Paintings owned by two men who spent decades doing deals delivered a bumper auction result, with 28 works from the collections of veteran Sydney art dealer Denis Savill and late Melbourne businessman Ron Walker selling for a total of more than $8.2 million including buyer’s premium.

But while the result affirms Savill’s saleroom savvy, the octogenarian was taking no chances. Savill told Saleroom he had to reach into his grab-bag of “little tricks” while working with Smith & Singer auctioneers to produce last week’s Melbourne sale of a group of his Arthur Boyds.