniture long after Napoleon’s exile, dying at a then very ancient 89 years.

Understanding menuisiers and ébénistes I have categorised Sene and Demay as chair makers. This is because from the statutes of 1743, joiners of sticks-of-wood were legally separated from veneered furniture-makers. The joiners – menuisier – made mainly chairs, but also tables, mirrors and picture frames, etc. The cabinetmakers – ébénistes – in contrast, made case furniture that used veneer. It is the use of veneer that separates the two guilds.

The veneer first popular in the 17th century was ebony, which gives cabinetmakers their French name. They were geographically separated. The menuisiers were often ancient Parisian families, while the ébénistes were characteristically newly arrived foreigners.

There was little common ground.

Apart from his skill, Demay had connections in his favour. The family into which he married was an august dynasty of menuisiers, prominent since the late 17th century. His wife’s uncle was a favourite chair maker to Marie Antoinette. Demay also made furniture for members of the royal family, including Marie Antoinette. Under Napoleon, Demay continued to supply luxury furniture, now to the imperial family, in the new Empire style.

Two chairs with the monogram of Marie Antoinette, stamped DEMAY, are in the Petit Trianon. Chairs by Demay are exhibited in the V&A in London, Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Musée Carnavalet and the Château de Versailles, and in the Wrightsman Collection, Metropolitan Museum, New York.

Roy Williams ROY’S ANTIQUES 03 9489 8467 www.roys-antiques.com.au

x08ant_035p-WatercolourSoc:x02ant_000p

10/8/12

12:59 PM

Page 1

ELTHAM

THE 2012 KENNETH JACK Annual Memorial Watercolour Exhibition

Above left: David Taylor, Whitby, watercolour, winner of Kenneth Jack Memorial Watercolour Award 2011 Above: Julie Goldspink, Morning Mist, 5 Day Creek, watercolour, winner of the Dare to be Different Award 2011

30 October – 3 December Opening night 1 November at 6.30 pm

L

ast year at Montsalvat the Kenneth Jack Annual Memorial Exhibition lived up to its promise as the largest and most important annual watercolour exhibition in Australia. A huge crowd of 110 people attended the opening night in the Barn Gallery at Montsalvat.

The evening focussed on our guest speakers.

Rob Gell was outstanding. In a long entertaining speech he linked geomorphology with art, nature and conservation. President Glyn Clark Lewis of the Watercolour Society, together with the Jack family, congratulated the artists on the high standard of their works. Glyn stressed the need for watercolourists to look beyond realism and impressionism towards contemporary painting if watercolour painting is to achieve its rightful status in the art world.

Harold Farey, Past President of the Watercolour Society paid tribute to the vast legacy of the works of the legendary Kenneth Jack (1924-2006). Jane Alexander, Director of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, judge of the exhibition, entertainingly congratulated all the entrants and announced the award winners.

David Taylor won the 2011 Kenneth Jack Annual Memorial Award. Highly commended artists were Jan Martin, Julie Goldspink and Olga Pasedinikova and commended awards went to Pat Winnett, Ron Muller, Tony Weston, Richard Burke, Ross McIntosh, Neil Gude and Bett Collins.

who are financially and socially disadvantaged to obtain a cochlear implant. In addition, the Foundation has assumed a broader responsibility to give hearing generally to those with middle ear disease, and in particular indigenous Australians where ear infections are a major problem.

The Watercolour Society of Australia is a proud supporter of the Foundation. Proceeds from a silent auction of Kenneth Jack works went to the Foundation.

For more information contact Glyn Clarke Lewis WATERCOLOUR SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA 03 9876 0700 www.watercoloursocietyofaustralia.com.au MONTSALVAT www.montsalvat.com.au GRAEME CLARK FOUNDATION www.graemeclarkfoundation.org

THE GRAEME CLARK AWARD: Dare to be Different Professor Graeme Clark is the inventor of the Bionic Ear. Along with his team they developed the Cochlear Implant that has now given hearing to thousands of people.

Graeme, in his inventing phase of the Cochlear Implant had to think outside the square to come up with a way of making hearing possible to deaf patients.

He achieved great success, as we all now know. It is this sort of creative thinking he is looking for in an artwork as he, along with his daughter Cecily, select a prize-winning work amongst those presented at the Kenneth Jack Memorial Watercolour Award.

Julie Goldspink won the Graeme Clark Foundation’s coveted Dare to be Different Award 2011.

The Graeme Clark Foundation aims to ensure that all deaf people can hear and develop their full potential in the world of sound. The Foundation is also assisting those

Professor Graeme Clark

Rob Gell

35

cmyk

1810 Hannibal Head holey dollar

1813 colonial dump

Australia’s iconic 1810

‘HANNIBAL HEAD’ holey dollar is to go under the hammer

C

oinwork’s forthcoming Eminent Colonials auction is stirring up great interest. After all, it’s not every day that you get the chance to purchase the most famous of all examples of Australia’s first coin, the Hannibal Head holey dollar.

The coin has national significance as the only example of its type in private hands and was last offered at public auction in 1988. Solid interest is expected from private collectors, investors and institutions.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 1808, under Napoleon Bonaparte, France dominated the great majority of continental Europe. While Napoleon was invading Spain in the wake of Nelson’s victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar (1805) mints in Mexico and Lima were still busily turning out Spanish silver dollars.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie made the most of Spanish spare change by acquiring 40,000 silver dollars to alleviate Australia’s coin shortage.

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST COIN Macquarie enlisted the services of a convicted forger, William Henshall, to cut a hole in the centre of each silver dollar. The resulting donut form was over-stamped with the words

36

‘New South Wales’, the value five shillings and the date 1813 to create Australia’s very first coin, the 1813 holey dollar.

The centrepiece that fell out of the hole wasn’t discarded. Over-stamped it became the 1813 colonial dump – the diminutive partner to the holey dollar with a value of 15 pence.

What makes the Hannibal Head holey dollar so special is that the original Spanish dollar ‘holed’ by William Henshall had been minted in 1810 at the Lima Mint in Peru with a portrait design that protested Joseph Bonaparte’s ascension to the Spanish throne. It is the only one available to private collectors.

THE COIN’S PROVENANCE The Hannibal Head holey dollar is rich in history. Discovered in Tasmania in 1881 near Hobart, the coin was subsequently presented to Sir John Henry Lefroy, Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (1880-1881).

Reference was made to the coin’s discovery in several newspaper articles published in the early 1880s: the Hobart Mercury (1883) and the Sydney Morning Herald (1884).

DATE OF SALE Prospective bidders have already registered their interest in the sale of the coin which will go under

the hammer on 27 August at 7 pm at the RACV Club in Melbourne. Respected art auctioneer Warren Joel will be conducting the auction.

Sure to please bidders, the auction will be conducted with a zero buyer’s premium.

FIRST AUCTION TO BE HELD BY COINWORKS While Coinworks is best known for its private retail sales, the Eminent Colonials auction is the company’s first foray into the auction scene and comes at the request of the vendor.

The Hannibal Head holey dollar was last offered at auction in 1988 with an estimate of $45,000. The coin will come under the hammer in August with a pre-auction estimate of $450,000.

The estimate reflects recent sales activity amongst elite holey dollars. Coinworks’ managing director Belinda Downie has confirmed the sale of three top examples over the last 12 months, each well in excess of $400,000.

APPRECIATING IN VALUE Approved valuer of Australian coins under the Commonwealth Government’s Taxation Incentives for the Arts scheme and numismatic advisor to Westpac Private Bank,

1852 Adelaide one pound

professional numismatist (now retired) Lt Col Barrie Winsor believes that the coin has the potential to far exceed its auction estimate. ‘It is Australia’s very first coin, and this is the most famous of them all. There is only one example available to buyers and let’s not forget that next year is the 200th anniversary of its striking. This is a coin that will attract worldwide interest.

That Macquarie Bank chose as its logo a stylised version of the holey dollar reflects the respect with which this coin is held.’

Several other top colonial pieces will be offered along with the Hannibal Head holey dollar, including the finest known example of Australia’s first gold coin and one of the finest 1813 colonial dumps.

For more information contact COINWORKS 03 9642 3133 www.coinworks.com.au

ORMOND

The English

T

he development of the pendulum clock meant that the clockmaker designed a long wooden case to protect the pendulum and conceal the unsightly weights, pulleys and lines (ropes).

Since the pendulum was still short, swinging behind the clock movement, the case was not very tall, usually about 1.9 m high with a small dial and a narrow trunk.

ANCHOR ESCAPEMENT The search for more exact timekeeping led to the development of the anchor escapement and a longer pendulum. This new escape wheel with a longer pendulum meant that the pendulum moved from one side to the other in one second intervals. From that time on clockmakers were not only able to manufacture a clock that kept very good time (as close as a minute per week) but also could fit a second hand to the clock.

The long pendulum was ideal for the long case clocks that at once became the most accurate clock of its time and the first clock with a hand showing the seconds. Because of the wider swing of the pendulum, the case had to be wider. To maintain an aesthetic proportion the case became taller, averaging between 2.1 and 2.26 m. The dial, also increased in size from 25.4 cm (10 inches) to finally reach 30.5 cm (12 inches), which was to become by far the most popular size.

One feature of earlier longcases was an oval-shaped glass in the door and a glass window on each side of the hood that allowed the movement to be seen.

DIALS In the first quarter of the 18th century, the dials were square and a common size of twelve inches (30.5 cm) was established. In

longcase clock the second half of the century, it became increasingly common to produce the clock with a break-arch dial, adding a half circle to the top of the dial. This break-arch usually accommodates a moon dial, a calendar, or other features such as a nameplate or a strike silent control. Later the top of the case also was made in break-arch style. While about 95 percent of the clocks made in London feature the break-arch, the square dial never went completely out of fashion, especially in the country where it was still made well into the 19th century.

STYLES The longcase clock was not just a clock but also a fine piece of furniture made by cabinetmakers and following furniture styles in wood. The early ‘plain style’ was followed by a Jacobean pattern with twisted wooden pillars on each side of the hood and a flat top with carved crest instead of the triangular top used in the earlier pieces. In keeping with the Puritan influence the early clocks were black and made of ebony veneers or ebonised wood.

Around 1690 ebony was no longer fashionable and walnut became the most popular wood for veneering clock cases.

Sometimes olivewood, veneered to make it look like oyster shells, was used. At the same time, a form of parquetry was introduced and veneers of different woods and colours were laid in the corners of the cases, forming geometrical patterns of fans and stars.

Later patterns of foliage, flowers and birds appeared on the panels and base thus becoming more elaborate and sometimes covering most of the case. This all-over covering pattern, called marquetry, quickly went out of fashion and plain veneering returned to vogue. As well as using marquetry,

the clockmakers decorated their cases with Chinese scenes painted in lacquer on gesso, so that the patterns were raised. Primary colours were used for the scenes on either a black, red or blue background.

MAHOGANY Around 1720, due to the decreasing supply of walnut wood and England’s growing trade with the West Indies and America, mahogany became the most popular wood for furniture.

The advantage of mahogany was that it was not subject to attack by worms, that it was available in long wide boards, and had natural patterning ideal for veneers making it very attractive to the clockmakers. By 1760, virtually all other wood and finishes were disregarded for the production of clock cases except for oak, which was used to produce simple low cost clocks.

TIPS A valuable guide to the age and authenticity of a longcase clock are the dials and hands.

The dials were usually made of brass with a silver chapter ring. Engraved in the chapter ring are Roman hour numerals and Arabic minute numerals. Clocks made after 1750 were usually without quarter-hour divisions on the inner side of the chapter ring. At first, the ornaments in the corners of the dials were very simple; showing winged cherubs’ heads but became more floral later on. A general rule to follow is, the smaller the dial, the narrower the chapter ring, and the smaller the minute numerals, the older the clock.

The hands were made of blued steel, the minute hand being a pointer and the hour hand-carved and pierced. With time, they changed and different styles were favoured by different clockmakers. In the 18th century they

English Longcase Clock, Benjamin Bold, London, c. 1770

A clock by William Holloway of London, c. 1710

were more or less standardised and supplied by craftsmen who specialised in making hands for clocks. By the last quarter of the century, painted dials on an iron sheet replaced the engraved brass dial. Simpler matching hands, one bigger than the other was used.

THE CLOCKWORKS 03 9578 6960

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The dial of a George III musical clock by Samuel Smith of London

Leigh Fist 493 North Road, Ormond VIC 3163 Open: Tues – Fri 9 am - 5 pm & Sat 9 am - 1 pm Ph: 03 9578 6960 37

Unknown artist, Clianthus dampieri, (lc d)

Margaret Flockton, Christmas Bells and ferns, (lc f)

Louis Van Houtte, Brachychiton bidwilli, Hook

CAPTURING FLORA AT THE ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT is the most comprehensive exhibition of Australian botanical art ever held in this country

B

otanical art – scientifically accurate renderings of plant species – has been with us for a very long time as an art form that has been always been linked with science. When used by a doctor in the medieval period the accuracy of a botanical illustration could be a matter of life and death.

Because botanical art encompasses images of plants which have been created to identify, classify and compare plants from either a scientific or a horticultural perspective, their primary purpose is functional. Regardless of this utilitarian origin, great botanical art has always had an exceptional appeal.

Capturing Flora: three centuries of Australian botanical art will explore and celebrate the art that has been created to depict Australian flora from the end of the 17th century to the present day; telling this complex story through more than 350 images ranging in date from 1729 to 2012. It will be a visual journey examining issues of aesthetics, science, exploration, horticulture and social history which have combined in different ways over 300 years.

VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY LINKING BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS The European discovery of this continent took place during the Enlightenment, an era when time, effort and finances were put into voyages of exploration. Collecting specimens during these expeditions was the work of some of the greatest botanists of all time, such as Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) and French naturalist-explorer Jacques Labillardière (1755-1834).

The illustrations from this period are by artists of almost legendary stature such as Ferdinand Bauer (1760-1826) and Pierre Joseph Redouté (1759-1840). The botanical art which recorded newly-discovered plants, radically strange to European eyes was of extraordinarily high quality.

THE EXOTIC CELEBRATED IN EUROPE During the 19th century, the growing middle

class, both in the colonies and the home country, developed an insatiable interest in horticultural pursuits. The new ‘exotick’ plants were highly desirable specimens in British and European hothouses and conservatories in the first half of the 19th century. Long before it became fashionable to grow ‘native’ plants in Australia, certain species enjoyed a huge vogue on the other side of the world, in spite of the difficulties of keeping them alive in the harsh climates of northern Europe.

ROLE OF WOMEN IN BOTANICAL ART A feature of upper middle class British society was the encouragement given to women to engage in drawing as a pastime.

One of the favoured subjects was flower painting and when translated to Australia this often took the form of capturing native wildflowers of the newly settled regions. The work of ‘lady amateurs’ of the Victorian era forms a distinctive section of the exhibition.

Much of it is of exceptional quality, and indeed a number of these artists moved from amateur to professional rank in the final years of the 19th century.

REVITALISING AN ART FORM World War I and two serious depressions brought all of these developments to a halt, but by the 1950s a new group of professionals was being trained and commissioned to continue the process of documentation of the Australian flora. Australia has enjoyed a renaissance of botanical art in the last 40 years and the final part of the exhibition will explore the background to this revival and feature the works of 10 of Australia’s leading practitioners.

The last 30 years has seen a veritable flood of highly talented artists emerge – so many that no exhibition could accommodate all the major figures. Capturing Flora makes no further claim than to show a representative sampling of great work from the 1980s to the present day including Jenny Phillips, Anita

PRINTED ILLUSTRATIONS IN AUSTRALIA All early Australian botanical art was made overseas. With the economic stimulus of the gold rush, universities and botanic gardens were set up in all the colonies and by the 1860s botanists were conducting research into the indigenous flora rather than simply forwarding specimens back to Europe.

At the same time developments in lithography meant that botanical illustrations could be mass-produced in this country.

Several colonies, notably Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, vied with each other to create the most impressive botanical publications. The new printing techniques allowed prints to be coloured mechanically, resulting in a boom in botanical art which lasted into the 20th century.

Unknown artist after Walter Fitch, Nymphea gigantea

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Barley, Mali Moir, John Pastoriza-Piñol, Andrew Seward and Jean Dennis.

HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITION This exhibition will be the most comprehensive exhibition of Australia botanical art ever held in this country. It brings together over 300 images, the vast majority of which have been collected by the Art Gallery of Ballarat in recent years.

Capturing Flora is an Art Gallery of Ballarat exhibition. It will be on show at the Gallery from Tuesday 25 September to Sunday 2 December. The exhibition will be accompanied by a major publication, the first comprehensive monograph to cover this ‘territory’ for over 10 years.

For more information ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT artgal@ballarat.vic.gov.au www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au

BALLARAT

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CANTERBURY / CITY / GEELONG HUGE RANGE OF QUALITY FRENCH BEDS

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Consignments wanted for our important November auction

Sale 101

20-22 November 2012

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Consignments Close Friday 14th September 2012 Contact our Sydney office (02) 9223 4578 or our Melbourne office (03) 9600 0244 for a free, confidential valuation

www.noble.com.au ground floor 169 macquarie street sydney info@noble.com.au level 7 / 350 collins street melbourne noblemelbourne@hotkey.net.au

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NOBLE N U M I S M A T I C S

P T Y

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AN IMPORTANT STOCK IN TRADE AUCTION THE GRAHAM GEDDES COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT ANTIQUES & OBJECTS

LOT 200 A GEORGE II CHINOISERIE LACQUERED SECRETAIRE BOOKCASE $40,000 - 50,000

Enquiries Guy Cairnduff Head of The Specialist Collector (03) 8825 5611 / 0407 828 137 guy.cairnduff@leonardjoel.com.au

Auction Times Saturday 15 September at 10AM Sunday 16 September at 10AM Monday 17 September at 6.30PM

333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Victoria 3141

leonardjoel.com.au Bid live at this auction at artfact.com Catalogue online at leonardjoel.com.au

Auction at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra Viewing times online at leonardjoel.com.au

CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE SHOP FOR EASY SHOPPING CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR WEBSITES www.xxxxantiques.com.au www.xxxxantiques.net ONE OF THE LARGEST SUPPLIERS OF GARDEN ACCESSORIES IN AUSTRALIA For sale & in stock

Corner Elizabeth & Johnstone St, Castlemaine Victoria 3450 Phone: 03 5470 5989 Web: www.xxxxantiques.com / www.xxxxantiques.net Email: sales@xxxxantiques.com.au

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BENDIGO

Valentine’s Antique Gallery IMPORTERS OF FINE QUALITY ANTIQUES ESTABLISHED 1947

Victorian Tunbridge Ware walnut stationary box, c. 1870, decorated with a castle scene

Superb French black marble mantle clock, c. 1860, with figures mounts

French ebonised tea caddy, c. 1830, with brass and tortoiseshell inlays

Victorian walnut stationary box, c. 1870, with cubic inlays

Victorian ebony stationary box, c. 1860, brass bound

Large Victorian teak campaign box, heavily brass bound and inlaid

Victorian jewellery box, c. 1870, in agate & pietre dure design

Georgian miniature writing bureau, c. 1820, made in mahogany with mother-of-pearl cartouche

William IV mahogany stationary box, c. 1830

Please refer to our website: www.valentinesantiques.com.au for a full listing of new stock

Valentine’s Antique Gallery 369 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, Victoria 3550 Phone: 03 5443 7279 Mobile: 0418 511 626 Fax: 03 5442 9718 Email: peter@valentinesantiques.com.au www.valentinesantiques.com.au

Au s t ra l i an An t i q u e a n d Art Deal e rs A s s oc iat i on

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BENDIGO

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Bendigo Art Gallery’s redevelopment following Grace Kelly’s departure

B

endigo Art Gallery’s recent extraordinary success with the exhibition Grace Kelly: Style Icon has been a highlight for the year. With a final attendance figure of 152,706, the Gallery acknowledges the monumental efforts of all involved, particularly the volunteers who enhanced the service provided by the Gallery.

Now it is embarking on a much anticipated challenge – the redevelopment of the Gallery, due to be completed by November 2013.

