Model boats and art to bring auction goers running

Four model boats complete with blueprints are a major feature of E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming auction from 9.30am Tuesday November 26 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

One of the boats is in a glass case while two of the others are under full sail and are bound to appeal to model boat collectors.

An exceptional collection or art from a Mirboo North estate includes works by Max Middleton, Joseph Frost, Herman Pekel, Stan Johns, Leon Hanson, Vic Collins, Patrick Kilvington, Brian Kewley, Karlis Mednis and Justus Jorgensen.

Middleton, who died in 2013 aged 90, appeared in 68 exhibitions over 66 years during his highly successful career as a professional artist.

At 16, he started drawing lessons at the National Gallery School, practising his oil painting technique on Sundays when his father drove him to the country to paint en plein air.

This was followed in 1940 by private lessons with noted artist landscape Septimus Power who influenced Middleton’s early works with the use of broad strokes and patterns of light and shade.

In 1950, Middleton visited major museums in Europe then trained at London’s Heatherleys School and at Florence’s Scala di Bellearti (School of Fine Art).

A stint in Wales, Ireland, Paris, Spain and Cornwall’s flourishing art community followed before in 1953 he returned to Australia – excited to once again paint landscapes with their unique Australian light.

His paintings can be found in many of Australia’s leading art galleries and museums.

Another landscape painter, Leon Hanson (1918-2011) studied privately and painted full time after World War II, holding exhibitions in all Australian State capitals.

One of his drawings is in the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Born in Melbourne to Dutch parents, 63-year-old Herman Pekel was influenced during his youth by leading oil painters Roger Webber, Ernest Buckmaster and Lance McNeill.

Painting spasmodically until 1981 when he commenced a Fine Arts degree at RMIT, he is well known both for his oils and watercolours, concentrating particularly on environmental issues and landscapes. While his works are featured in several books, Pekel exhibits regularly in the United States.

Yet another landscape lover is former Czech Joseph Frost who migrated to Australia in 1974 at age 21.

He settled in Sydney where he worked for a North Sydney art gallery painting scenes of Sydney Harbour in his spare time.

In 1980, Frost moved to Numeralla near Cooma in Australia’s Southern Alps and developed a love of landscapes – a far cry from the urban bustle.

Born in 1922 in the United Kingdom, Patrick Kilvington came to Australia aged 28 and became known as an Impressionist painter who specialised in oil paintings of rural and genre subjects -visiting rodeos and country events to study, sketch and photograph the resultant activities.   

Justus Jorgensen (1893-1975) was the prime mover behind the establishment of the famous artist colony Montsalvat at Melbourne’s outer leafy suburb of Eltham, which he ruled with an autocratic zealousness, and opened to the public in 1963.

The auction contains a large collection of interesting copperware as well as ceramics, glassware, silver, items of interest and superb woollen as new floor rugs.

Auction goers also will be interested in European antique and retro furniture from Denmark, France and England along with the residual contents of several Melbourne estates and private consignments.