It's been a good week. I managed to finish the piece for the Malt Cross Gallery in good time and was ready Thursday morning with the car loaded up and an exceptional friend of mine agreeing to come along and help me. So the two of us set off early in the morning and arrived in Nottingham about 11am after just a few minor hold ups…like getting slightly lost and getting confused by the one way system. I find I have a moment where I slightly hold my breathe just before arriving, especially when it’s a last minute thing as it was, bracing myself for what the people and the place is going to be like. As soon as we got there though there was instant relief. We were greeted by two bubbly, enthusiastic, young women who instantly made us feel so welcome and involved. The gallery was very pleasing too; you walk into this huge bar area which is ornately decorated with a very warm atmosphere and go up to a mezzanine balcony going round the top and through to a good sized, nicely lit white cube gallery space.
We were left to set up with a cup of tea and a mountain of cakes! Setting up the drawing went reasonably smoothly. I was working straight on to the gallery wall and this meant incorporating the feature of the skirting board. I was so pleased to be able to use the actual gallery features. In cases before there always seems to have been issues which have prevented me from marking the walls. The drawing worked so much better and I felt it is much more relevant to my initial intentions.
Unfortunately, I am unable to go up for the opening on Wednesday but I am planning a trip for the 12th December so I can see it complete. Many of the artists hadn’t set up when I was there.
Last week was such a refreshing experience compared to others of late. Jennie and Naomi just radiated enthusiasm and passion for the work and the ideas. You could really feel that this was so important to them and that they had worked really hard to bring together a good mix of diverse approaches to the central theme. I can’t wait to go back and see it all finished. It's wonderful to meet new artists dealing with similar concerns to my own.