EXPANSION OF EXHIBITIONS The $8.4 million expansion will increase exhibition space, allowing for the display of a comprehensive overview of Australian art, the eclectic 19th century international art and a diverse and ambitious temporary exhibition program. The expansion will also provide significant storage for the ever increasing collection, a growing proportion of which is currently stored off-site in Melbourne. In addition, ancillary services will be improved, including some major changes to the front reception area and its café service.

Importantly, during the redevelopment the Gallery and cafe will remain open.

SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY EXHIBITED During the redevelopment a number of temporary exhibitions drawing on the permanent collection will be showcased.

The Gallery has been fortunate to acquire key contemporary works through the Cultural Gifts Program and donations, in addition to works purchased via significant bequests such as the RHS Abbott Bequest and The Grace and Alec Craig Bequest.

The first of the collection exhibitions, Philanthropy: The art of giving, on display from 8 September to 18 November 2012, will focus on works created and received into the collection in the past decade through the generosity of individual benefactors, and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the important contribution made through the spirit of philanthropy.

building the contemporary art collection and, when appropriate, adding to the historical collection. In addition, the Gallery will engage with audiences through its range of public programs, events and social media, and provide opportunities for families, children, students, teachers and the broader public to connect with and create anticipation around the visual arts.

consider contributing to the Foundation.

Enquire at reception or contact Kimlarn Frecker, Development Executive, on 03 4408 6527. All donations to the Gallery’s Foundation are tax deductible. The Gallery also invites you to subscribe to its e-newsletter. Please go to the website and ‘subscribe’ or email bendigoartgallery@bendigo.vic.gov.au

FUTURE PLANS Bendigo Art Gallery will continue to focus on national and international collections with a view to exhibition development as well as

SUPPORTING THE GALLERY If you would like to support the Gallery in its transformation and future projects please

BENDIGO ART GALLERY 03 5434 6088 www.bendigoartgallery.com.au

Bendigo Art Gallery

Ian Hill: The Riverina Series On show until 2 September

I

an Hill’s photographs of the Riverina landscape are quiet reflections on the built environment in rural and regional Australia.

After travelling extensively through the area in the early 2000s, Ian has turned his camera to the civic buildings, churches and grain silos that have developed over many decades of settlement.

His photographs from The Riverina Series ask us to look closely at buildings and environments we might pass without a second thought. Many of the buildings embrace the modernism that dominated 20th century architecture. While the buildings adopt a visual language that originated in Europe and then the United States, Ian examines what makes each building unique to the place in which it was built.

Signs of human progress are everywhere and yet these are unpeopled scenes: deserted streetscapes, isolated churches and empty farms. Ian’s interest in the aspirations and endeavours of the communities that built them is apparent, and comes through potently despite their absence. This absence of the human figure, coupled with the black and white medium, gives the images a strange and non-time specific quality. The images could have been captured decades ago, or yesterday.

Ian has been living and working as a photographer in central Victoria for many years, and his large format black and white photographs are part of a long tradition of documentary photography.

While he uses digital photography in his commercial work, as an artist Ian prefers to use film – the medium that first drew him to photography.

The slower working methods suit Ian’s approach to his work. He likes to study his subjects over a long timeframe, using repeated visits to gain a better understanding of the place he is photographing. Once he has settled on a subject, Ian methodically sets up his camera, adjusting until he is satisfied with the composition and focus, and then waits for the right conditions to capture the image.

The darkroom printing adds another dimension to the creative process in a way that digital screen-based manipulations cannot.

Ian has undertaken commissions to record many of Melbourne’s significant building and development projects, including the refurbishment of the Royal Exhibition Buildings (1996), the removal of the Gas and Fuel Corporation buildings and the subsequent development of the Federation

Square site (1996-2000), and the construction of the City Link road works.

As an artist, Ian has been exhibiting across Victoria for more than a decade. Grain silos of the Wimmera and Mallee showed at Span Gallery in Melbourne (2005) and Horsham Art Gallery (2006).

BENDIGO ART GALLERY 03 5434 6088 www.bendigoartgallery.com.au

Ian Hill, Leeton, 2004, gelatin silver print.

Image courtesy of the artist

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Howard Products for that wonderful finish in 4 easy steps

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he encrusted dirt that builds up on varnished furniture surfaces can be really quite astonishing. Environmental grime or organic matter that tends to cling to furniture is really a build-up of fatty deposits from our skin and other material that we or our guests have been handling, mixed with dirt, dust and moisture.

Mildew is another huge problem on furniture, and it’s caused by fungi feeding on the nutrients contained in the varnish film or on the aforementioned dirt adhering to the surface.

Because moisture is the single most important factor in its growth, mildew tends to thrive in areas where dampness and lack of sunshine are part of the immediate environment.

Chalking or powdering of the varnished surface is caused by the gradual disintegration of the resins in the vanish film. Crazing, those fine, jagged interconnected breaks in the top layer of varnish, results when the layers of varnish become excessively hard and brittle with age and can consequently no longer expand and contract with the wood in response to changes in temperature and humidity. All of these problems are easy to eliminate by using Howard Restor-A-Finish as directed.

Take a look at the dining room chair in these pictures. The top picture shows a chair looking a bit dull from a distance, but a closer look at the top rail in the second shot reveals

the chair is in a neglected state.

The chair needs a good clean and it is best to avoid heavy duty chemical cleaners as these will strip the natural oils out of furniture leaving the wood desperately dry and prone to even worse damage.

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For really stubborn grime, saturate a pad of four zero grade steel wool with Restor-AFinish and gently but firmly rub that into the grime. This treatment is highly effective and the end result will be just as you see in pictures four and five.

FROM grimy to great As the camera pulls back you can see that the dark gunk has been totally removed from the varnish, revealing once again the beauty of the wood grain as it would have been seen when this chair was sitting in a furniture showroom in the 1970s.

By the way, the textured vinyl upholstery was also really filthy. Again we did not need to resort to harsh chemicals, we used Howard Clean-A-Finish, a natural soap based wood and upholstery cleaner that will gently but thoroughly clean almost any grimy surface, including leather. The now superclean

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1. Dining chair before treatment

upholstery was easily achieved using this wonderful product.

We gave the chair’s wood its ultimate glow of good health with a coat of Howard Feed-N-Wax. This brilliant liquid wood wax squeezes out, applies like a gel, and provides a level of protection and beauty that is simply amazing.

To dust and polish all that is needed is a dab of Howard Orange Oil or new Howard Lemon Oil on a cloth and wipe over the surface.

Restor-A-Finish, Feed-N-Wax, Clean-A Finish plus of course Howard Orange Oil or Lemon Oil for extra power over grimy buildup, are just what you need to keep your beautiful furniture surfaces looking beautiful for years to come. See all these products on the Howard Products website.

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HEALESVILLE

Blue Magic, oil, 38x24cm

Cool and Dusty, oil, 84 x 112 cm

Chefs, oil, 41 x 67 cm

Di King Gallery’s third annual show explores three themes 13-21 October

D

uring July, the Di King Gallery received many visitors due to the introduction of her reproductions and the close location to Tarrawarra, which housed the Archibald exhibition.

Di King has been busily painting over the past few months, with her next exhibition in mind – her show of originals. This once-ayear exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to not only view Di’s most recent works, but to be first to purchase her latest paintings.

Erosion, oil, 91 x 91 cm

NEW ORIGINAL WORKS For this exhibition, Di will be showcasing all new original works, focusing on three different themes.

As the gallery consists of three rooms, for this exhibition Di has decided to have a different theme for each.

• In the first, there will be a strong emphasis on her sought-after paintings of high country cattlemen and those beloved Clydesdales.

• For the romantics at heart, the second room will feature Di’s delightful ladies in silks and satins, some of her favourite cottage gardens, and anything else of a feminine nature.

Through Thick and Thin, oil, 46 x 61 cm

• The third room will cover the landscape and seascape genre, everything country, from escarpments to sheep, cattle and gums, with a few seascapes thrown in.

This exhibition affords the most discerning buyer a range of subjects from which to choose. The gallery will be open from 10 am to 4 pm daily.

SELECT DI KING GICLEES For those who would like to have a Di King painting but feel it may be out of reach, a selection of her works from previous collections have been reproduced and are available as part

of the gallery’s permanent display. With great consideration, Di has reproduced some of her most sought-after images which are available on archival watercolour paper or the highest quality linen. Di is most excited about being able to offer these images at affordable prices.

For more information, contact by phone or email DI KING GALLERY 03 5962 2557 / 0414 404 798 mail@dikingartist.com www.diking.com.au

To Higher Ground, oil, 61 x 76 cm

03 5962 2557 0414 404 798 - 0414 404 792

Corporate and private viewings can be arranged

OPEN ANYTIME BY APPOINTMENT 32 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville 3777 mail@dikingartist.com

Always available at the Gallery…

Original works by Di King and John Thomas And Digital Reproductions by Di King

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BELGRAVE

Peter Smales, Cliffs near Childers Cove, oil

Sandra Harvie, Aireys Inlet, oil

Barbara Beasley-Southgate, Springtime in the Grampians

Fiona Bilbrough, Globe grapes

Sherbrooke Art Society’s

SPRING EXHIBITION is perfect for a weekend art experience in the Dandenong Ranges Rosemary Todman Parrant, Ebony, pastel

S

herbrooke Art Society was established in 1966 to encourage and support local artists. It was founded on a tradition of realist painting and seeks to encourage both traditional and contemporary interpretation of representative subjects.

On display are a diverse variety of works in various mediums from this large collective of artists. The Society provides studio space,

classes, paint-outs, demonstrations, exhibitions and competitions to encourage art in the local community.

visitors to the Dandenong Ranges. Sherbrooke Art Society has three gallery rooms and three working studios. Visitors are welcome to request a tour of our entire facility.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE Situated at the very gateway of Sherbrooke Forest with the picturesque Clematis Creek running by the side of the gallery, Sherbrooke Art Society is a popular destination for

Sherbrooke Gallery

Sherbrooke Art Society Inc Established 1966

GALLERY EXPERIENCE The gallery exhibits a constantly changing display of fine art from emerging and established artists. Visitors are able to peruse a large variety of paintings hanging in the gallery and also displays of ceramic works.

WHAT’S ON Spring Exhibition The Spring Exhibition is Sherbrooke Art Society’s members’ only major award. On display will be members’ most recent works showcasing the diverse talent of the Society across mediums such as oil, watercolour, pastel and acrylic. The official opening is on Saturday, 6 October at 3 pm.

Nadine Gajnik, Warm heart, oil

Membership Sherbrooke Art Society welcomes new members. Members can take part in society social events and competitions. Artists looking to exhibit their work can become exhibition members.

Also, artists will benefit from the many experienced and established members. For more information about membership or to download an application for go to our website www.sherbrookeartsociety.com.

For more information about this no-profit organisation contact SHERBROOKE ART SOCIETY 03 9754 4264 www.sherbrookeartsociety.com

Spring Exhibition Awards Saturday 13 October through to Sunday 4 November Official opening Saturday 13 October 3 pm All welcome All works for sale

FREE ENTRY 62 Monbulk Road, Belgrave 3160 Tel: 03 9754 4264 Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 11 am - 4 pm www.sherbrookeartsociety.com Blog: http://sherbrookeartsociety.blogspot.com

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To Monbulk Monbulk Rd Sherbrooke Gallery Puffing Billy Belgrave Station Burwood Hwy to Melb Melway Ref 75 F8

Right: Elizabeth East, Agapanthus, oil Below: Barbara McManus, As Night Falls, Venice, pastel

Helen Farthing, Colour, oil

CHELTENHAM / HAMPTON

Pax Jakupa, Meri Redi Lo Marit (The Bride)

Zoe Ellenberg, Hibiscus

Robyn Rankin, Skipper Has Two Mates

Sarah Whitbread, Chasing Birds

Graeme Altmann, Urban Crown 2

WITHOUT PIER GALLERY Exhibition Program PAX JAKUPA 31 August – 15 September ax Jakupa was born in 1979 and hails from Bena in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. His father, Jakupa, was a well-known Papua New Guinean artist who spent most of his time in Port Moresby, so Pax never learnt from him while he was alive. In late 1999 he decided to start painting with the encouragement of family and friends.

Pax began very much in the style of his father but has quickly developed his own brighter and more abstract style.

P

BETINA FAUVEL-OGDEN 2 – 16 September Following a sell-out show in 2010, Betina is back with Paris Revisited. Betina will focus on beautiful Paris streets and café scenes. Her stunning impressionist works painted on Belgian linen in hand-made gilded frames bring the beautiful city to life, capturing the energy of Paris and also evoking the aroma and warmth from within a Parisian café.

She has deservedly won many awards including the ANL Maritime Art Award in 2008 and has had Australia Post stamps commissioned.

ROBYN RANKIN 26 September – 14 October Artist’s Statement: ‘Children at play have been an enduring theme of my work. I have been inspired by observation of my own two young ones as they explored their world, expressing joy and wonderment. My passion for recording my children at play in photographs became enhanced by a new outlet – paint! I have not strayed far away from this special place, taking delight in representing that childhood world and its delights, its unguarded reveries, its reverence for simple joys, its lack of self consciousness. My style has evolved from a place of childhood naivety.’

JI CHEN 25 October – 8 November Ji Chen was born in Shanghai and he came to

Australia with his family in 1989. The strong colour and bright light of the Australian landscape provided a new artistic experience. Chen says, ‘In Australia the weather and therefore the landscape is the best teacher.’ His love and passion for the vistas and vast horizons of the Australian landscape are obvious in his works.

Ji has won many prestigious awards including first prize at the Altona Art Show on five occasions; the Victor Harbour Art Show first prize of $10,000 in 1994 and the Victor Harbour best oil painting award in 2006. In 2002, 2004 and 2006 Ji Chen was a finalist in the Fleurieu Peninsula Art Prize.

GROUP SHOW: OUR MELBOURNE 11 – 25 November In November, Without Pier Gallery Cheltenham will host an exclusive exhibition presenting images of vibrant Melbourne – its grand and historic streets, buildings and icons.

Celebrate wonderful Melbourne and its many moods through the art of some of Victoria’s and Australia’s most popular and collectable contemporary, impressionist and realist artists including Ji Chen, David Chen, Ross Wilsmore, Tony Sowersby, Claude Ciccone and many others.

GRAEME ALTMANN 29 November – 13 December Graeme Altmann’s paintings and sculptures are dark and mysterious, bordering on the surreal with a distinctive ‘other worldliness’ quality that is translated into large open spaces. The isolated figures of his dreamlike and painterly landscapes often seem to be caught up in a struggle against the elements.

Altmann has had a string of successes since his first exhibition in Melbourne in 1988. In 2000 he was recipient of the Mornington Peninsula Art Prize and the Tattersalls Club Landscape Art Prize, in 2005 he won the Maritime Art prize. Graeme’s work is represented in corporate and private collections.

MICHAEL BERRY 29 November – 13 December Artist’s Statement: ‘There is only one medium in art and that is “thinking”… The works are up-tempo abstracted spatial explorations in a cacophony of colour cadences, multilayered dimensions, looping and diving calligraphic line and shifting shapes and forms…’

The key to Michael’s intriguingly complex and multi-faceted work is that the negative and the positive space are of equal importance. His only concern is for the next great breakthrough in painting, and to that end he insists that each piece speak for itself.

ZOE ELLENBERG

Ross Wilsmore, Looking Out Over The MCG

Betina Fauvel-Ogden, Le Royal Turenne-Paris

29 November – 13 December Artist’s Statement: ‘Flora and the landscape have always been a dominant theme in my work. From my own garden oasis to the tropical palettes of Asia Pacific those vistas are forever entrancing and enriching. This large-scale work is a colour-blasting vision where splashes of water colour morph with mixed media and sweeping arcs of black enamel to reveal strong and resolved paintings.’

SARAH WHITBREAD 29 November – 13 December Artist’s Statement: ‘My work revolves around the everyday, the small aspects of life that make us who we are, visual journeys that illuminate the joyous, yet often painful dichotomy of life. Visual metaphors weave in and out as does the paint in a technique of layering, covering and exposing…

The business of living and loving, all coming together in an uplifting, chaotic explosion on canvas.’

WITHOUT PIER GALLERY Cheltenham 03 9583 7577 Hamilton 03 9598 5006 enquiries@withoutpier.com.au www.withoutpier.com.au

Ji Chen, The Rock Bridge II

Michael Berry, Serenade to Peace

Established 1994 - Galleries in Cheltenham and Hampton City of Bayside www.withoutpier.com.au

320 BAY ROAD CHELTENHAM 3192 VICTORIA p: 03 9583 7577 417 HAMPTON STREET HAMPTON 3188 VICTORIA p: 03 9598 5006 e: enquiries@withoutpier.com.au

PAX JAKUPA 31 August – 15 September Hampton

GRAEME ALTMANN 5 - 19 December Cheltenham

BETINA FAUVEL–OGDEN 2 – 16 September Cheltenham

MICHAEL BERRY 5 - 19 December Cheltenham

ROBYN RANKIN 26 September – 14 October Cheltenham

ZOE ELLENBERG 5 - 19 December Cheltenham

JI CHEN 25 October – 8 November Cheltenham

SARAH WHITBREAD 5 - 19 December Cheltenham

OUR MELBOURNE 14 November – 2 December Cheltenham

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HAND-MADE ITALIAN TILES AT Schots Home Emporium where you unearth the uncommon

T

he Italian tiles selected by Schots are stylish. Simple yet beautiful, Schots’ range of handmade Italian tiles are the genuine article. Each tile carries its own intrinsic, individual signature.

CHOOSE FROM AN EXTENSIVE RANGE These tiles are available in a range of sizes and finishes designed to complement one another. Tiles measuring 152.4 x 76.2 mm are available in white, ivory and hay with a 152.4 x 152.4 mm hay coloured olive feature tile.

The Natura range contains 130 mm2 white and ivory tiles and 130 x 65 mm capping tiles.

NATURA RANGE The name for this range is taken from the Italian word for nature and this neatly captures

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the subtle shades and glinting lustres that form the basis of this collection. Handcrafted using only the finest clay, each glaze is individually mixed. From shining lustrous hay green to subtle neutral shades these handmade tiles are truly inspired by nature’s earthy tones.

Designed to make your bathroom or kitchen wall a feature, the hay colour embossed olive design sits with fine majesty against a surround of plain tiles, whereas the classic style of the square white and ivory tiles allows for an understated timeless ambience.

Deliver a complete and finished effect with fine bull nose moulded edge capping tiles.

These perfect finishing touches are available in white and ivory cappings, again handmade to further a room’s charm.

INVEST IN QUALITY These Italian tiles are sure to create a lasting effect with timeless character and will be an investment in both your home and lifestyle.

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ANTIQUE CENTRE

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‘ W h e re a t re a s u re i s w a i t i n g t o b e f o u n d ’

We have a good selection of French antique furniture at the best prices in Victoria

The best and most interesting selection of: • Antique furniture from France - England - Europe • French Clocks - Prints • Art Deco Figures and Clocks • Antique Ceiling Lights - Lamps • Mirrors - Paintings • English & Australian Silver & Silver Plate • Art Glass - Collectables • Estate and Costume Jewellery • Doulton - Beswick - Shelley • Wedgwood - Limoges Porcelain

• Murano Glass

• Royal Winton - Carlton Ware

• Men’s and Ladies’ accessories

• Provincial tables to seat 6 - 12 people • Louis XV salon suites - chairs • French bookcases • French Art Deco • Limoges porcelain • Provincial sideboards • Buffets • French beds • Mirrors • Antique lights • Art glass • Objets d’art • French clocks

FRENCH HERITAGE ANTIQUES 03 9583 3422

68 Beach Road, Mentone Vic 3194

NOW TRADING FROM Mentone Beach Antique Centre 68 Beach Road, Mentone Vic 3194 Email: frenchheritage@bigpond.com Open: Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 11 am - 5 pm

(opposite Mentone Life Saving Club)

03 9583 3422

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Email: mentonebeachantique@gmail.com

Open: Thur-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 11 am - 5 pm www.mentonebeachantiquecentre.com

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French Heritage Antiques

www.mentonebeachantiquecentre.com

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MENTONE BEACH

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MENTONE

COLLECTING MEERSCHAUM PIPES T

he anti-smoking offensive by King James of England began in 1603. This campaign led ultimately to the execution in 1618 of Sir Walter Raleigh who had introduced pipe smoking to the royal court.

