It has been heartbreaking to watch as the devastating bushfire crisis continues, therefore Montsalvat has decided to offer support in the form of a special fundraising exhibition entitled ’Destruction, Beauty & Hope’ to try and raise much needed funds for the appeal.
Montsalvat have invited artists to donate artworks for the exhibition with 100% of the sale of these artworks being donated to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and have received an overwhelming response. Montsalvat will also be supporting the exhibition with a special opening in the Long Gallery on 1st February (2-4pm). All of which will go directly to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and 100% of these donated funds will go directly to communities in need
Walter and Denise have donated artworks in support of the appeal. You are encouraged to attend the Opening and/or visit the exhibition until 6th March.
Exhibition opening
February 1, 2pm – 4pm
Long Gallery and Residents Gallery
Please RSVP to montsalvat@montsalvat.com.au or (03) 9439 7712
It has been heartbreaking to watch as the devasting bushfire crisis continues, therefore Montsalvat has decided to offer support in the form of a special fundraising exhibition entitled ’Destruction, Beauty & Hope’ to try and raise much need funds for the appeal.
I am writing to appeal for your support in taking part in the exhibition here at Montsalvat in our Long Gallery which will begin in January and run through to March. We would like to invite you to donate 1-2 artworks of your choice for the exhibition with 100% of the sale of these artworks being donated to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Montsalvat will also be supporting the exhibition with a special opening on 1st February (2-4pm) and a media campaign to gain support throughout the region via the purchase of artworks and appeal for donations. All of which will go directly to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and 100% of these donated funds will go directly to communities in need. www.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal
Please express your interest by sending an email with the following to Natalie Buckley and once your work is accepted we will contact you with delivery details
An image of the artwork/s you’d like to donate
Title, Media and size of the work (not to exceed 100cmx100cm)
Suggested sale price – priced to encourage a sale.
A short artist statement
Please do get in touch if you are able to help in anyway, it would mean so much.
Bib Stilwell, now deceased, was a very well-known Melbourne businessman of many parts, not the least being a major motor dealer.
At the time of the paintings he was establishing a major new agency for Jaguar cars at Doncaster and this included building a very up-to-date showroom. He was familiar with my work through his participation with the Kew Rotary Club both a sponsor and buyer.
Bib in his younger days had been a very successful racing car driver and had at one stage imported a very fast and exotic ‘D Type’ Jaguar and had raced it in many places including at Albert park in the 1956 Australian Grand Prix.
For this new showroom I painted a series of paintings of great moments in Jaguar history. These, five in number, included Bib in an XK 120 Jaguar at the Rob Roy Hillclimb at Christmas hills and Bib leading the field in the ‘D Type’ at Albert Park.
Other paintings included the ‘Walkinshaw’ Jaguars dominating Bathurst the year they came out here, a ‘C Type’ plus other great cars and drivers in the famous ’24 Hours at Le Mans’ at twilight and Mark II Jaguar saloons racing in the wet at Silverstone, England.
This painting I am very proud of and the name ‘Silverstone’ painted on the roof of the main grandstand fitted in well with the new dealership.
With the exception of the Rob Roy painting which is slightly smaller all the paintings measure 4’ x 6’ OR 120 x 180cm, which is much larger than my usual work and each painting involved an exceptional amount of research from the many books and magazines available.
Authenticity became an obsession as to the details of each car and driver, time of day and season, details around each racetrack such as crowd dress and numbers, tow trucks, ambulances etc. Each painting was based on an actual race and I was grateful for a number of suggestions as to improvements regarding accuracy, in particular my son Matthew, my wife Denise and members of the Vintage Sports Car Club.
Each painting is painted in oil on stretched linen canvas. The original composition was drawn in charcoal and sealed before the oil was applied. On occasions use of an epidiascope and slide projector came in handy to get the proportions of some cars exact.