Appropriately, it is believed that his last defiant act was to smoke a full pipe of tobacco. King James later relented in his anti-smoking tactics.

He signed a charter incorporating all British pipe makers, but with complicated laws and rules.

However, instead of hindering the pipe makers, it allowed the profession to flourish. Other countries had begun to ban pipes, smoking and tobacco but later also changed their minds.

In 1794, Pope Benedict issued an edict exonerating the users of tobacco from any sin.

Snuff became the rage in Europe while pipes and pipe smoking grew in popularity in the New World.

During the Victorian era, cigars came to be considered a great social pastime while pipe smoking became a more personal and individualistic endeavour, often associated with relaxing contemplation beside a fireplace. Interestingly, Queen Victoria had a strong dislike for cigar smoking as did the Duke of Wellington who publically condemned the habit in 1845.

A variety of materials have been used in the making of pipes other than the early ones in clay.

Eskimos made pipes from walrus ivory, in the United States corncob was a popular material; in England manufacturers made pipes in Staffordshire pottery and Bristol glass. However, superseding bone, wood, iron, clay, glass and porcelain was meerschaum until the 19th century when briar was introduced.

PRIZED MEERSCHAUM MATERIAL Meerschaum is a soft white mineral sometimes found floating on the Black Sea and is mostly sourced from Eskisehir in Turkey. When it is extracted from the alluvial deposits it is soft, becoming hard on exposure to the sun or when dried in a warm room.

The first recorded use of meerschaum for making pipes was around 1723 and quickly became prized as the perfect material for providing a cool, dry, flavourful smoke: Meerschaum became a premium substitute for the clay pipes of the day as its porous nature draws moisture and tobacco tar into the stone. Though briar pipes have become the most common pipes, meerschaum remains prized to this day, with pipe smoking in

general gaining in popularity while cigar smoking diminishes.

When smoked, meerschaum pipes gradually change colour, and old meerschaums will turn incremental shades of yellow, orange, red and amber from the base up. When prepared for use as a pipe, the natural nodules are first scraped to remove the red earthy matrix, then dried, again scraped and polished with wax. The crudely shaped masses thus prepared are turned and carved, smoothed with glass-paper, heated in wax or stearine, and finally polished with bone-ash.

Carved Turkish meerschaum products traditionally were made in manufacturing centres such as Vienna. Since the 1970s though, Turkey has banned the exportation of meerschaum nodules, trying to set up a local meerschaum industry. The once famous

manufacturers have therefore disappeared and European pipe producers turned to others sources for their pipes.

Mentone Beach Antique Centre has a large collection of Meerschaum pipes for sale, including all associated smoking paraphernalia. If you are looking to build on your collection or start one, be sure to visit Mentone Beach Antique Centre, open Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 5 pm.

MENTONE BEACH ANTIQUE CENTRE 03 9583 3422 mentonebeachantique@gmail.com www.mentonebeachantiquecentre.com This article is drawn from: www.wikipedia.org and www.justforhim.com.

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MORNINGTON PENINSULA

ANTIQUES AND ART on the Mornington Peninsula

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1. MENTONE MENTONE BEACH ANTIQUE CENTRE 68 Beach Road, Mentone (opposite Mentone Beach Life Saving Club) 03 9583 3422 Open Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, 11am - 5pm.

Specialising in fine quality antique furniture, collectables and objets d’art. ‘Where a treasure is waiting to be found.’

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2. MORNINGTON MORNINGTON PENINSULA REGIONAL GALLERY Civic Reserve Corner of Dunns and Tyabb Road, Mornington 03 5975 4395 Open 10 am - 5 pm, Tuesday - Sunday Closed Mondays and some public holidays The region’s premier art gallery offers a dynamic program of nationally significant exhibitions of contemporary and historical art by Australia’s leading artists, together with acclaimed exhibitions focusing on the Mornington Peninsula’s rich cultural life.

Recent memorable exhibitions have reflected on the work of the Boyd family, Arthur Streeton and Fred Williams.

3. TYABB TYABB PACKING HOUSE ANTIQUES Mornington-Tyabb Road, Tyabb (opp Tyabb Railway Station) 03 5977 4414 Open 10 am - 5 pm, Thursday - Sunday This unique complex is Australia’s largest collection of antiques and collectables. Spend the day browsing, talk to the dealers, most have over 20 years experience. Visit the tearooms then take a ride to the working craft village, art gallery and kiosk.

Wheelchair and pushers available.

Coaches welcome.

4. MT MARTHA MEADS ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES The Clock Tower Arcade Shop 3, 34 Lochiel Avenue, Mt Martha 03 5974 8577 Open 10 am - 5 pm, Wednesday - Sunday We have an eclectic selection from the 1800s to the 1970s including unusual and interesting glass, china, toys, pictures, small furniture and jewellery. We buy and sell.

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5. RED HILL MONTALTO VINEYARD & OLIVE GROVE 33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill Mel Ref: 256 B2 03 5989 8412 info@montalto.com.au www.montalto.com.au Open 7 days Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove's 50 acre amphitheatre property is the ideal setting for wine, food, nature and art. Awarded the Top Winery Destination in Victoria 2006. The permanent outdoor sculpture collection can be enjoyed throughout the year with additional exhibitions.

An acclaimed restaurant overlooks the property. Award-winning estate wine and olive oil for tasting at the cellar door.

WHITEHILL GALLERY Whitehill Rd Redhill / Dromana 03 5931 0146 rick@whitehill.com.au www.whitehillart.com.au Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday During school holidays 7 days a week.

Peninsula Showcase Regular exhibitions featuring prominent artists in painting and sculpture, Angelo Quabba, Fiona Bilbrough, Carole Foster, Glenn Hoyle, Annee Kelly, Rosmary Todman Parrant, Andrew Grimmer, Josephine Pititto, Malcolm Beattie.

Sculpture Walk featuring Esther Goldberg, Jessie Mclennan, Robert Ford, Caroline Graley.

Beautiful jewellery, ceramics, woodwork and wearable art.

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6. TOOTGAROOK GAGA GALLERY Gaga Gallery ‘Where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.’

1947 Pt Nepean Rd, Tootgarook 0423 089464 or 03 5985 6947 mez@gagagallery.com.au www.gagagallery.com.au Open Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday10 am-4 pm.

Possibly other days but ring prior.

Modern, quirky original artwork. paintings, portraits, caricatures, jewellery, gifts & much more!

Come and see our famous ‘Chicken Walk’ PARKING AT REAR.

7. SORRENTO SORRENTO AND FLINDERS FINE ART GALLERY 3301 Point Nepean Rd, Sorrento (Opposite Rotunda) 10/33 Cook St Flinders (Opposite Hotel) Winter Hours: Friday - Monday 10.30 am - 5.30 pm Summer Hours: Sorrento: Open daily Flinders: Open daily, closed Tuesday Other times by appointment.

The finest selection of paintings by recognised Australian and international artists including David Chen, Robert Wade, Ivars Jansons, Charlie Tong, Lyn Mellady, John Bredl, Cathy Hamilton, Rodney Symmons, Ron Hancock, Craig Davy, Lyn Mellady, Robert Knight and more.

MARLENE MILLER ANTIQUES 120 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento 03 5984 1762 or 0438 537 757 Open 10 am - 5 pm, every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday Established in 1986, this unique antique shop is set in an historic limestone building and houses an amazing amount of beautiful furniture, china, bronzes, lamps, books and interesting bits and pieces. The shop is renowned for its jewellery as well as Georgian,Victorian and Art Deco antiques.

We have top quality Melbourne jewellers Stephen Pascoe, Simon Prestige, Armon Donald O’Grady, Monique Bijoux and others. All items available at reasonable prices.

8. FLINDERS THE STUDIO@FLINDERS GALLERY 65 Cook Street, Flinders 03 5989 0077 art@studioflinders.com www.studioflinders.com Open 10 am - 5 pm. Closed Tuesdays Closed Mondays. Mid June – mid September An artist run gallery promoting quality Australian work. We have three major exhibitions a year where participating artists have the opportunity to be creative.

Exhibitions run for approx three weeks over Easter, mid June and mid September.

SORRENTO

David Chen

David Chen

David Chen

More to see at

SORRENTO AND FLINDERS FINE ART GALLERIES A t Flinders and Sorrento Fine Art Galleries there is an ever-changing display of beautiful paintings by local and interstate artists. New works come in to the gallery weekly, keeping the choice fresh and interesting. A broad selection includes seascapes, landscapes, figurative, still life with bright contemporary pieces complete the mix. For visitors and locals alike this is the gallery to find a Peninsula scene in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media.

Both galleries offer lay-by, home viewing, wedding registers, commissions and ship works interstate and internationally.

DAVID CHEN & GAIL RUTLAND GILLARD ON SHOW The opening of a new exhibition by these two well-known artists coincides with the Melbourne Cup weekend. It has been a few years since we have had an exhibition by David and we are excited and eager to see the gallery filled with his newest city scenes, nudes, landscapes and seascapes. David is a highly regarded artist within Australia and internationally.

Complementing David’s work are the canvases of Gail Rutland Gillard who will be bringing her large, colourful and unique works to the gallery.

Gail is represented solely by Sorrento and Flinders Galleries. Her works are highly sought after and she is kept very busy with commissions.

To preview this joint exhibition or for more information please contact Rebecca at the gallery on 03 5984 3880 or visit www.peninsulagalleries.com.au.

CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION The theme for an exhibition to be held in December will be recent works all priced under $1,000. As well as artworks the gallery will be showing new ceramics by John

Stroomer. Additionally, in time for Christmas the gallery is preparing a large display of beautiful jewellery by local jewellers made in a variety of forms and designs including rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings featuring pearls, silver, precious and semi precious stones.

EXHIBITION ONBOARD We have developed a new concept designed to bring art to our clients. This door to door service brings artworks to your home or office where they can be viewed in their intended settings.

Best of all – there is no obligation to purchase.

Additionally, there are only two simple steps.

1. Visit our website www.peninsulagalleries.com.au – and go to the ‘Exhibitions Onboard’ page to choose the artworks that are of interest.

2. Email us on bec.barbour@bigpond.com.au with your selection and a time and date that suits and we will then bring the paintings to your home or office.

Exhibitions Onboard is displaying fresh artworks by six or more of our featured artists and will travel around Melbourne every three months bringing these exciting works to you.

Gail Rutland Gillard

Gail Rutland Gillard

PLANS FOR 2013 Work is already in progress for our January 2013 exhibition titled A Patch of Blue. On show will be works by highly renowned artists David Brayshaw, Craig Davy and Chris Kandis. This is a not to be missed exhibition of stunning art.

To receive regular updates on exhibitions, new works and travelling exhibitions please contact Rebecca Barbour SORRENTO AND FLINDERS FINE ART GALLERIES 03 5984 3880 www.peninsulagalleries.com.au

Gail Rutland Gillard

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MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Beleura

Melba Guest Bedroom

Mornington’s time capsule

BELEURA HOUSE MUSEUM

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ime capsules usually contain an assortment of items which tell of life as it once was – coins, photographs and newspaper cuttings to name a few. At Beleura, when possible, containers of such items were surreptitiously inserted into nooks opened during restoration of the buildings and garden structures.

Such time capsules tell the story of a place, recounting times past, thus Beleura itself is a time capsule – and what a story it tells. Built in 1863 by James Butchart, the richest man in the fledgling colony of Victoria, Beleura was described as the ‘finest mansion in the Colony’ on his death in 1869. Subsequently used as a vice regal summer marine residence, Beleura became the summer house for a cavalcade of wealthy families, then functioned as a school.

In 1916 it was purchased by Sir George Tallis, the man behind the great J. C. Williamson Ltd – ‘The Firm’ – a theatre colossus, and some

interesting tales abound from this time.

One of the most intriguing is the story of Florence Young, Sir George’s sister-in-law and a famous music hall diva in the 1900s. Her biography, Florence Young and the Golden Years of Australian Musical Theatre, was penned by Frank Van Straten, a theatre buff and historian of considerable repute. A lively read, beautifully illustrated and handsomely bound, this is now available via the Beleura website and as it is subsidised by The Tallis Foundation, it is being offered at the special price of $20 including postage.

Another wonderful byway in the story of Beleura is the friendship of Sir George’s youngest son, John Tallis, with the extraordinary Christian Waller, the acclaimed stained and leaded glass artist and her equally talented niece, the artist/potter Klytie Pate. A woman of great style, vitality and industry, Klytie Pate produced an incomparable body of

The Library

work, of which Beleura features a myriad of fabulous examples. With a charming history and the restoration to its present beauty, Beleura is a highly recommended place to visit.

UPCOMING EVENTS Debris, rubbish and junk found in the garden A talk by Kate Moffatt, Archaeologist and Cindy Seeberger, Curator 30 October In 2001 it was decided that Beleura’s two 1863 underground water tanks in the garden should be repaired. One had been used by Sir George Tallis as a septic tank which had become overgrown and lost, subsequently collapsing after a small digger making roads fell into it – much to the surprise of the operator! The other, more intact one had been used as a rubbish dump. A decision was made to restore both these tanks to their original use, so both had to be dug out, resulting in great piles of objects – from broken plates to bits of cast iron stoves.

The chance find of some small doll’s house tea items brought memories flooding back to one of Sir George’s granddaughters. Sir George had given her a tea set some 70 years before and it was only allowed to be played with at Beleura. Kate Moffat, archaeologist and veteran of digs in Egypt, and curator Cindy Seeberger, will address the somewhat more down-to-earth but fascinating things that have been found buried at Beleura. Some of the finds will be on show in the house.

House & garden tour includes morning tea, lunch and talk. $33 / $30 concession

Christmas bon-bons 23 & 24 November A champagne soiree that will feature highlights from the beautiful melodies of composers such as Strauss, Lehar, and Offenbach. Directed and staged by James Wright, this promises to be a night of fun alfresco. The setting is Paris on Christmas Eve in the house of a fashionable Contessa who indulges her every whim, especially for

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Costume design by Attilio Comelli. Courtesy Arts Centre, Melbourne. Performing Arts Collection, Attilio Comelli Collection

champagne. Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes has just had a spectacular first season at the Paris Garnier and everybody has gone crazy for the ‘Oriental’ look inspired by Scheherazade.

A courtesy bus at 5.30 pm transfers for a 6.30 pm performance. $70 adult/$65 concession

For the diary: Opera in the Garden 1st & 2nd March 2013 This Dame Nellie Melba Trust event will now be held on the above dates.

The event includes the performance and a light supper. $70 / $65 concession For more information contact BELEURA 03 5975 2027 info@beleura.org.au www.beleura.org.au Left: Photograph of James Butchart. Courtesy Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria Right: What was found in the garden

LANGWARRIN

Sculpture P Park

www.mcclellandgallery.com w ww.mccle ellan ndgallery y.com

AWAKENING NG FORMS: VINCAS JOMANTAS CLIFFORD OMA ANT TA AS & CLIFF FORD LAST 29 JULY – 28 OCTOBER 2012 O 201 2

Exhibitions to view at

McClelland Sculpture Park+Gallery Awakening Forms: Vincas Jomantas & Clifford Last 29 July – 28 October

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his exhibition explores the work of two pioneering Australian sculptors Clifford Last and Vincas Jomantas.

Both artists played pivotal roles as founding members of the highly influential Victorianbased Centre 5 group whose lasting impact on Australian sculpture can be felt in Australia’s architectural landscape to this day.

With works drawn from McClelland’s extensive collection, Awakening Forms follows the journey of these two immigrant Australian sculptors from the influence of their retrospective British and Lithuanian backgrounds to their own invigoration of Australian sculpture from the 1950s onwards.

From the early compositional figurative forms to the accomplished cool geometric and machine-like sculptures that would mark their later works, both artists demonstrated a lifelong experimentation and passion for sculpture.

stone carvings of figures and animals are typified by their intimate stylised forms and simplified beauty. Stephen would carve according to the modernist mantra of ‘truth to materials’ so that the qualities of wood and stone would dictate a sculpture’s final form and shape.

Clive Stephen’s position as a volunteer doctor during WWI meant he travelled to Europe at a time when modernism had fallen under the sway of major artists such as Jacob Epstein and Pablo Picasso. Like these artists Stephen was also profoundly influenced by tribal art, in particular the cultures of the Pacific islands and Africa.

Clive Stephen will include major sculptural works from both private and public collections augmented by works on paper. Alongside these distinctive works will be an ensemble of sculptures that Stephen collected from the Pacific Islands, now in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.

McClelland Sculpture Survey & Award 2012

Clive Stephen

18 November 2012 – 14 July 2013

29 July – 28 October Melbourne-born artist Clive Stephen (18891957) is considered one of the pioneers in Australia’s modernist art movement. Stephen’s

Award Finalists Emma Anna, Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan, Matt Calvert, Bozo Ink: Cameron Bishop & David Fitzsimmons, Daniel Clemmett, Ewen Coates,

Augustine Dall’Ava, Robert Delves, Damien Elderfield & Lani Fender, Troy Emery, Antonia Goodfellow, Matthew Harding, Will Heathcote, David Jensz, Greg Johns, Chaco Kato, John Kelly, Chris Langton, Michael Le Grand, Ian Loiterton, Lucas Maddock & Isaac Greener, Gerard McCourt, Anton McMurray, Karleena Mitchell, James Parrett, Terrance Plowright, Charles Robb, Andrew Rogers, Kate Rohde, Robbie Rowlands, Faustas Sadauskas, Benjamin Storch, Marcus Tatton, Vince Vozzo and Jud Wimhurst.

The winner of the McClelland Sculpture Survey & Award 2012 will be announced at the opening on 18 November.

Above left: Vincas Jomantas, The King, 1964 Above right: Clive Stephen (1889-1957), White Figure

For more information contact McCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK+GALLERY 03 9789 1671 www.mcclellandgallery.com

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Dr Wall Worcester sweetmeat dish, c. 1760, of the ‘Blind Earl’ type

WORCESTER MYTHS:

Worcester cup and saucer, c. 1770, with crossed swords mark underglaze, a copy of Germany's Meissen porcelain mark, and decorated in the manner of James Giles.

not all stories are fact

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ntique dealers have a lot to answer for. In the name of a sale, they have invented fables to make things more interesting to a potential customer.

Ownership by famous people adds value!

I love reading the old ceramics books: their thick hand-bound pages, the black and white photos, and the quaint prose as they explore a subject I love. However, they were written in the age of connoisseurship when statements were based more on instinct and not supported by collaborative facts. As a result, there were many dubious conclusions, and quite a few have made it into more recent editions. We always read the older books with a sceptical eye and a pencil to note corrections.

Recent books are more accurate; the authors having the advantage of easy access to advanced technological and scientific research and evidence-based historical resources. In the ceramics world there are a whole string of stories in the older books not reproduced in the recent publications. Research has debunked the romance that has been woven around them. Regardless, I still enjoy the stories. One such story relates to James Giles decorated pieces.

The cup illustrated bears a crossed sword mark underglaze, which also needed to be done at the factory and is thought to be a Giles request. This mark is the same as Germany’s Meissen porcelain mark, a deception that would have added immense prestige to his stock in the eyes of the London gentry who were his main customers.

His London shop was a china shop, selling Worcester blue and white porcelain, Derby porcelain and even Chinese lacquer wares.

Besides having a retail outlet he also ran a decorating workshop, which gave him the great advantage of being able to could cater to the whims of his wealthy clients. This meant he could produce patterns on demand according to the latest fashion trend ahead of the mainstream porcelain factories which took much longer to respond to fashion quirks. A contemporary advertisement reads: ‘This ingenious artist copies patterns of any china with the utmost exactness... either in the European or Chinese taste...’

A fine example of his work is the pair of scale blue ground dishes from a dessert

service illustrated here. This lavish pattern is known as the ‘Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’ after the extraordinary aristocrat best known for her travel writing as the wife of the ambassador to Turkey in the early 18th century. However, she died in 1762, the year she returned after a long period of travelling and living abroad, so there is no way she could have been responsible for the creation of this pattern. There was a service in the hands of her descendants, and this is probably where the title came from.

There are seven different variations of the pattern, each with minor variations. The 1774 sale list for Giles’ stock included ‘a desert service of the fine mazareen blue enrich’d with chased and burnished gold, painted with birds and flowers...’

AN INTERESTING WORCESTER CREATION Another interesting Worcester story relates to the Blind Earl pattern. Chelsea probably began this idea in the early 1750s with a now rare

dish of similar form. The name ‘Blind Earl’ comes from the tale of the Earl of Coventry blinded in a hunting accident and ordering the style so he could feel the design. However, he didn’t lose his sight until 1780! He did own a raised rose service by Flight Barr & Barr dating to the early 19th century, and this is probably when the story was created.

The myths surrounding these pieces increased their monetary value and leads to the question: what degree of involvement can be attributed to the antique dealers at the time of their creation? Nowadays, it is our job as responsible dealers to relegate the baseless stories to the status of myth.

Paul Rosenberg MOORABOOL ANTIQUES GALLERY 03 5229 2970 www.moorabool.com

JAMES GILES (1718-1780) an entrepreneurial porcelain decorator While just one of many independent decorators in the mid-18th century, James Giles, the son of a China painter of the same name is the best documented and therefore the most sought after.

Born in 1718, an apprentice note of 1733 records him in the employ of a jeweller. In 1747 he is listed as a ‘Chinaman’ – a vendor of porcelain. This is of course before commercial production of porcelain in England, and he painted on imported Chinese porcelain.

With the introduction of home-grown English soft-paste porcelain in the 1750s, he was able to broaden his range. He had a close association with Worcester in particular, with his premises being recorded in a 1767 trade directory as ‘Worcester Porcelain Warehouse’.

His famous scale-blue ground pieces were ordered with the underglaze ground already done, meaning that Giles just painted the panels and added the lavish gilding.

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Rare pair of Dr Wall Worcester dishes, c. 1770, with scale-blue ground, decorated in the studio of James Giles

GEELONG

Melrose jug (koala), c. 1932-42, moulded, glazed earthenware. Gregory Hill Collection

Melrose vase (koala), c. 1932-42, moulded, glazed earthenware. Gregory Hill Collection

Melrose vases (gumleaf), c. 1932-42, moulded, glazed earthenware. Gregory Hill Collection

MELROSE ART POTTERY on show at Geelong Gallery until 7 October

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elrose art pottery tells the story of the Hoffman Brick, Tile and Pottery Company’s survival during the 1930s Depression. Established in 1862 and located in Brunswick, the company was the largest business of its type in the southern hemisphere.

Featuring over 100 objects sourced from public and private collections, this exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the social history of the era and the Melrose range of pottery Hoffman’s produced to remain economically viable in turbulent times. This eclectic range, inspired largely by a newly found Australian identity that allowed Hoffman’s not only to continue operating, but just as importantly, to retain key personnel until more prosperous times emerged.

The styling of the pottery was largely inspired by the worldwide modernist movement and the prevailing tastes reflected in Australian arts and crafts societies. All

manner of vessels such as vases, jugs and bowls were adorned with Australian gum leaves, gumnuts and native animals.

Curated by Australian ceramics expert, Gregory Hill, Melrose art pottery examines the historical, technical and artistic achievements of the Melrose range and its role in the development of Australian commercial pottery. Many of the pieces are on public display for the first time. These ceramics, once used commonly in the domestic household, have now become highly valued collector items and cultural icons.

Melrose art pottery is a Bundoora Homestead Art Centre touring exhibition, which is on display at Geelong Gallery until 7 October. Geelong Gallery is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Entry is free.

GEELONG GALLERY 03 5229 3645 www.geelonggallery.org.au

Melrose bowl (kangaroo), c. 1932-42, moulded, glazed earthenware. Gregory Hill Collection

Little Malop Street Geelong VIC 3220 03 5229 3645 www.geelonggallery.org.au

Geelong Gallery’s outstanding collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts spans the art of Australia from the colonial period to the present day and includes such masterpieces as Eugène von Guérard’s View of Geelong (1856), Frederick McCubbin’s A bush burial (1890), and the newly acquired Arthur Streeton’s Ocean blue, Lorne (1921).

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS Five decades of abstraction 4 August – 2 September Skater – portraits by Nikki Toole until 9 September National Portrait Gallery and Geelong Gallery touring exhibition Sentinels and showboats – milestones in print collecting until 9 September Melrose art pottery until 7 October A Bundoora Homestead Art Centre touring exhibition 2012 Geelong contemporary art prize 15 September – 18 November Showcasing the best of contemporary Australian painting practice.

Sponsored by the Dimmick Charitable Trust Djalkiri – we are standing on their names – Blue Mud Bay 24 November 2012 – 10 February 2013 Presented by Artback NT: Arts Development and Touring and Nomad Art Productions GEELONG REGION ARTISTS PROGRAM Marie Antoinette through the Notebook– Marion Manifold 8 September – 21 October The Max Bell Gallery (Gallery X series) – Bishop and Reis 27 October – 2 December

FREE ENTRY – Open daily 10am to 5pm Guided tours of the permanent collection Saturdays from 2pm

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GEELONG

WELCOME TO THE WORKSHOP with Joel Duggan from Pegasus Antiques egasus Antiques was founded by my father, Ken Duggan, in 1983. It started as a small part-time job for Ken operating out of a small garage on the side of his house while he remained a high school art and woodwork teacher. Over the years Pegasus Antiques has grown towards being the biggest, sole antique furniture business in Australia. We cover every aspect of furniture, from sourcing pieces in France, England and Scotland, undertaken on several buying to trips a year, to repairs, restoration and delivery to your door.

working as a French polisher in the family business for 15 years, I have spoken to countless visitors and clients about our traditional restoration methods. Customers are often invited into the workshop for a demonstration. It is a fascinating process that involves great lengths of time and very close attention to detail. I love my job and view it as a great privilege to work on some of the finest furniture ever made, and would like to give readers a glimpse into this process.

AN INVITATION TO A RESTORATION

The French walnut console table was personally sourced in Lyon, France, on one of the many buying trips we take each year. The table is in very good condition with no major scratches or dents. This allows me to keep the patina as there is no need to strip or sand any part of the surface.

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I thought to invite readers to share one part of our business – our restoration arm – taking you through the process involved in the restoration of a French 1890s console walnut table. Being the workshop manager, and

IDENTIFYING THE CONDITION

THE PROCESS Restoration begins with gluing together a loose join. This involves separating and cleaning it, and sanding off all the old glue.

The join is clamped with the base and left overnight to set.

Cleaning the piece occurs the next day using a turpentine-soaked clean cloth. Rubbed over the piece until all the old wax and dirt is removed. This step may be repeated three to four times, continuing until the cloth is clean.

Next, using a dry cloth, I wipe off the excess turps and leave overnight.

Using fine sandpaper, the table is sanded all over with a quick scuff on the base to keep the original French polish. The top requires a slightly harder sand to remove a few scuffs and water marks (see photo). To finish the preparation, a methylated spirits soaked rag is used to wipe over the table.

Now for the fun bit; because the console table was originally French polished, once the old waxes are removed I am able to French polish over the original surface.

I create a rubber using cotton wading wrapped in a cotton sheet. The rubber is dipped into the polish and a thin layer is applied, always working with the timber grain. This is applied once over the top of the piece, edge and base being careful to mop up any dribbles that form. Forming a point with the rubber allows me to access all the hard to reach places.

The base requires only five coats, while the top requires about 12. This is a light restoration as some of our dining tables require as many as 120 coats and pushing as hard as possible to fill up the grain.

I use a thin polish because as this is a French piece I do not want a glossy finish, following the time-honoured philosophy of less is more.

Once I am happy with the polishing and the table top grain looks even the piece must be left overnight to dry.

At Pegasus we use a variety of waxes, and for this table I am going to use a black wax – which goes on clear – applied with fine steel wool. This is to just slightly dull the shiny polish and bring out the glow in the timber.

Again, I work with the grain and as evenly as possible then wait 20 minutes and buff with a soft cloth. The result – a beautiful French walnut console table with original patina.

I highly recommend this process to anyone interested in French polishing or restoring. It is deeply satisfying to find a table in the south of France, ship it to Australia, polish, sand and repair it and then deliver it to a happy customer’s house.

At Pegasus Antiques I hand French polish all our furniture. We have a huge warehouse set up like an English village, along with another warehouse of unrestored furniture. We welcome you to our shop to view our range.

For more information please contact Joel Duggan PEGASUS ANTIQUES 03 5221 8290 pegasusantiques@bigpond.com www.pegasusantiques.com.au

First believed to be used in France towards the end of the 17th century, French polish or shellac comes from the lac bug.

Once processed, the shellac flakes are soaked in alcohol.

Additional alcohol can be added to achieve the desired thinness.

FRENCH WALNUT QUEEN SIZE BED

VISIT US ON THE WEB:

WWW.PEGASUSANTIQUES.COM.AU OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

512-560 LATROBE BLVD, NEWTOWN 3220 PHONE 03 5221 8290 60

GEELONG

A modern interpretation of a traditional leadlight design

Original vaseline glass shade fitted to an arts and crafts style fitting. It is very rare to find an original vaseline glass shade

Pressed tin in good condition after 10 years outdoors

LED candle shaped globe

Enamel signs crafted in our workshop using time honoured skills

AT OAKWOOD RESTORATIONS innovative and practical solutions for the home ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LIGHT GLOBES MEET THE NEED

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eter and I have finally found a light globe to end our arguments and we are excited! You see, the problem is that I am a practical environmentalist and he is an artist, and to Peter aesthetics are all important.

But finally, hooray! The LED globe has arrived emitting warm glows and made in pleasing shapes – they are amazing.

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS A six-watt globe puts out the same lumens (light) as a 25-watt globe in the traditional (incandescent) style. LED globes come in all styles: fancy rounds, candle globes, big traditional style globe in both sizes. The LED’s are all small sized Edison screws but come with adaptors to fit bayonet and Edison screw lights in the small and large size. We are assured that each globe lasts a minimum of 50,000 hours, but we haven’t had a chance to try that out yet. Certainly we haven’t had any bulbs expire yet either. Our whole house is LED now, and we do discounts on house lots.

WORKING OUT THE SAVINGS The technology is still relatively new and therefore still a bit pricey. A 10–watt globe (the same lumens as a 75 watt) costs around $20 each but if used for six hours a day will save about $40 a year in electricity. No doubt like everything the cost will come down in time; but I’m too excited to wait. All the lights that I restore will come with LED bulbs included.

How can I not? They’re just too good.

PRESSED TIN UPDATED On a different note, pressed tin is going crazy.

We’re getting large deliveries every week and our customers are thrilled. For good reason, pressed

tin is gorgeous! It carries colour beautifully, is decorative and serviceable. Traditionally, pressed tin was used for ceilings and wall panelling.

Cheaper and easier than tiling, pressed tin is now being used in bathrooms and kitchens as splashbacks, feature walls, stair rails, outdoor areas, etc. It is a versatile, affordable product.

CONSIDER POWDER COATED PRESSED TIN The old style powder coated pressed tin is still available. The joy of the powder coated product is its strength and durability. Moreover, it is easy to care for and doesn’t lose its radiance. We had a sign made from powder coated pressed tin that has been outside everyday for 10 years – and despite all the different weather conditions it has been subject to the sign is still beautiful.

Powder coating is expensive and for this reason most people choose to buy the material raw and paint it themselves. There is a specific technique involved, but it is a cheap, easy and effective alternative.

PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN MADE We are very fussy buyers and only like the best. Our pressed tin is Australian made; the manufacturing technology hasn’t changed since the beginning of production.

Manufacturers today use an excellent quality aluminium which means the pressed tin doesn’t corrode or rust. The design imprint is deep and clear and the sheets are sturdy.

RECREATING A STYLE You may have seen early enamel signs from time to time and as they are difficult to find at Oakwood we are recreating the look for home decorators. It’s lovely to hear customers exclaim ‘Oh! I always wondered where people got these!’ Using the very same machine that made them in the late 1800s we have on display charming enamel numbers and signs.

The signs are made from the same materials (minus the lead) and using the original 19th century techniques. They are not quite perfect and that is what makes them wonderful.

Individual signs can be made to order.

DEDICATED TO LIGHTS

Enamel number made in our workshop

Of course, as everyone knows, our passion is lights. Our philosophy is to restore old lights in historically accurate ways or when this is not possible, to create new pieces from old as unique statements for today. Peter is preparing for his annual trip to Europe and the UK to see

what he can find. Already we’ve had requests for alabaster bowls, French chandeliers, jewelled wall sconces, gothic candelabras and all sorts of wonderful odd and ends. Of course we can order all these things new as reproductions.

We are wiring old gas lights at the moment for a strawbale construction on a rural property. The owner’s vision is to recreate the feeling of the pioneering age without

sacrificing modern comforts. It is a unique project and Peter and I are excited to be involved. The harp light fittings are originals dating from the 1850s to the 1890s, and will hang from heavy beams. Of course the bulbs are LED, which will work well with the solar electricity panels being installed. The home will have a rustic feel but will cleverly incorporate modern technology. Everything is planned to be easy and bright.

For information or advice call OAKWOOD RESTORATIONS 03 5229 9547 oakwoodrestorations@yahoo.com.au

Meet Peter Hames from OAKWOOD RESTORATIONS Peter Hames is well known in Newtown, Geelong and for good reasons. He is an expert in authentic renovations to period homes and has an eye for the contemporary as well. Peter is creatively passionate about homes, inside and out.

He has been offering amazing service and knowledge for ten years; indeed, he is regularly called for advice and products from all over Australia and abroad.

OAKWOOD RESTORATIONS 331 Pakington St NEWTOWN VIC 3220 03 5229 9547 oakwoodrestorations@yahoo.com.au

OAKWOOD RESTORATIONS sells only the best door furniture: hinges, taps, cabinet ware, fretwork, light switches, signs, window fittings, fireplaces, mantle pieces, hearth tiles and decorative tiles, brass letters and numbers, letterboxes, ceramic nameplates, pressed tin, screen doors, fancy hooks, exterior lights and of course, original and reproduction lights… and much more for restoration projects.

Peter’s original lights are expertly restored and rewired ready to bring class and elegance to any period or modern home.

Operating out of a tiny Aladdin’s Cave, Peter is always friendly, helpful and informative. This family business easily competes with bigger companies by providing valuable personal service, professional expertise and human values.

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INTRODUCING FIND LOTS ONLINE Australasia’s fastest growing online auction portal

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ind Lots Online is a comprehensive online service that gathers art, antiques and collectables auction catalogues from around Australia and New Zealand and displays them in the one place, for you to peruse at your leisure.

It is the perfect tool for people wanting to keep a close eye on auction catalogues and be the first to see items being offered for auction across the country and in New Zealand.

Lot numbers, details, estimates and images are all provided to make the process super easy and streamlined.

At Find Lots Online everything you need when it comes to auction catalogues is under the one ‘roof’. That means you no longer have to spend time and energy switching between sites to cross reference items and auctions houses.

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auction lots being added on a monthly basis.

This ensures the portal is at the cutting edge of the Australasian auction world.

Using this auction house portal you can: Easily view forthcoming and past auction lots from Australian and New Zealand auction houses.

Seamlessly search catalogues in the one place – no need to switch between sites. The online search tool provides comprehensive ways to drill down into auction catalogues.

Not only can you search by keyword, you can also search by item category, auction house or sale location. Just search auctions in Victoria, or even just Melbourne for instance.

Never miss out on any auction items you’ve been coveting thanks to Find Lots Online’s Lot Alert service. Acting very much as your very own built-in auction PA, this

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service automatically searches each new auction catalogue as it is loaded onto the site and fires off an email notification when items matching your alerts are found. It makes the process easy and seamless. Best of all, due to the multitude of auction houses on the site, it can open up auction sales you never knew existed.

Keep abreast of the news and views from the auction world thanks to the digital news aggregation service that focuses on the fine and decorative arts worlds. You can opt in to receive weekly e-lert auction news bytes of significance from the week.

Organise yourself with the unique Plan Your Week e-lerts which schedule your auction sale visits with the most up-to-date details of the week’s upcoming viewings and auctions.

Build your very own rich resource of personalised searches and auction information using the unique features offered such as My Catalogue and My Finds.

My Catalogue gives you the ability to create your own personalised auction viewing catalogue to print and take with you, ensuring you see the items you’ve spotted online.

My Finds is a great tool to keep track of items you’re interested in.

Ensure you’re well informed with the Past Price Archive. This feature allows you to keep an eye on the prices of items already sold.

Here you can assess the value of the items which you are interested in and potentially use the archive to research the provenance of a lot by finding it in an earlier sale.

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THE BRAINS BEHIND FIND LOTS ONLINE

Thousands of auction lots Art, Antiques, Collectables and more From Australia & New Zealand For You Antiques & Art in Victoria readers’ special promotion code AAVIC1 See article for details

www.findlotsonline.com 62

Find Lots Online is the brainchild of two people – Kate Dupree Green and Fiona Ruckert who bring a unique blend of commercial expertise to Find Lots Online thanks to many years experience working in the auction and IT industries.

They share a passion for searching out much-loved items for sale in the auction world.

Frustrated with having to look through many different sites to view and search forthcoming auctions and not always being able to access past auction catalogues, they decided to create an effective, practical auction portal.

The vision was a site that would bring all the key information together under the one roof along with a variety of razor-sharp services to make the hunting, searching, bidding and analysis process a breeze.

The result is Find Lots Online – a comprehensive, user-friendly auction portal that brings together all the information and tools needed to make the process and experience far more streamlined, rewarding and enriching for users.

And they have not stood still since launching

the site, constantly adding auction houses and lots, expanding their horizons into auction houses from different areas, cities and towns.

They welcome feedback from customers and act on requests for specific auction houses to be included as their aim is to be the most comprehensive, user-friendly and useful portal ever.

If you’re an avid auction fan, you’re on the hunt for particular items, want to know what is happening in the auction world, and want the process to be stress-free, then Find Lots Online is the answer.

SPECIAL OFFER For readers of Antiques and Art in Victoria, Find Lots Online are offering a special discount when you choose to upgrade from our free plan to receive lot alerts, access the past prices realized, or get both using Find the Lot services. Simply enter the promotional code ‘AAVIC1’ on the subscription page to receive 25% off your plan.

FIND LOTS ONLINE www.findlotsonline.com

AIREYS INLET George Francis, Torino

Caroline Ellis, Beach Bums

Caroline Ellis, Great Ocean Road

EAGLES NEST GALLERY Featured artists and exhibitions GROUP EXHIBITION: Small Wonders

Caroline Ellis, Mallee Rain Dance

CAROLINE ELLIS

Otto Boron, Singing to the moon

OTTO BORON Feature Artist he works of Otto Boron, a much accomplished and renowned Melbourne artist, have been recently introduced to the gallery. Ottavio-Otto Boron was born in the former Italian city of Fiume in 1935 and, with a strong tendency for drawing since he was very young, he tackled his first oil painting at the age of 15.

He arrived in Melbourne late 1959 and joined the National Gallery of Victoria life drawing classes in 1962 under Ian Armstrong and Mark Clark. The schoolmaster at that time was the late John Brack. In 1967 Otto was employed by Channel 9 Melbourne as a scenic artist, and in 1970 he was offered employment at Channel 2 at Ripponlea, also as a scenic artist. Although during 18 years of scenic art work, Otto gained enormous experience in working on large-scale backdrops and a wide spectrum of painting techniques through imitating old and modern masters, he is very much self-taught. He has received many awards and commendations.

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1 – 30 November Mallee artist Caroline Ellis has always had a connection with the coast. Starting her artistic career on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in photography, Caroline sold her work in her gallery Nature’s Energy from 1994 to 1998. In 1999 Caroline moved back to the Mallee and started painting seriously. She studied visual arts and brought back many influences from the coast, applying bold colours and a free style to the scenes of the Mallee and Murray River. At the time this was quite radical in the traditional art world of Swan Hill, and Caroline quickly attracted a following. Since then Caroline has had regular exhibitions and has established herself as a respected contemporary artist – her art being sought by local and worldwide collectors. Caroline opened her gallery on the shores of Lake Boga in 2008 and Eagles Nest is showcasing Caroline’s new work.

1 – 31 December Gallery artists have been invited to participate in an exhibition of small works. Their brief is to produce a work of art that measures 400 mm x 400 mm. As approximately 40 artists will be represented, showcasing a variety of works – framed and unframed, contemporary, realist and traditional – there’s sure to be something that will appeal to everyone’s taste.

EAGLES NEST GALLERY 03 5289 7366 nadia@eaglesnestgallery.com.au www.eaglesnestgallery.com.au Right: Jan & George Francis, Tango (1)

CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL PAINTINGS, GLASS, CERAMICS, SCULPTURE AND JEWELLERY

JAN & GEORGE FRANCIS: Of Tango 3 – 30 November As the Latin dance genre has movement, passion and sensual energy, it makes for a very watchable and personal experience. Producing work in painting and sculpture to celebrate this is a recent commission, a delightful five-metre contemporary sculpture which lives in the garden of Eagles Nest Gallery to engage visitors in the gallery experience.

Exhibitions: 3-30 November 1-31 December

Of Tango Small Wonders

Featured Artist 1-30 November

Caroline Ellis

Jan & George Francis Group Exhibition

Open everyday: 10 am – 5 pm

P: +61 03 5289 7366 E: nadia@eaglesnestgallery.com.au 50 Great Ocean Road Aireys Inlet 3231 www.eaglesnestgallery.com.au Otto Boron, Derelict High Plains

Jan & George Francis, First Glance

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HAMILTON

Paul Sandby (1731- 1809) after Pietro Fabris (1740–1792) Ruined Temple, Sepia aquatint Clare Mackarness, The ‘Storeys’ of Life; Rue Parisienne, 2011, watercolour, ink-pen, cotton-rag paper, card.

The Hamilton and Alexandra College

Coming attractions at Hamilton Art Gallery DILETTANTI AQUATINTS until 28 OCTOBER

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he Dilettante Society was a group of dedicated noblemen who sponsored the study of the ancient Greek world and were instrumental establishing NeoClassicism as a style of art and architecture in England. In the late 18th century, the Society commissioned Paul Sandby to reproduce images for one of its publications on the classical world. This collection draws those aquatint reproductions together and contextualises their production.

TREASURES FROM THE TRUST until 2 December The Hamilton Art Gallery Trust Fund has been the major source of acquisition funds for the Gallery over the past fifty years.

A selection of work acquired by the Trust Fund during this period shows the range and depth of works acquired. Ranging from Australian paintings and decorative arts to international works these acquisitions have played a significant role in building up the collection.

SENCHA - TEA OF THE LITERATI 22 August – 4 November In the past, green tea (sen cha meaning ‘steeped tea’) was the focus of celebrations for Japanese scholars interested in Chinese culture. This exhibition displays sencha accoutrements; many made or decorated by major ceramic artists of the Meiji period.

IN FOCUS: CELEBRATING FARM LIFE

RECENT GIFTS AND ACQUISITIONS

29 August – 14 October Contemporary photographs around the theme of farm life will be showcased, organised by the National Centre for Farmer Health.

Numerous local photographers and local subjects come to the fore in this exhibition.

14 November – 20 January 2013 In the past year the Gallery has been the beneficiary of many generous gifts that are displayed for the first time in this exhibition.

The decorative arts are a particular feature of this collection. These range from the work of Australian ceramicists such as Gwyn Hanssen Pigott and Janet Beckhouse, to Italian glass by Laura de Santillana, art nouveau ceramics from Sweden and silver and ceramics from the Danish modern movement.

HAMILTON TOPS 2 – 25 November This annual exhibition showcases the best major works from Southern Grampians secondary schools in VCE Studio Arts, Graphic Communication and Design. Always impressive in its variety and ideas, this exhibition celebrates the creativity of local students.

MARRIAGE À LA MODE 7 November – 17 March 2013 William Hogarth’s greatest moral tale was contained in the eight prints of Marriage à la Mode. These satirise the marriage of an impoverished noble to a wealthy merchant’s daughter and in the process comment on many of the contradictions of 18th century English life. Hogarth was the great satirist of the 18th century and, whilst he was conveying a serious message, it is hard to not see humour in much of his imagery today.

HAMILTON QUILTERS 2 December – 13 January 2013 This will be the 15th biennial exhibition by the Hamilton Quilters whose quilting skills are again proudly displayed by the Gallery.

Always popular, this exhibition brings together the skill of local craftspeople, the richness of modern fabric design and the practicality of the quilt.

Takahashi Dohachi V Japan (1869-1914) Sencha teapot c. 1900, porcelain with underglaze blue decoration

Sencha - Tea of the Literati 22 August - 4 November

107 Brown Street HAMILTON Victoria 3300

T: (03) 5573 0460 E: info@hamiltongallery.org W: hamiltongallery.org

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Janet Beckhouse (Australian b. 1955), Vase, ‘Guardians of The Grotto’, 2011, porcelain, hand-painted, cast, constructed

John Russell (British 1745-1806), Miss Sophia Vansittart, c. 1790, pastel

For more information contact HAMILTON ART GALLERY 03 5573 0460 info@hamiltongallery.org www.hamiltongallery.org

CENTRAL VICTORIA

ANTIQUES AND ART in Central Victoria

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2. BENDIGO BENDIGO ART GALLERY

1. BALLARAT ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT 40 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat 03 5320 5858 balgal@ballarat.vic.gov.au www.balgal.com Open daily 9am - 5pm The oldest and largest regional gallery in the coutry, the Ballarat gallery’s magnificent collection allows you to walk through the history of Australian art. Also exciting temporary exhibition program.

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES CENTRE BALLARAT 9 Humffray Street, Ballarat 03 5331 7996 Colin Stephens 03 5332 4417 Open 7 days 10am - 5pm Specialising in a wide range of antiques and collectables. Off street parking and now also incorporating a heritage museum.

GALLERY ON STURT 421 Sturt St, Ballarat 03 5331 7011 info@galleryonsturt.com.au www.galleryonsturt.com.au www.accentframing.com.au Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-2pm Director: Leigh Tweedie Spacious art gallery located in Ballarat CBD. We exhibit an impressive range of works by Australian artists and emerging artists. On show are original works and limited edition fine art prints and you will be pleasantly surprised at our realistic prices.

Recent exhibitions include John Brack, Pro Hart, Kenneth Jack, Sir Lionel Lindsay, Norman Lindsay\and Ruby Lindsay.

Accent Framing at Gallery on Sturt offers custom framing and wide format giclee printing onsite.

We extend a warm invitation to come and enjoy our gallery and our friendly professional service.

THE MILL MARKET IN BALLARAT 9367 Western Highway, Ballarat 03 5334 7877 Open 7 days 10am - 5pm The Mill Market is now in lovely Ballarat at the Great Southern Woolshed on the Western Highway, Melbourne side.

Come and fossick for that special piece, that funky item, the bit that’s missing, the groovy fashion and all things interesting.

Antiques, vintage, retro, art & craft, bric-àbrac, collectables, clothes, jewellery, books, records and giftware. Over 70 stall holders under one roof all working to please you. Free entry and plenty of parking. Come and share the experience.

42 View Street, Bendigo 03 5443 4991 Fax: 03 5443 4486 bendigoartgallery@bendigo.vic.gov.au www.bendigoartgallery.com.au Entry by donation Open daily 10am - 5pm Except Christmas Day Gallery Café/Gallery Shop One of the oldest and largest regional galleries in Australia, Bendigo Art Gallery has outstanding permanent collections of 19th century European art, Australian art from the 19th century to the present and a diverse temporary exhibition program.

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AVOCA 5

MARYBOROUGH 3

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VALENTINE’S ANTIQUE GALLERY 369 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo 03 5443 7279 Mob: 0418 511 626 peter@valentinesantiques.com.au Open 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday 9am-1pm Saturday, closed Sunday Importers of fine quality antiques specialising in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian furniture, ceramics and glassware.

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3. CASTLEMAINE XXXX ANTIQUE COMPLEX (THE BOND STORE) 5-9 Elizabeth Street, Castlemaine Corner Midland & Pyrenees Highways, next to Carrier’s Arms Hotel 03 5470 5989 Open 7 days 9.30am - 5.30pm One of the largest independently owned selections of quality antiques and collectables.

Thousands of items on display to suit either the collector or the connoisseur.

5. MALDON BEEHIVE OLD WARES & COLLECTABLES 72 Main St, Maldon 03 5475 1154 A/H: 03 5475 1300 bhive@bmail.com.au Open 6 days - 11am - 5pm (closed Tuesdays) We buy, swap and sell old wares, antiques and furniture. Various traders providing a good selection including furniture, china, collectables, books and records.

6. AVOCA – 15 minutes from Maryborough McMURRAY GALLERIES

4. DAYLESFORD EX LIBRIS 89 Vincent Street, Daylesford 03 5348 1802 Open every day 10am - 5pm Great selection of antique European prints, mostly 18th and 19th century, focused on architectural, botanical, topographical and early Australian engravings. New and exciting prints

by Australian artists also featured. Other decor lines include Italian cushions, photo frames, Victoria Spring jewellery and homewares.

103 High Street, Avoca 03 5465 3060 lauriemcmurray@mcmurraygalleries.com.au www.mcmurraygalleries.com.au www.lauriemcmurray.com.au Hours: Open most days from 10.30 am - 5 pm. Please ring if travelling a long distance Collectable artworks from the late 1800s to the present day by local, national and international painters and sculptors.

Nude and portrait artworks by resident classical realist artist Laurie McMurray.

WESTBURY ANTIQUES 119 High Street, Avoca 03 5465 3406 Fax: 03 5465 3455 www.westburyantiques.com.au English and Continental 17th and 18th century furniture and decorative arts, also valuation services.

7. TRENTHAM GOLD STREET STUDIOS WORKSHOPS AND GALLERY 700 James Lane, Trentham East Vic 03 5424 1835 ellie@goldstreetstudios.com.au www.goldstreetstudios.com.au Hours by appointment.

Director Ellie Young Representing photographers Bob Kersey, Karl Koenig, Hans Nohlberg, Chia N-Lofqvist Tim Rudman, John Studholme, Steve Tester, Mike Ware, Gordon Undy, Ellie Young, including albumen, carbon, gum bichromate, gum oil, lithograph, chrysotype, new cyanotype, photogravure, platinum/palladium, salt, silver gelatin and ziatypes photographs. Check the website for workshops in these processes.

MILL MARKETS ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES CENTRE 105 Central Springs Road, Daylesford 03 5348 4332 Open 7 Days 10am - 6pm Superb display of Victorian and Edwardian furniture, collectables, clocks, vintage clothing, porcelain and china. Over 100 stall holders, 2.5 acres, all under cover with a café serving homemade food and a variety of hot and cold drinks.

For advertising on this map please phone Harry Black on 0418 356 251

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BALLARAT Reproduction of a necklace found on the ocean floor which was worn by a Titanic passenger

Dinner ware from the first class dining room in the famous White Star Line’s wisteria pattern

A NEW FAIR the Ballarat Spring Antiques & Vintage Fair

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esponding to public demand, the organisers of the famous Ballarat Antiques Fair will now add the Ballarat Spring Antiques & Vintage Fair to their annual calendar. As well as many of the popular regular dealers from the March fair, the event will feature a larger selection of collectables and vintage items.

VINTAGE THEME Coming to the fair are dealers specialising in vintage fashions and accessories from the 1940s, 50s and 60s – guaranteed to delight the younger visitors.

MORE TO SEE, DO AND COLLECT There will be a huge range of quality antiques as well as affordable collectables with many dealers never before seen in Ballarat.

Refreshments, snacks and light meals will be available throughout the three days.

An added attraction that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the world’s most famous ocean liner is the Great Titanic Exhibition with a huge range of pictures, posters, documents, clothing and jewellery. These and other Titanic artefacts have never before been seen in country Victoria.

THE ORGANISERS OF THE FAMOUS BALLARAT ANTIQUE FAIR BRING YOU A NEW EVENT:

AN EXHIBITION COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TITANIC Among the artefacts on show is a White Star lifejacket signed by the last remaining Titanic survivor. Also on display is a tiny piece of coal brought up from the ocean floor. Coal was used to fire the ship’s boilers and was the only item permitted to be sold to the public following the discovery of the wreck.

The exhibition will feature a wealth of fascinating detail of this famous ship. It was at the time, the largest moving object ever built by man. Titanic’s size is astounding even today as it was about six city blocks in length.

See the unbridled luxury of the cabins designed for the world’s richest passengers.

Did you have a relative on the Titanic? Find out by checking the passenger list. The names of the few that survived and the many that did not are all there. Dive down to the wreck in a simulated journey to the ocean floor. See the haunting

remains of the world’s most famous ship.

This event will also feature a return of the incredible Meccano Titanic. Measuring more than three metres in length it is believed to be the largest nautical model built entirely of Meccano anywhere in the world. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see many Titanic related items brought from all around the world.

WHEN AND WHERE The Ballarat Spring Antiques & Vintage Fair is at Ballarat Badminton Stadium, Dowling Street, Wendouree opening Friday 7 September 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday 8 September 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 9 September 10 am to 4 pm.

Admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors and pensioners, children under 16 free.

BALLARAT SPRING ANTIQUES & VINTAGE FAIR 1300 303 800 www.ballaratspringantiquefair.com.au

THE 1ST BALLARAT SPRING ANTIQUES & VINTAGE FAIR A huge range of antiques and collectables, including for the first time, vintage items and all the fun of vintage fashions, clothing and accessories 3 HUGE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER Friday 7, 10am to 6pm Saturday 8, 10am to 5pm Sunday 9, 10am to 4pm

ADMISSION: $12 for adults and seniors $10 aged & invalid pensioners kids under 16 free with adult

BALLARAT BADMINTON STADIUM Dowling Street, Wendouree (map on website) This event also includes the amazing

TITANIC EXHIBITION COMMEMORATING 100 YEARS Huge range of pictures, posters and Titanic artefacts never before seen in country Victoria as well as a return of the incredible MECCANO TITANIC For further information call 1300 303 800 or visit us on the net go to www.ballaratspringantiquefair.com.au 66

ITS HUGE

Jewellery designed by Engelhart Cornelius Ostby who perished on the Titanic. His daughter Helene Ragnhild Ostby survived and became a joint owner in Ostby & Barton a famous jewellery house

BALLARAT

THE ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT BLOOMS THIS SPRING Springtime in Ballarat is celebrated with a rich and exciting array of activities CAPTURING FLORA 25 September – 2 December aunching the Spring themed events is the not be missed Capturing Flora at the Art Gallery of Ballarat – the most comprehensive exhibition of Australia botanical art ever held in this country.

However, this will not be the only event for Spring visitors. Ballarat’s great array of public and private gardens, some of which will be open for the annual Ballarat Gardens in Spring event on the first weekend in November, is a drawcard for garden aficionados wanting to visit the region’s special local gardens.

As well as Capturing Flora, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is presenting three fascinating exhibitions.

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ANCESTRAL POWER AND THE AESTHETIC Saturday 11 August – Sunday 16 September A Museum Victoria touring exhibition Ancestral Power and the Aesthetic shows bark paintings collected by Professor Donald Thomson. The bark paintings acquired during the 1930s and early 1940s come from Arnhem Land and are some of the oldest and rarest examples in existence. The works are powerful examples of a rich Yolgnu artistic heritage with their extraordinary combinations of bold designs, patterns and colour. In the collection are extremely rare items such as the painting that depicts an image of one of the Djan’kawu Sisters ancestors in human form.

GYPSY PENNEFEATHER: JOYFUL HARMONY YOROKUBI CHOUWA Saturday 11 August – Sunday 9 September Japanese daily life is explored in this exhibition of colourful images. Pennefeather has developed a process based on her love of Japanese wood block prints, Ukiyo-e.

Pennefeather has long been fascinated by Japanese art and culture and has modelled her work on masters of Japanese art. Her early copying of their work has been the basis of her photography, painting and drawing. It is evidenced by a love of line, colour, diagonals and people doing everyday things – in the details of their tools of trade, clothing and collections of objects.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ARTISTS DEANNE GILSON AND MARLENE GILSON Saturday 4 August – Sunday 9 September Deanne Gilson and Marlene Gilson are descendants of the Waythaurung people, traditional owners of the area that encompasses Ballarat, Skipton, Geelong, Werribee, Queenscliff and Torquay.

Wathaurung Elder Marlene Gilson explores Aboriginal myth and Dreamtime stories through her works which are marked by a naive style coupled with a spiritual link to her ancestors. Her works in this exhibition focus on images of Bunjil the Eagle who created all Aboriginal men and women. Bunjil the Eagle and Creator Spirit was also accompanied by Waa the Crow, who scattered the people all over the Australian landscape.

Deanne Gilson is a multimedia visual artist who has incorporated her recent experience in working as a Cultural Field Officer alongside archaeologists doing land surveys on her

Percy Lindsay (1870-1952), Horse racing scene, watercolour on paper. Art Gallery of Ballarat, Mary Lindsay Bequest Fund, 1974

ancestral land by undertaking visual documentation of artefacts.

SPRING CARNIVAL: HATS AND HORSES FROM THE COLLECTION To be held in November, this exhibition will bring together a series of images of horses and racing in oils, watercolours and drawings and prints, with some stunning hats from the Gallery’s collection of vintage millinery.

GALLERY SHOP While at the Art Gallery of Ballarat take time to visit the Gallery Shop for that unique and unusual gift or memento of your visit. Here is a great range of art books, gifts, postcards, exhibition catalogues – past and current – and gallery postcards, as well as a selection of pieces crafted by local artisans working in jewellery and ceramics. Other gift ideas include tea towels, calendars, diaries and botanical themed merchandise.

In stock are unique designer gifts including jewellery and accessories by Elk, Me Olde China, Angus and Celeste, Kai Kai, Ruby Pilven, Matt, Mekko, B.sirius, D/Lux and ceramics by Peter Pilven, John O’Loughlin, Barry Wemyss, Kath Wratten, Koji Hoashi plus a fantastic range of children’s toys and books.

The Gallery Shop has thoughtfully set up a Kid’s Corner stocked with a wonderful range of children’s art which allows parents time to browse through the shop while the children are entertained.

FOR THE DIARY: EVENTS IN THE REGION While in Ballarat, check out the Design Exchange being held on 7 October and the Springfest market planned for 30 October. If there is time to spare explore the city’s vintage themed shops and fine antiques galleries.

Top it off with a salute to the region’s food and wine at Ballarat by the Glass in November and you’ve experienced some of the best of Ballarat.

The Art Gallery of Ballarat is open 9 am to 5 pm daily and is disability accessible.

Marlene Gilson, Wathaurung Gathering, Mount Egerton, 2012, acrylic on canvas.

Courtesy the artist

ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT artgal@ballarat.vic.gov.au www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au

Mundukul Marawili (c. 1890-c. 1950), Madarrpa clan, Yirritja moiety, Mundukul (Snake) story and Yirwarra (Fish Trap), 1942, natural pigments on eucalyptus bark, 175.3 x 103.3 cm. The Donald Thomson Collection, on loan from the University of Melbourne and Museum Victoria.

Photographer Rodney Start © Marrirra Marawili, Yilpara Homeland, Arnhem Land

Looking for an unusual gift?

The Gallery Shop has a carefully selected range of jewellery, scarves, bags and ceramics that you won’t find anywhere else in town.

Art Gallery of Ballarat 40 Lydiard Street North T: 03 5320 5858 Open daily 9am - 5pm 67

BALLARAT

Gallery on Sturt presents Jamie Boyd 28 August - 2 October

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allery on Sturt in Ballarat has recently exhibited artworks by an impressive selection of artists, including Lionel Lindsay, Ruby Lindsay, Norman Lindsay, Pro Hart, Kenneth Jack and John Brack. Joining this illustrious group will be painter Jamie Boyd. Part of the great Boyd dynasty, Jamie continues the tradition of the Boyd family who have collectively made such a profound contribution to Australian art.

Throughout September, Gallery on Sturt will be exhibiting a wonderful collection of Jamie Boyd oils, lithographs and etchings. A selected lithograph by Jamie’s father, Arthur Boyd, is also included in this exhibition. All are limited editions, signed by the artist and available for purchase. Some of these works are the final copies available by the artist.

These limited editions will undoubtedly be enjoyed as investment artworks.

A MASTER COLOURIST Jamie Boyd’s distinctive work reflects both the enduring influences of the Australian landscape and a broader international perspective. His paintings often have a dreamlike quality and he is acknowledged as a master colourist. Jamie is equally accomplished across a wide variety of mediums – pencil on paper, gouache and pastel or oil on canvas.

According to the artist, ‘A painting has to be good to look at, it needs to be painted with generosity of spirit and conviction and it requires evidence of the artist’s hand. The ability to capture a moment and somehow put it down on paper is important.’ Jamie Boyd is also skilled at conveying the overriding mood or emotion of a scene and this is evidenced in the works on exhibit at Gallery on Sturt.

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ARTIST Born in Melbourne in 1948, Jamie has established a reputable status as a skilful painter. His work is represented in major national and international collections including both public and private collections around the world. Jamie has held 57 solo exhibitions in Australian capital cities and in London, Germany, Holland and Italy, together with numerous group exhibitions largely with galleries in London and Australia.

Jamie’s work received critical acclaim from the time of his first solo exhibition at the Drian Gallery in London in 1969. He began painting full-time at the age of 17. During his early artistic career he was tutored by his father and his earlier paintings included landscapes of Hampstead Heath and the English countryside. Following his studies at the Central School of Art and Design, London in the 1960s, from 1966 he continued exhibiting both in Australia and internationally. In 1978 Jamie and his family spent a year living in the Shoalhaven district of NSW where, like his father, the river and the rock faces became the focus of some of his exceptionally beautiful paintings with tranquil landscapes.

Despite his international acclaim, Boyd prefers to keep a low profile about his work allowing interpretation through his vibrant use of colour and at times shadowy imagery. It is clear that the artist’s long standing love of the land has prevailed. He finds calmness in the landscape that allows him to re-discover the beautiful subtleties that exist. Other works in

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this exhibition highlight the sophisticated culture of London artistic life and warmth of family life. He is married to Helena with five children and is the most important living artist of the Boyd family. Jamie readily acknowledges the artistic influence of his family and in particular the valuable tuition from his father Arthur in terms of learning the intricacies of capturing colours that signpost his work.

BOYD LEGACY Arthur (1920-1999) and his brother David Boyd (1924-2011) are perhaps the best known of the family, this distinguished artistic dynasty extending back through six generations of painters and sculptors.

Beginning in 1886 with the marriage of Emma Minnie à Beckett (1858-1936) and Arthur Merric Boyd (1862-1940), it is believed to be one of the most successful families in the arts in the world.

Jamie Boyd has also achieved national and international recognition in his own right.

Having lived most of his adult life in London, Jamie frequently returns to Australia to his parents’ Bundanon properties. These properties are located on 1,100 hectares of pristine bush land overlooking the Shoalhaven River, near Nowra, NSW. The Bundanon properties were gifted to the Australian people in 1993 by Jamie’s parents Arthur and Yvonne Boyd under management by the Australian Government Trust. The gift was borne out of Arthur Boyd’s often stated belief that ‘you can’t own a landscape’ and the deeply felt wish that others might also draw inspiration from Bundanon.

ABOUT THE GALLERY Gallery on Sturt is a spacious art gallery located in Ballarat in regional Victoria, about one hour‘s drive from Melbourne. The gallery is located in Ballarat’s CBD amongst the café culture and gracious statues of Sturt Street.

Quality custom framing and wide format fine-art printing are also available at the same location.

For further information or to be included in the gallery mailing list for upcoming exhibitions please contact GALLERY ON STURT 03 5331 7011 info@galleryonsturt.com.au www.galleryonsturt.com.au

BALLARAT

At Gallery on Sturt Experience the joy of being

… Richard Spare’s art

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ollectively, Richard Spare’s colourful images are a party of drypoints. It is the artist’s intention that his audience be immersed in the joy and happiness that his pictures evoke. Philosophical depth is not intended … the artist simply wants to capture an uplifting emotion utilising floral arrangement, holiday harmony and other design motifs that reflect the joy of being.

For the past 25 years, Richard Spare has exhibited his drypoints at the prestigious Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London. It appears that he hit his high point in 2012 when he sold the complete edition of 100 signed proofs of his Goldcrest drypoint at the Royal Academy, which is equivalent to having a number one success on any hit parade.

Richard Spare’s drypoints have a universal appeal and, not surprisingly, he has found a ready marketplace in Japan and Australasia. It comes as no surprise that he recently toured Japan staging his one-man exhibition in 15 cities.

Richard Spare (b. 1951) is a senior artist printmaker with a life-time committed to his chosen medium. Spare’s art did not occur through serendipitous happenstance. His unique drypoints are informed by British artists who work 200 years apart and evolved as a natural consequence of Richard Spare’s work as a master printmaker.

His original creative aesthetic appears to be born out of his close association with an unlikely mix of well-known artists David Hockney (b. 1937) and Joseph Banks (1743-1820). True, Banks was foremost a naturalist and botanist but, along with Dr Solander, he created Bank’s Florilegium which is a massive oeuvre of some 743 engravings.

Banks’ Florilegium is a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander while they accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage

around the world between 1768 and 1771. They collected plants in Madeira, Brazil, Tierra del Fuego, the Society Islands, New Zealand, Australia and Java. Between 1771 and 1784 Banks hired 18 engravers to create the copperplate line engravings from the 743 completed watercolours at a considerable cost.

The first edition from the original copperplates was published in 35 parts by Alecto Historical Editions, in association with the British Museum (Natural History) between 1980 and 1990, and over a two-year period Richard Spare was engaged as a master printer to edition 13 of these engraving plates. The engravings were printed in colour à la poupée, up to ten colours being worked directly into the single plate before each print is pulled, with additional details added in watercolour.

Spare’s drypoints are poetic graphic statements that instantly communicate the beauty of time and place and nature. Familiarity doesn’t diminish this beauty – these images are layered in a subtle manner giving the viewer the desire to gaze into each picture to absorb a calming harmony and to be transported to another place.

From a draftsman’s viewpoint, it is the rich velvet line in Richard Spare’s drypoints that is effectively the artist’s hallmark. Spare invented this aesthetic and it is his original and enduring creative contribution to our ever emerging visual culture. Most often, each drypoint image carries the gentle scars of random scratchings that purposely pre-exist to give dimensional layering to a two-dimensional object. From the observer’s viewpoint, such subtlety goes unnoticed at first however deeper observation reveals Spare’s drypoints as a visual magnet to which a viewer is drawn, trying to understand the artist’s magic.

It first appears that Richard Spare’s chosen medium of hand-coloured aggressive drypoint is best suited to organic subject matter such as

his flowers, birds and animals but he has employed it successfully in his portrayal of the sun drenched summer seaside harbour villages of southern England and France. Mostly, Richard Spare’s observations are made on his field trips which he euphemistically refers to as ‘holidays’ – no real artist ever takes holidays from creativity and good art never sleeps!

The artist’s job is to make observations of the neglected and though their art bring such observations forward in the consciousness of the audience. Refraction through the water in a vase presenting the broken continuum of a flower’s stem reminds the viewer of visual realities and through Spare’s art we remind ourselves of familiar things seen but never really observed.

In the same way, when we drive through Spare’s landscape – taking the road west of Penzance driving through Newlyn and suddenly happen upon a Richard Spare fishing boat stranded in dry dock just like his iconic Marseillaise. Share this experience and you’ll understand the effective magic of Richard Spare’s observations presented in his drypoints.

It is Richard Spare’s floral compositions that cause us to reflect on le Japonais influence in western art. Spare’s arrangements are determined by the size, shape and physiology of the particular flower and the vessel in which they are presented. Although they look as if they are randomly placed before the artist, the harmony each design presents suggests a very careful and consistent arrangement totally in defiance of the Japanese masters of ikebana. Throughout Spare’s entire oeuvre of floral designs his unique sense of arrangement have created his aesthetic signature or ‘brand’ that always says ‘this is a Richard Spare’ floral drypoint.

The Japonais feel is more to do with the sparse design elements and the placement of these objects as if floating on a theatre backdrop of negative space. This concept of

white space which was introduced to western art through observations of Japanese printmakers made by the great master James McNeill Whistler in the late 1800s. However, Spare’s ‘white’ space is not white.

Richard Spare’s drypoints take us to another place. In the same way that centuries earlier Orientalism took most of its audience to another world, so Richard Spare takes us on holidays to the sun drenched summerness of Cornish fishing villages or the south of France, and in its simplest form, one can extract warmth and joy from the colourful richness of his birds and floral arrangements.

This is the joy of being Richard Spare.

Robert C. Littlewood – Art Historian GALLERY ON STURT 03 5331 7011 info@galleryonsturt.com.au www.galleryonsturt.com.au

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BENDIGO HERITAGE UNCORKED 13-14 October

Bendigo’s food, wine and flowers

perfect way to remember and celebrate good times, good food, good memories and the good people we meet along the way.

IN FULL BLOOM

HEATHCOTE WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

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endigo might have been built on foundations of gold, but the cultural influences of those who came in search of wealth and a better life are more evident than ever in our growing food and wine culture.

When gold was discovered in the region in 1851, it sparked a rush that created a melting pot of pioneer settlers: Chinese, German, Italian, British … influences that helped to shape the thriving regional city enjoyed today.

The city’s new pioneers are the many chefs, restaurateurs and winemakers who are crafting a renaissance of fine dining across the region; developing the unique tastes and flavours of central Victoria for a new generation of eager palates.

Below are three of Bendigo’s iconic wine and food experiences taking part over the Spring months.

LIFE’S A DISH Buon ricordo is Italian for ‘good memories’ and Life’s a Dish is very much the embodiment of a tradition that began in northern Italy in 1964.

The Life’s a Dish concept is a simple yet beautiful one, giving food lovers the opportunity to purchase a unique collectable plate as a souvenir of a memorable, central Victorian dining experience.

The Bendigo program encourages visitors and locals to collect all seven Life’s A Dish plates from the participating restaurants.

Collect a stamp and redeem the free ‘Bendigo Master Plate’ from the Bendigo Visitor Centre.

The restaurants involved are many of local favourites including Gallery Café, Hotel Shamrock, La Piazza, Malayan Orchid, Quills and Twenty2 and Domaine Asmara from nearby Heathcote.

SPECIAL BENDIGO POTTERY PLATE TO COLLECT For over 150 years Bendigo Pottery has been famous for creating high quality ceramics that have found their way into homes and

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businesses across Australia and the world.

Australia’s oldest working pottery keenly embraced the idea and together with local artist Sue James they have created handpainted plates that are unique to each of the participating restaurants. The plate artwork reflects the style, passion and cuisine of the respective eateries.

As part of Life’s A Dish, the seven restaurants will be offering a plat de la saison (plate of the season) per season which focuses on local produce and ingredients.

Life’s A Dish is a unique program of chefs creating their own special dishes which are matched with local wine, and Bendigo Pottery has captured the story through the beautifully designed and hand-painted plates on offer.

At home, images on the plates will be sure to evoke the essence of the dining experience – be it the flavours, ambience or the special occasion that was being celebrated. The plates are $25 to purchase as a memento.

Bendigo Pottery’s Life’s A Dish series is the

6-7 October Come along to the Heathcote Wine & Food Festival on the weekend of 6-7 October for a gathering of the artisan winemakers of Heathcote.

Over 50 of Heathcote’s wine producers showcasing some of Australia’s best Shiraz (and other varieties) in one place over one great weekend – must be Shiraz Heaven!

It’s a festival of great wines – the region’s signature Shiraz of course, but there’s also numerous other excellent varietal wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Viognier, Marsanne and Chardonnay.

Like to learn more about Heathcote wines?

Take one of the tasting seminars hosted by Robert Hicks. To accompany all this great wine will be a wide range of delicious food and produce from local and regional exhibitors. And while you’re tasting, drinking and eating there’s live music, and for family groups there’s entertainment for the kids, all in our relaxed country setting.

Bendigo’s iconic moveable feast Bendigo Wealth Heritage Uncorked takes to the streets the following weekend – 13 and 14 October.

The winemakers of Bendigo create this unique wine festival to celebrate Bendigo wine, local restaurants and our boom-time architecture. It is an event designed to showcase the best of Bendigo: Bendigo wine, superb food, local musicians and grand gold rush architecture.

It is a special opportunity to taste the great wines of the region matched with gourmet food prepared by local chefs while strolling from one stunning heritage venue to the next.

Stunning venues conveniently spaced along historic Pall Mall and nearby streets have been selected. It is an event with a relaxing pace, allowing you to stroll from one venue to the next while discovering Bendigo’s most spectacular buildings, many which are usually closed to the public.

Rather than admire from a distance such gracious landmarks as the School of Mines (1887), Capital Theatre (1874) and the restored Bendigo Town Hall (1885), take the opportunity to explore the fine interiors while sampling good food and wine in these and other venues.

Bendigo Wealth Heritage Uncorked now attracts an immediate response when tickets go on sale as the atmosphere and reputation truly reflect the richness of this event.

Bookings are essential, and it is an event that is ideally suited to wine enthusiasts, groups of friends and those looking for a tasteful stroll through Bendigo’s fine buildings.

HOW TO GET TO BENDIGO Ideally located in central Victoria, Bendigo is only 90 minutes from Melbourne Airport along the Calder Freeway and 90 – 120 minutes via V/Line from Southern Cross station.

To book tickets and accommodation packages contact BENDIGO VISITOR CENTRE 1800 813 153 www.bendigotourism.com

BENDIGO

Bendigo Railway Station, c. 1860s, black and white photograph from original negative, ARHS, Vic Div Inc Archives, Gerald Dee Collection PROV, VPRS 12800/P1, File H3444

Celebrating 150 years: rail in Bendigo and the Bendigo Brass Band at the Post Office Gallery Showing until 28 October

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he fifth exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery’s satellite space Post Office Gallery, Celebrating 150 years: rail in Bendigo and the Bendigo Brass Band explores the long and proud history of Bendigo’s rail industry and acknowledges the enduring contribution of the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band to the civic and social life of the city.

On 20 October 1862, with much fanfare, the first official train arrived from Melbourne to the booming gold rush settlement of Bendigo (then Sandhurst). Although a private company had been formed in 1852 to build the line all the way to the Murray River at Echuca (via Bendigo) it was eventually constructed and managed by the government. Despite ongoing industrial trouble, bad weather and disputes over the exact course of the line, which was initially surveyed to bypass Castlemaine, the Bendigo line took just over four years to complete.

The Bendigo line, dubbed ‘the Main Line’ for over a century, is one of the most impressive railway lines in Australia, laying claim to several of the key engineering feats of 19th century

Victoria; including large viaducts at Jackson’s Creek and Taradale as well as impressive tunnels at Elphinstone and Big Hill.

After the opening of the line, people quickly adopted the railways as their modus operandi and all the way along the line from Melbourne to Echuca (via Bendigo); branch lines fanned out in myriad directions: north to Swan Hill, Wycheproof, Korong Vale and Cohuna and South to Heathcote, Heathcote Junction – and the list goes on. By the early 1900s every town in Victoria with a population over 500 boasted a railway station, rural communities were linked to each other and to large centres such as Bendigo like beads on a string.

The amateur brass band of the Sandhurst Volunteers played at the opening celebrations of the railway. A testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of its members throughout history, this band continues today as the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band.

The strength of the rail industry and its enduring infrastructure and the ongoing energy of the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band are testament to the people who have lived and breathed their development. In the exhibition, private and public collections of artefacts, memorabilia and photographs are on display, including rare signalling equipment, engine lamps, and miniature rolling stock (an R Class engine built completely by hand), items from the North Bendigo Rail Workshops as well as musical instruments, trophies and photographs celebrating the history and achievements of the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band.

Clare Needham Curator, City History and Collections POST OFFICE GALLERY 03 5434 6179 postofficegallery@bendigo.vic.gov.au bendigoartgallery.com.au/

Top: Postcard of Bendigo Railway Station precinct, c. 1905. Collection of Darren Wright. Photo: Ian Hill Above: Silver cornet, c. 1871, silver, cork.

Presented to James Northcott, Bandmaster of the Sandhurst Volunteer Band in recognition of his musical ability 1871.

Collection of Bendigo Historical Society.

Photo: Ian Hill

Celebrating 150 years: rail in Bendigo and the Bendigo Brass Band Post Office Gallery 6 July – 28 October 2012

Ian Hill: The Riverina Series 21 July – 2 September 2012

Sheet music for the composition Sandhurst

by T. E. Bulch, c. 1901 in The Intercolonial Brass and Military Band Journal, Ballarat, Australia (1890s-1920s), printed by C.G. Roder (Leipzig).

Collection of the City of Greater Bendigo Brass Band. Photo: Ian Hill

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The Majid Collection continues the series on Persian carpets In this edition looking at traditional techniques and structure PERSIAN KNOTS

FIBRES USED

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While there are several types of fibres used to create the lavish and intricate textiles in Iran, wool is used most frequently in Persian carpets. When carpet weaving began to flourish, sheep were bred to produce the amount of wool necessary to meet the demand of the populace. Camel wool has also been used in Persian rugs as well as Manchester wool and Kork wool.

Although silk is a fine thread that can be used in carpet weaving, wool is often preferred due to its cost and durability. In Persian history, silk textiles were a prominent

ersian carpets and rugs traditionally use symmetrical or asymmetrical knots, distinct from the other types of hand knotted rugs in the world. The asymmetrical knots may be positioned either to the left or to the right after the warp thread has been woven. The Persian knots also became very prominent in other regions as well. Turkey, Egypt, India, China, and Iran all use this type of knotting to produce their rugs. Other types of knots are also used around the world, but Persian rugs can be most often seen with this type of weaving.

decorative item in the houses of nobles or other affluent individuals in the region.

SKILLED ARTISANS Persian rugs historically are noted as the par excellence of the textile industry because of their rich history. The use of fine materials, Persian knots, and meaningful designs have made Persian rugs a principal competitor in the worldwide textile industry. Even in modern rugs, the Persian weave is quite often used because it achieves some of the most beautiful and colourful designs.

A vertical loom, horizontal loom, and the long handed weaving process were used in

Iran to create their magnificent textile treasures; however, the most valued types of weaves are those that are meticulously hand knotted. Thus derives the value of the Persian knot, as this allows weavers to take varied colours of thread to create a delicately woven work of art.

The precision to detail and the artistic prowess of the skilled weavers in Iran have created a market that is still blossoming with opportunities. The motifs and patterns used in Persian rugs are truly unique, and there is a natural beauty to the Persian carpets that is simply unmatched in other regions of the world.

Majid Mirmohamadi THE MAJID COLLECTION 03 9830 7755 majidcarpets@optusnet.com.au www.majidcarpets.com

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In Persian history, silk textiles were a prominent decorative item in the houses of nobles or other affluent individuals in the region.

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GIPPSLAND

Lord of his Domain

Reflections in the Wilderness

The Two of Us!

High Country Splendour

Di and John Koenders presents

A SYMPHONY OF SPRING at Mayfield 25 August - 16 September

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major exhibition of the latest works of Di and John Koenders is being shown at Mayfield, their charming gallery/studio at Arawata, located a short drive from Leongatha or Korumburra, in the rolling green hills of the Strzelecki Ranges in south Gippsland.

Complementing this idyllic countryside are the paintings adorning Mayfield’s walls: John’s glowing oils of graceful old gum trees along meandering Australian riverbanks; watercolours of old farmhouses; wonderful locations in Tuscany, France and Venice; and ‘Old-Master’ look-alikes with billowing ship sails.

Similarly charming in subject is Di’s latest collection which features a variety of fabulous birds and wildlife – from tiny blue wrens with vibrant blue feathers glowing in the sun, perched on old farm taps and nestled in rambling roses along a time-worn picket fence –to massive wedge-tailed eagles, all feathers being rendered in minute detail, as well as the classic Australian icons of koalas, possums and wombats which enhance the appealing images of the native bush.

ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO VISIT The scenery surrounding Mayfield means spring is a fabulous time to visiting the gallery. Blossoms burst forth on beautiful old fruit trees, and daffodils, roses and foxgloves deliver a colourful display in the cottage gardens. However whenever you visit, no matter what the weather, the gallery is fully air-conditioned for your comfort.

The property itself is an historic farm graced by age-old oaks and conifers planted by the pioneers. Peacocks, geese, ducks and chooks ‘strut their stuff’ while magnificent blue wrens, finches, fantails, and all manner of garden birds flit amongst the cottage plants. Wild rosellas, corellas, kookaburras, eagles and cockatoos can be seen from the gallery balcony – many of them feeding before your eyes. Time has stood still at Mayfield – and a visit is a welcome respite from the frantic pace of modern life.

Venetian Sunrise

a ‘peek’ into the artists’ world is intriguing. A chat with Di and John is always informative, and they are happy to share their experiences in the art world with visitors. A chilled glass of wine or cup of tea or coffee can be enjoyed whilst soaking up the atmosphere and ambience of the gallery and enjoying the incredible view across the Strzelecki Ranges.

VAN GOGH’S DESCENDANTS To add to the charm of Mayfield, Di and John have been found to be descended from the great Dutch master Vincent van Gogh although, being realist artists, their painting style is different to their famous ancestor. Though they have painted professionally for over 40 years, their relationship to Vincent was discovered only four years ago. This revelation has naturally added provenance and value to their beautiful artworks.

Being extremely proud of their heritage, a passion to find out more about Vincent led them on a journey of discovery through England, Holland, Belgium and France. Their quest saw them walking in his footsteps and visiting places significant in their famous ancestor’s life. John also painted where Vincent painted and a documentary was filmed to capture this special event and screened in Cannes, France. Several deals have already been secured with international broadcasters and it is due for release within the next few months.

Within their documentary, many amazing and controversial facts have been uncovered concerning Vincent van Gogh’s life and death.

Although commonly believed that he committed suicide, Di and John are both convinced otherwise.

A book will be released covering their fascinating story for which pre-sale orders are being taken at the gallery while the recently released DVDs are already available for purchase at the gallery.

These multi-award winning artists have clients all over the world. Corporate and private collectors include HRH Princess Anne, the Royal Household of the Sultan of Brunei, The Honourable John Howard OM AC SSI, Mrs Janette Howard, Jeff Kennett, the late Bud Tingwell, John Wood, Rob Gell, and Andre Rieu.

Of course buying direct from the artists saves costly commissions charged by private galleries.

AN OPEN INVITATION TO VISIT Visitors are welcomed with true country-style hospitality at this fascinating studio/gallery and

During the exhibition the gallery will be open daily from 10 am to 5 pm until 16 September, including all public holidays.

MAYFIELD GALLERY 03 5659 8262 0428 598262 info@mayfieldgallery.com.au www.mayfieldgallery.com.au

MAYFIELD GALLERY PRESENTS

a Major Exhibition of Landscape & Wildlife Art by

DI & JOHN KOENDERS

25 August – 16 September 2012 Open Daily – 10 am to 5 pm Including all public holidays Di & John will be in attendance throughout

FORTHCOMING MAJOR EXHIBITIONS 20 October – 11 November (including Melbourne Cup long weekend) Open daily 10 am – 5 pm Or phone for appointment 03 5659 8262 or 0428 598 262

MAYFIELD GALLERY FAIRBANK RD, ARAWATA 10 mins north of Leongatha Only one hour from the Eastern Suburbs Fully air-conditioned for year-round comfort www.mayfieldgallery.com.au info@mayfieldgallery.com.au

Beauty on tap!

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VICTORIAN ANTIQUE DEALERS GUILD VICTORIAN ANTIQUE DEALERS GUILD INC. Six excellent reasons to buy with confidence from a member of the Victorian Antique Dealers Guild Incorporated, knowing your antique is genuine.

■ Guild members guarantee the description of the antiques and collectables they sell ■ Guild members must meet requirements of integrity, experience and knowledge of the goods and services they provide ■ Guild members must be professional in both their displays of goods and dealings with the public ■ Guild members are required to have been trading, in a professional manner, for a minimum of three years ■ Guild members must be registered second-hand dealers ■ The VADG Customer Protection Policy covers a purchase from a Guild member Guild Committee members you can contact for expert advice and where to buy antiques: PRESIDENT: TREASURER: SECRETARY/EDITOR: COMMITTEE:

Alan Duncan, Donvale Antique Clocks Guy Page, Page Antiques Barbara Thomas, Mentone Beach Antique Centre Alastair Wilkie, Marquis Antiques Graham Pavey, Pavey Collectable Antiques Diana Brady, Diana B. Antiques, Tanya Gale, Camberwell Antique Centre

Ph: 03 9874 4690 or Ph: 03 9880 7433 or Ph: 03 9583 3422 or Mob: 0402 888 439 Ph: 03 9596 1602 or Mob: 0438 048 260 Ph: 03 9882 2028 or

Mob: 0409 744 690 Mob: 0411 175 320 Mob: 0437 121 040 Mob: 0411 437 511 Mob: 0418 586 764

VICTORIAN ANTIQUE DEALERS GUILD INC. MEMBERS More than 26 Years Service to Antiques Collectors A.B. Furniture 630 Glenhuntly Road, South Caulfield, Vic. 3162 Phone: 03 9523 8050 Mobile: 0407 822 115 Antik@Billy’s Mailing Road Antique Centre, Canterbury, Vic. 3126 Mentone Beach Antiques Centre, Beach Road, Mentone, Vic. 3149 Maryborough Station Antiques Centre, Maryborough, Vic. 3465 Mobile: 0402 042 746 Billygarry@bigpond.net.au Armstrong Collection 42 Station Street, Sandringham, Vic. 3191 Phone: 03 9521 6442 Mobile: 0417 332 320 Camberwell Antique Centre 25 Cookson Street, Camberwell, Vic. 3124 Phone: 03 9836 2301 Mob: 0418 373 940 Dalbry Antiques & Collectables at Mentone Beach Antique Centre 68 Beach Road, Mentone, Vic. 3149 Phone: 03 9583 3422 at Camberwell Antique Centre 25 Cookson Street Camberwell, Vic. 3124 Phone: 03 9882 2028 David Freeman Antique Valuations 194 Bulleen Road, Bulleen, Vic. 3105 Phone: 03 9850 1553 Mobile: 0419 578 184 Diana Brady Diana Brady 0438 048 260 P.O. Box 165 Malmsbury Vic. 3446 At Bendigo Pottery Antique Centre or by appointment Specialising in antique hand painted ceramics jewellery,French, English and Australian antique furniture.

Donvale Antique Clocks 12 White Lodge Court Donvale, Vic. 3111 Phone: 03 98744 690 Mobile: 0409 744 690 Email: clocks@bigpond.net.au Ern Opie Valuer 3/1 47 Roslyn Road, Belmont, Geelong, Vic. 3216 Phone: 03 5244 4521 Mobile: 0417 575 484 French Heritage at Mentone Beach Antique Centre 68-69 Beach Road, Mentone, Vic. 3194 Phone: 03 9583 3422 Mobile: 0437 121 040 Email: frenchheritage@bigpond.com www.mentonebeachantiquecentre.com Imogene 410 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, Vic. 3068 Phone: 03 9569 5391 Mobile: 0412 195 964 Irene Chapman Antiques at Camberwell Antique Centre 25 Cookson Street Camberwell, Vic. 3124 Mobile: 0421 270 835 Ivanhoe Collectibles Corner Tearoom 231 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe, Vic. 3079 Phone: 03 9497 1935 Julian Phillips at Tyabb Packing House 14 Mornington-Tyabb Road Tyabb, Vic. 3913 Phone: 03 5977 4414 Mobile: 0438 086 708

Kilbarron Antiques & Collectables By appointment only: 1 Laurel Grove Blackburn, Vic. 3130 Phone: 03 9878 1321 Mobile: 0417 392 110 Marquis Antiques 105 Central Springs Road, Daylesford, Vic. 3460 Phone: 03 5348 4332 Ah: 03 5474 2124 Mobile: 0402 888 439 Email: marquisfurniture@hotmail.com Pretty Old Collectables at Camberwell Antique Centre, Tanya and Doug Gale 25 Cookson Street Camberwell, Vic. 3124 Phone: 03 9882 2028 / 03 9882 2091 Mobile: 0418 586 764 doug.gale@bigpond.net.au Page Antiques Warehouse 323 Canterbury Road, Canterbury, Vic. 3126 Phone: 03 9880 7433 Mobile: 0411 175 320 Email: guypage@bigpond.com Pavey Collectables – Antiques at Camberwell Antique Centre 25 Cookson Street, Camberwell, Vic. 3124 Mobile: 0411 437 455 Seanic Antiques 419 Melbourne Road, Newport, Vic. 3015 Phone: 03 9391 6134 Mobile: 0418 326 455 www.seanicantiques.com.au REGIONAL AND INTERSTATE MEMBERS Baimbridge Antiques 64 Thompson Street, Hamilton, Vic. 3300 Phone: 03 5572 2516 Email: ruth@baimbridgeantiques.com.au www.baimbridgeantiques.com.au Glenross Antiques Lese and Richard Worboys 147 Hume Highway, Holbrook, NSW 2644 Phone: 02 6036 3122 Morrison Antiques 55 Carey Street, Tumut, NSW 2720 Phone: 02 6947 1246 Mobile: 0408 965 336 Neville Beechey’s Antiques & Fine Furniture 208-210 Murray Street, Colac, Vic. 3250 Phone: 03 5231 5738 Mobile: 0418 523 538 Selkirk Antiques 29 Summerland Circuit, Kambah, ACT, 2902 Phone: 02 6231 5244 Mobile: 0418 631 445 The Time Gallery John Allott 129 View Street Bendigo, Vic. 3550 Phone: 03 5441 1998 Mobile: 0405 210 020 Email: johnrallott@live.com.au

Direct enquiries to any of the Guild Committee Members

ANTIQUES – ULTIMATE RECYCLING 74

VICTORIAN ANTIQUE DEALERS GUILD Meet a Guild member MICHEL AND BARBARA OF MENTONE BEACH ANTIQUE CENTRE

WHAT YEAR did you start in antiques?

We registered the business French Heritage Antiques in 1984.

WHAT SPARKED your interest in antiques?

Michel had a friend in the business in France. This friend sent a travel trunk by airfreight full of 18th and 19th century antique porcelain, clocks, small mirrors, figurines and glasses.

My first comment was who would buy these items, as many of my friends did not own antiques. Once we had the goods, some of which arrived broken, we had to find somewhere to sell these valuable items. We thought the antique fairs would be a good place to sell them over the weekend, as we were both working full time in other businesses. Our first fair was at the Camberwell Town Hall in 1984 and then at the Trade Centre building in Melbourne. We managed to pay our way with a small profit.

We soon found we needed more goods suitable to the Australian market. We bought some local furniture, which sold quicker than the very old antiques that were more suitable for a museum. We then went to France to collect and imported our first container load, followed by many others. We became more successful at buying and selling, and we are still doing the same 25 years later.

WHAT DO you know now that you wish you knew then?

If we knew everything that we know now, we would be billionaires. When we started all art deco statuary and furniture were sold for little money in the French depot vente (second-hand shops). Knowing how much money they bring now, we would have bought a lot of them, put them on ice, then we would have sold them, made a small fortune and retired.

WHAT’S THE most spectacular item that has come through your business?

We had the pleasure to sell a magnificent pair of Limoges porcelain urn vases made by M Redon, c. 1880. They were 65 cm high in a blue celeste background with gilt trim and white enameled painted handles with four different bisque maiden sitting figures.

WHAT’S THE biggest mistake you have made as a dealer?

Twenty years ago our clock service man offered us a René Lalique clock with two maidens leaning towards the face of the clock with a blue background for $5000. He was selling it on behalf of his customer. Our opinion was that the owner had painted the back of it and was not original. Someone else bought it and sold it at auction – where it fetched $45,000! We were in shock and wished we had bought it.

WHAT IS IT about the industry that has kept you interested?

What has kept us in the industry is mainly the life style around the business, travelling around the world searching for the rare and quality pieces. We are always surrounded by objects that inspire us to study the history of their origin. The variety of activities in the business from the buying overseas and locally; giving the goods a fresh lease of life by restoring them; and the selling which brings us a lot of satisfaction; and of course, an income ●

NEW SOUTH WALES

The mysterious Monsieur Descubes: A Botanical Thriller From left: Alexandre Descubes, Acacia harpophylla, pencil and watercolour, 43 x 26 cm Alexandre Descubes, Eucalyptus saligna, pencil and watercolour, 43 x 26 cm Alexandre Descubes, Mauritius, plan of the districts of Moka and Port-Louis, 1879, cartographic material, compiled from the government triangulation estate plans & from many other sources.

Courtesy of the National Library of Australia

G

owrie Galleries have in stock a set of ten large original botanical studies, in pencil and watercolour, of acacias – Australian wattle – and eucalypts. They are meticulous in their detail, showing each part of the different plants, drawn with loving expertise, painted in accurate and soft tones, and with extensive information hand written in pencil on each page.

These notes include not only the botanical information, but also publications referred to, and the various vernacular names of the plants, when known, whether English, Australian and in some cases, Australian Aboriginal. The elegant signature in ink on each page reads À. Descubes.

Two maps of Mauritius by Descubes are held in the map collection of the National Library of Australia. The library of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Virginia, USA, has 2,500 botanical watercolours of plants of the Indian subcontinent in its special collections. There is a mystery attached to the life of the author of these works, botanist and cartographer, Alexandre Descubes, who lived and worked in Mauritius and India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

No one knows for sure the exact place or year of his birth, nor is there any record whatsoever of how, where and when he died. After his prodigious compiling over twenty years of what is surely one of the world’s most extensive botanical studies by one man, our hero vanished.

There is a discrepancy in the official records of his birth date: the records in Mauritius1 tell us that Descubes was born there in July 1850. However, they also point out that those of the Indian Surveyor General’s Office record his birth date as 17 July 1854. To help the plot thicken, if not be solved, when the watercolours were offered to Gowrie Galleries, it was through a FrenchCanadian contact who believed the artist to be from Canada, although without concrete evidence.

The Librarian at the Lora M. Robins Library at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Maggie Southwick, has been researching the life of Descubes for eight years and has provided much of the information that we now have. Yet even she finds missing pieces after eight years on this puzzle and that certain crucial aspects of the life and death of the artist remain enigmas. In her address2 on Descubes her conclusion consisted of questions yet to be answered.

How did Descubes reach Mauritius? Was he a descendant of French colonists? After suggesting that there may have been up to 5,000 botanical drawings, she asks where are the rest? Oddly, there is no discussion regarding the donor of the Descubes collection, Lora M. Robins after whom the Library at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

was named. Even Descubes’ meagre entry in Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers casts no further light. The one line entry simply reads ‘Descubes, A. Map of the Island of Mauritius, 1880.’

We know that from 1872 to 1877 Descubes worked as a surveyor in Mauritius and was appointed draughtsman in the Public Works Department in 1874. He began his cartographic career in 1877, publishing the maps of Moka and Port-Louis (1879) and of Mauritius (1880), the same as those maps held in the collection of the National Library of Australia.3 In 1885 he resigned from the post with Public Works. From 1887 he worked in the Forestry department of the Indian Surveyor-General’s Department, becoming Superintendent in 1904 and in 1905 publishing a map of government controlled forests of India. There are two plans dated in pencil 1912 and 1913, and the latest work is dated 1919.

Those botanical watercolours in the Lewis Ginter collection, which are dated, have a range from 1875 to 1919, and nine are stamped on the verso ‘Imperial Institute Library’. The Lewis Ginter Library notes4 give no indication as to who commissioned Descubes to fulfill this enormous undertaking. The following is the description of their items: ‘Along with the individual painting, each sheet also has extensive botanical information including family, genus, species name; full botanical description of the plant; a list of countries and/or habitats in which the plant is found; a list of plant names in the vernaculars of each of these areas or countries; and a list of literature references to the plant. The plants depicted are mostly natives of, or cultivated on, the Indian subcontinent. Each of these sheets has a unique identifying number.’

The watercolours held at Gowrie Galleries match this description exactly – with an extraordinary exception: they are of Australian flora.

Who commissioned these studies? Why are the Australian plants included in the brief? Is it possible that it is true that, according to the French-Canadian connection, Descubes was commissioned by the Indian Government? Yet, after the vast task was completed, Descubes was not paid, so did he proceed to sue? Was he destitute and unable to pay the legal fees, so he handed the collection over to his lawyers?

The final sentence in the biographical notes from the Dictionary of Mauritian Biography is chilling in its pathos, telling us no more than mere guesswork about the ending of the story of this man, Alexandre Descubes. ‘The date and place of Descubes’ death remain unknown but it may be surmised that he disappeared during the influenza epidemic that struck India in 1919-1920.’

The terrible irony of our lack of exact knowledge about him surely would not be lost upon this artist whose fastidious and loving attention to detail, to both botanical and cartographic fact, was remarkable. Perhaps he will remain forever, the marvellous, mysterious Monsieur Descubes.

GOWRIE GALLERIES Pty Ltd 02 4365 6399 maps@sydney.net www.gowrie-galleries.com.au

Notes 1. Dictionary of Mauritian Biography from The Lewis Ginter Special Collection 2. ‘Demystifying A. Descubes: Researching a little known botanical artist of the 19th century, or, CBHL Meets CSI and the Power of Serendipity.’ Presented by Maggie Southwick, Librarian, Lora M. Robins Library Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond Virginia USA to the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Annual Meeting, June 2007.

3. National Library of Australia, Alexandre Descubes, Map of the island of Mauritius [cartographic material] compiled from the Government triangulation estate plans, title deeds, and from many other sources by A. Descubes, Public Works Department, Mauritius, 1880 (NLA Ref RM540).

National Library of Australia, Alexandre Descubes, Mauritius, plan of the districts of Moka and Port-Louis [cartographic material]. Compiled from the government triangulation estate plans, etc, etc. by A. Descubes, draughtman, Surveyor General Dept., N. Connal, Surveyor General, T. Dardenne lith., William Crook, lith., 1879 (NLA Ref RM1902).

4. The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Library Special Collection notes on the Descubes collection www.lewisginter.org/library/Descubes.

GOWRIE GALLERIES AUSTRALIA’S FINEST COLLECTION OF RARE AND IMPORTANT ANTIQUE MAPS

1486 Ptolemy Ulm world map in fine original colour

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PRINTED WORLD V Beyond Settlement A catalogue of rare world, Australian, Southeast Asian and Pacific maps from 1493 to 1847 featuring a fine selection of 17th-century Dutch sea charts of Australia

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OUR STOCK INCLUDES 15th – 18th century world maps Australian maps from the 17th century onwards Maps of South East Asia and the Pacific ❖ ❖ ❖ Expert advice on all aspects of map collecting Full research, evaluation, restoration and framing service Collections and individual items always considered for purchase Extensive range of decorative antique engravings

Please note new contact details for Gowrie Galleries from 2010 PO BOX 276 TERRIGAL NSW 2260 Matcham studio: Phone: 02 4365 6399 Mobile: 0417 040 902 Fax: 02 4365 6096

EMAIL: maps@sydney.net • WEBSITE: www.gowrie-galleries.com.au

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NGA Pacific Arts presents Maunwial & Waungial: Sepik spirit figures T

he National Gallery’s Pacific Arts collection displays some of the finest Pacific artworks and dates from around 3500 years ago to the mid 20th century.

Melanesia is the most diverse area of the collection and includes works from the great landmass of Papua New Guinea.

Originating from PNG’s East Sepik Province, are the collection’s carved statues of Maunwial and Waungial which represent a pair of spirit figures from foothills of the Prince Alexander Mountain chain.

The Sepik River region is home to a wide range of remarkable art styles and forms, and the area contains some of the finest and most diverse art of the Pacific. Known for combining figurative representations and abstract forms, Sepik art is also closely linked to the ritual and religious practices of the area.

CEREMONIAL SIGNIFICANCE Carvings such as Maunwial and Waungial were originally used in ceremonies where they were thought to house the presence of the spirit ancestors represented. The striking forms seen in these two works reveal a history that combines function with powerful spiritual presence. These figures were created in the 19th century using ancient stone carving techniques.

These Sepik works originate from the border region between the Boiken and Abelam cultural groups and the style of the pieces is indicative of the cultural transmission of artistic traditions in the area. Though collected in Yangoru Boiken territory, the works show a number of affinities with Abelam style.

Features such as the three-dimensional style of both works and the bulbous head of the Maunwial statue suggest either that the

carvings were created by Abelam artists, or that Boiken artists were borrowing heavily from Abelam techniques. The names of the spirits also suggest Abelam origin as the suffixes –ngial and –nwial can be linked to the ngwal deity of Abelam haus tamberan (ceremonial houses).

FATHER & SON STATUES The two figures are very different in appearance, with Maunwial displaying hook-like vestigial limbs, whereas Waungial’s form appears overall more human. Despite these differences between the carvings, Maunwial and Waungial represent father and son spirit figures, and the two are believed to have similar spiritual properties.

The statues were both used in ceremonies during which the spirits could be called on to grant assistance to the village.

When Maunwial was first sighted by collectors, the statue was located in the haus tamberan of the village where it was adorned with strips of meat and other foodstuffs that had been presented as offerings to the spirit residing within. The offerings were intended to pacify the spirit so that it would aid prosperity in the village by providing fertile crops and assisting village growth.

The works also bear a number of similarities with Abelam long yam cult figures, suggesting they might have been used in ceremonies associated with the growing of giant yams which were used in local ceremonial exchange.

FIGURES GO TO WAR As well as providing benevolent assistance to the village, the statues could also be used to invoke wrathful spirits that were called on in times of war to exact vengeance upon the village’s enemies. The warlike nature of the carvings is revealed by elements of their design.

For instance, the knobs and spikes on Maunwial’s shoulders are believed to be references to clubs and spears, while the hooks that replace the figure’s arms and legs may be a reference to headhunting, which would further indicate the statue’s warlike purpose.

COLOURFUL SPIRITS The fact that these works were involved in sustained ceremonial use prior to being collected by Europeans is attested by the traces of paint that remain on the works.

Painting and decoration is an important component of the spiritual presence of such works. Once decorated with bold, vibrant colours, much of the works’ colour has worn off, but traces of red and orange pigments still remain on Maunwial, and there are faint elements of red paint on Waungial.

The interaction that would have taken place between these bright pigments and the form of the sculptures was intended to produce a transcendental and affecting response in the viewer that would emphasis the spiritual power of the works. Both Maunwial and Waungial show evidence of having been painted and repainted several times throughout their history, indicating many years of ceremonial activity.

Though Maunwial and Waungial may not look pretty, their striking forms and traces of remaining colour reveal their past ceremonial function and spiritual presence. The figures were of great spiritual importance to the peoples who created them, and would only grant their assistance to the village if given proper respect through rituals. Today, Maunwial and Waungial are no longer used in rituals but have found a new audience, and can currently be seen on display in the National Gallery of Australia.

Sylvia Cockburn Pacific Arts Intern NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA 02 6240 6411 www.nga.gov.au

Maunwial

76

Waungial

CANBERRA

Open daily, free entry nga.gov.au Entrance to the National Gallery of Australia featuring Eran (2010) by Thapich Gloria Fletcher AO in the foreground. Photograph: John Gollings Parkes Place, Canberra | Free entry | 10 am – 5 pm daily | Enquiries: (02) 6240 6502 | The National Gallery of Australia is an Australian Government Agency

77

NEW SOUTH WALES

Alison Mutton

Laura Wood

Sue Rawlinson

Andrea Edmonds

From The Riviere College to The Hughenden

Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

and home to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

T

he home of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Australia and New Zealand is aptly located at the literary and arts hotel The Hughenden in Queen Street, Woollahra, NSW, formerly The Riviere College (1877). The Riviere College offered young women educational opportunities with a focus on music, literature and painting. Established by Professor and Mrs Goergs in a turn of the century building in Wallis Street, Woollahra, The Riviere College relocated several times until it found its final home at The Hughenden until 1920.

Goergs who was a Professor of Music, adapted the German motto Des Fleisses Lohn

for his college: Rewards of Work and Diligence.

The young ladies studied Geography, History, English General Knowledge, Composition, Arithmetic, Art, German and Music. The Riviere College logo is etched in the glass plate alongside cabinet containing school girl memorabilia at The Hughenden.

Many of Australia’s renowned women attended The Riviere College including Lillian de Lissa (1885-1967), a pioneer of the kindergarten movement. Musically gifted, Lillian became an accomplished pianist but on seeing the transformation of slum children by the Woolloomooloo free kindergarten, she dedicated herself to the education of young children. Using Froebelian methods, with its

focus on play, creativity, storytelling and the arts, Lillian de Lissa worked for improved child welfare and education with the disadvantaged as the basis of social reform.

ABOUT SCBWI The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) was founded in 1971 by US children’s film makers and writers, Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver. SCBWI is a world-wide organisation with over 24,000 members and chapters in 20 countries, making it the world’s largest professional organisation of writers and illustrators of children’s literature. The Australian and New Zealand chapter of SCBWI includes branches in all states of Australia.

The International Biennial Conference held in June at The Hughenden, included a showcase of original illustrators from New Zealand, USA, every capital city in Australia and regional districts. Among the many artists were works by Laura Wood, Jo Thompson, Lesley Vamos, Andrea Edmunds, Sue Rawlinson, Alison Mutton, Andrea Edmonds and Marjorie Crosby-Fairall.

SHOWCASING the illustrators

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The Hughenden c. 1870, associated with Australia’s first philosopher Barzillai Quaife, is home to literature & the arts. Discover the works of Archibald artist Wendy Sharpe; 1930s Laurent works; c. 1850 painting of the Victorian girl, artist unknown. Jazz & musical evenings, art exhibitions and books are part of Hughenden life. *Not valid Friday and Saturday nights. Valid until 30 November 2011

HUGHENDEN BOUTIQUE HOTEL 14 Queen Street, Woollahra, Sydney

www.thehughenden.com.au 02 9363 4863 78

Free Call 1800 642 432

LAURA WOOD was born and raised in Italy.

After completing a Bachelor of Cinema and Multimedia, she moved to Australia. Today Laura is a Melbourne-based freelance illustrator. It was amongst eucalyptus trees that she started dedicating all her energy to illustration. Her illustrations combine digital and traditional dry media to create colourful and quirky artwork.

JO THOMPSON is an award winning illustrator, artist and graphic designer; and is passionate about picture books. Her first picture book, The Glasshouse written by Paul Collins, was selected as an Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities and included in IBBY’s permanent exhibition in Norway.

LESLEY VAMOS having grown up in Australia, studied at the College of Fine Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Digital Media degree (Hons in Animation). She works as a freelance illustrator, artist and designer and creates vibrant, humorous, narrative illustrations.

ANDREA EDMONDS has a BA in Visual Arts, and her experience includes illustrations for greeting cards, stationery, commissioned paintings on canvas and animation.

SUE RAWLINSON is a painter, psychologist and psychotherapist. As a mother, she found her way back to her childhood passion for drawing and painting with her daughter. What started as a creative pastime became a committed creative pursuit. She studied at the National Art School and later was awarded a Masters of Art in Painting from the College of Fine Art, University of NSW. After a number of solo and group exhibitions of

Lesley Vamos

representational as well as abstract paintings, Sue is now focused on exploring the world of illustration of children’s books.

ALISON MUTTON is an illustrator based in Perth. She graduated from Curtin University in 2008 with a BA (Hons) in design, majoring in Illustration. Her Honours project focused on combining modern picture book techniques with the Golden Age of Illustration. Able to work both traditionally and digitally, her clients include ReadyEd Publications, Burswood Health Professionals, and the Kelmscott Agricultural Society.

Sydney based artist MARJORIE CROSBYFAIRALL was very young when she decided she wanted to be an illustrator. She gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Northern Illinois University. Following her move to Australia, she worked in many areas of illustration, including picture book illustration. Her picture book My Little World was shortlisted for the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

Her book Killer Plants was awarded the CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. She illustrates an eclectic range of projects including work for publishers such as Dorling Kindersley, Reader’s Digest and Australian Geographic. Marjorie experiments with new techniques for her illustrations, but always seems to return to her loved and wellused colour pencils.

There is a permanent exhibition of Australian artworks and illustrations including the works of SCBWI illustrators Sarah Davis, Nina Rycroft, Stephen Axelson and Serena Geddes hanging in the Reading Room of The Hughenden.

For more about Susanne Gervay OAM visit www.sgervay.com.

For more information contact Susanne Gervay OAM THE HUGHENDEN Freecall 1800 642 432 reservations@thehughenden.com.au www.thehughenden.com.au

QUEENSLAND

A specialist furniture manufacturer Churchill Chesterfield made in Australia

B

ased on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Churchill Chesterfields are leather chesterfield and bespoke furniture manufacturers.Proudly Australian made, the firm makes an extensive variety of designs.

Choose from English reproduction traditional chesterfields, a range of Queen Anne wing chairs and recliner chairs.

There are leather office/study swivel chairs, such as Captains, Admirals, Director’s, Gainsborough, Mountbatten’s, London swivel and larger wing swivels, also office/study or commercial compact chesterfield tub chairs, plus many more designs. All furniture is hand made by one of Britain’s most experienced craftsmen, using only the best possible resources available today to create everlasting masterpieces.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE Our many ranges are all available in leather and fabric in a wide range of colours. We use original English antique rub off leathers plus the aged distressed pull up aniline and waxed aniline leather which are imported from the UK exclusive to us. The leather is fire resistant and is of the finest A grade hides.

Imported from the UK are five leather ranges with a choice of over 70 different colours. If preferred, choose fabric or velvet upholstery.

Perhaps you have a fabric already purchased – let us make it up in the style of your choice.

FRAMES AND MORE Match your choice of fabric or leather with our selection of timber.Our frames are made of the finest European beech hardwood timber all from renewable forest plantations, the timber is the same used by 95% of UK

chesterfield manufacturers. All frames come with a 10-year structural guarantee, are dowelled glued and screwed. The looks include traditional mahogany; dark, medium, golden and light oak; walnut, plus many more.

OUR SPECIAL CHESTERFIELDS The chesterfields are made with sprung seats and hand-built sprung backs units, dispelling the myth that these designs are uncomfortable.

Our designs, many not seen in the country before, are soft and luxurious, designed to suit a customer’s preference.

For something different, there is the Art Deco range of plain unbuttoned chesterfields with mixed contrasting leather fabric combinations.

BELOW THE SURFACE The bespoke service is designed to addressa customer’s special requirement. This is a personal made to measure tailored manufacturing facility. The foams are standard fire resistant, are of the highest quality resilience, and carry a 10-year warranty.

WHERE & WHEN THE CHESTERFIELD WAS FIRST INTRODUCED In England a chesterfield evokes an image of elegance and sophistication. This deep-buttoned sofa is synonymous with traditional English furniture design, its origin dating back to mid 18th century. In circa 1773 the fourth Earl of Chesterfield commissioned noted furniture designer Robert Adam to design a piece of furniture that would permit a gentleman to sit with the back straight and avoid what the Earl referred to as ‘odd motions, strange postures and ungenteel carriage.’ In our opinion, we assume this to be the forerunner of the now

famous chesterfield sofa.

The deep-buttoned leather chesterfield is one of the most distinguished luxury products of the British Isles, renowned worldwide for the craftsmanship used in its construction and for its beauty.

A MODERN CHESTERFIELD SOFA Due to modern health and safety legislation, the old methods of producing a chesterfield sofa have changed. Our chesterfield sofas

feature full flame retardant leather and foam fillings amongst many other modern refinements ensuring the safety of you and your loved ones while retaining the original character of chesterfield furniture.

CHURCHILL CHESTERFIELDS 07 5530 2648 info@churchillchesterfields.com.au www.churchillchesterfields.com.au

Churchill Chesterfields Manufacturers of high quality Bespoke English Reproduction Chesterfield leather furniture

Visit our web site www.churchillchesterfields.com.au

8 Moondance Court Opening hours 8am to 5pm Bonogin, Gold Coast Monday to Friday Queensland 4213

By Appointment Mobile: 0424 882 144 Saturday & Sunday only Telephone: 07 5530 2648 Email: info@churchillchesterfields.com.au

79

THE AUSTRALIAN ANTIQUE AND ART DEALERS ASSOCIATION The premier organisation for antique dealers and commercial art galleries in Australia

I

t’s a visual world, so bright, bold colours move us; soft pastels inspire us; collective images and stories motivate us each day.

The Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association believe that antique dealers, buyers and collectors also live and breathe this passion for discovery. The AAADA sees itself not only as the peak body representing Australia’s top dealers, but also one with a responsibility to help collectors gain and expand their knowledge in their chosen field.

Recently, Victorian AAADA members shared their expertise with the public in their Autumn Seminar series. The seminars were held on Thursday evenings at a dealer’s premises. The theme of each seminar was dedicated to a specialist topic and collectors were given the special opportunity to handle often rare pieces.

This experience combined with the opportunity to ask questions and discuss items in a friendly, comfortable setting where they also got to know the dealer, proved to be a valuable learning experience for the participants.

If you would like to receive information about next year’s program join the mailing list on the website www.aaada.org.au or call 03 9576 2275.

MELBOURNE ANTIQUES SHOW 2012 If you came along this year you would have enjoyed the ambience of the Royal Exhibition Buildings and marvelled at the beautiful pieces that dealers from all over Australia brought to exhibit and sell. This wonderful show attracted record crowds.

AAADA MELBOURNE SHOW 2013 The Association looks forward to the next AAADA Melbourne Show which will be held in April 2013.

SYDNEY ANTIQUES SHOW 2012 Held on 2-5 August in the heritage-listed Byron Kennedy Hall in the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, again it drew record crowds who enjoyed the venue’s ambience as well as the diversity of items offered for sale.

There were many red sold stickers and many happy exhibitors and customers.

AAADA SYDNEY SHOW 2013 The next AAADA Sydney Show is in 2013 after the major renovations and refurbishment at Royal Randwick have been completed.

FIND US ON THE WEB For charming items such as the one shown above, peruse the AAADA website – www.aaada.org.au. This site also lists our expertly vetted members who uphold the principles of the Association and adhere to its Codes of Practice. There are other service providers who are recommended by our members for their proven abilities to provide various categories of restoration, valuations and ancillary services.

The AAADA fairs provide the perfect forum for dealers selling the finest and most diverse range of fine art and antiques in one place, at one time, in Australia, and are the nation’s only international quality shows. They are fully vetted for authenticity and backed by the reputation of Australia’s finest antique and art dealers.

Join the AAADA Facebook page today for a chance to win a free subscription to Australia’s only dedicated decorative and fine arts publication – World of Antiques and Art. AUSTRALIAN ANTIQUES AND ART DEALERS ASSOCIATION 03 9576 2275 secaada@ozemail.com.au www.aaada.org.au

THE ESSENTIAL BUYERS GUIDE This booklet is the definitive guide to buying, collecting, selling, valuing and restoring antiques and art with confidence from Australia’s leading antique and fine art dealers and their approved service providers. To obtain your copy, please write, email or telephone: The Executive Secretary PO Box 24 Malvern VIC 3144 03 9576 2275 secaada@ozemail.com.au

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Bruce Latimer, Showboat, 2005, colour etching. Geelong Gallery. Geelong acquisitive print awards, 2005. Reproduced courtesy of the artist

Geelong Gallery presents

Stephen Spurrier, Sentinel, 1967, colour etching and silkscreen.

Geelong Gallery. Geelong print prize, 1967. Reproduced courtesy of the artist. Photographer: Robert Colvin

SENTINELS AND SHOWBOATS – MILESTONES IN PRINT COLLECTING Showing until 9 September

S

entinels and showboats — milestones in print collecting is a striking exhibition that jointly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gallery’s first acquisitive print prize and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of its key support group, the Geelong Gallery Grasshoppers.

This special exhibition showcases around 50 works by some of Australia’s leading artists including Tate Adams, Raymond Arnold, George Baldessin, Pat Brassington, eX de Medici, Rew Hanks, Tim Jones, Roger Kemp, Bruce Latimer, Bea Maddock, Heather Shimmen and Imants Tillers.

Bold, evocative, captivating, and exquisite, Sentinels and showboats highlights the richness and diversity of the print medium as well as the strength of contemporary practice.

The works on display feature a wide range of print techniques and formats such as etchings, linocuts, wood engravings, mezzotints, digital prints and artist’s books.

In 1962 Geelong Gallery was the first public gallery in Australia to initiate a prize dedicated to contemporary printmaking.

Throughout its 116 year history the Geelong Gallery has been committed to developing and exhibiting a significant print collection – from its first print acquisition in the early 1900s to the construction of a dedicated gallery for works on paper in the 1950s and the initiation of a series of acquisitive print prizes.

Geoffrey Edwards, Director of Geelong Gallery said, ‘Sentinels and showboats offers an exciting and rare opportunity for visitors to view the award-winning works as a complete ensemble including some of the real highlights of Geelong Gallery’s outstanding print collection.’

‘This special exhibition also pays tribute to the Geelong Gallery Grasshoppers whose assistance has been critical to the Gallery’s biennial acquisitive print award along with the growth of the collection as a whole,’ Mr Edwards explained.

The first of the Gallery’s acquisitive print prizes were mounted from 1962 to 1974 while

Daryl Carnahan, Landscape with plough, 1962, colour linocut. Geelong Gallery. Mayor of Geelong prize, 1962. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.

Photographer: Robert Colvin

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the Geelong Gallery Grasshoppers were established in 1982 to raise funds and to act as ambassadors for the institution. In 1997 the Grasshoppers’ fundraising efforts were channelled towards the re-instatement of the acquisitive print awards – the format of which continues to the present day. The Grasshoppers’ support (together with that of a separate anonymous donor) also enables the Geelong Gallery to acquire a selection of shortlisted works for its nationally significant collection.

Sentinels and showboats — milestones in print collecting is on display at Geelong Gallery until 9 September 2012. Geelong Gallery is open daily from 10 am–5 pm.

Admission is free.

For more information GEELONG GALLERY 03 5229 3645 www.geelonggallery.org.au

Heather Shimmen, She can skip, 2002, handcoloured linocut and organza. Geelong Gallery.

Geelong print prize, 2003. Reproduced courtesy of the artist

Imants Tillers, 1 2 3 4, 1997, etching. Geelong Gallery. Geelong print prize, 1997. Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney. Photographer: Robert Colvin

Bendigo is a vibrant regional centre, boasting beautiful streets created from one of the world’s greatest gold rushes.

Bendigo’s food, wine & flowers in full bloom.

Savour brilliant blue skies and our famed-tulips in full bloom as they add a splash of colour and excitement to the beautiful streets of Bendigo in Spring.

Now fondly regarded as an arts and cultural hub, Bendigo’s historic streets beat with a contemporary feel. Good food, wine, boutique shopping, attractions and experiences are ready to be explored.

Heathcote Wine & Food Festival

Bendigo Wealth Heritage Uncorked

Key Events for Spring Harvest Moon Festival Jayco Bendigo Cup

Bendigo Fashion Festival

Elmore Field Days

National Swap Meet

Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival

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ally located in Central Victoria, Bendigo is 0 minutes from Melbourne Airport along e Calder Freeway and 90–120 minutes via V/Line trains from Southern Cross Station Find ExploreBendigo on Facebook Follow ExploreBendigo on Twitter

Farmers Markets

For information, tickets and short break accommodation packages, freecall the Bendigo Visitor Centre on 1800 813 153 or visit:

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