What makes this space so special?

This is something I've been thinking about over the last couple of months. As soon as we cleared out the "horsey" stuff, the atmosphere in the box changed. The soft creams of the internal paintwork, the slightly rusty blue and black of the external, the setting against a bank of wild (and I mean wild!) Joe Pie weed (Eupatorium purpureum,I think) that can grow 6 feet high in a season, buzzing with honey bees and heavily scenting the air, mingled with vicious brambles (with the most delicious blackberries come autumn), nettles, ragwort etc, the coppiced ash and hazel in the wooded area above bursting forth since their number 2 hair cuts a couple of years ago.... the faint rumble of the M5 when the wind blows from the west, the clouds piling in up the River Severn, and yet often never reaching our secret hideaway, for that matter the mist and low cloud billowing over the top of the escarpment.... the stunning sunsets, the dark gloomy mornings, all make for a secret special place.

There is something about going into a small confined space that our brains tell us is unwise.(must be the caveman or woman in us all- is there a wild animal lurking in the depths, or is it safe...?) And yet the horsebox draws us in, irresistibly like Alice or Edmund and Lucy in those far off children's books. And once we are in there, outside world sounds are muffled, the gentle curve of the roof somehow comforts us and puts us at our ease, the pale walls and natural light flooding in (or not) create a restful, calm and tranquil setting.

It was fascinating that when we had our "dummy run" in the summer after our art camp days, we just all wanted to sit in the box, and look out, and up at the art, the protective shell around us. We could imagine bringing in cushions and old kelim rugs, cozying around with hot drinks, our fingers clutching our mugs in the winter... perhaps with tea lights flickering outside on the ground, like glow-worms flitting around in Mediterranean climes (dream on some more) It was a reaction we all felt- strongly and powerfully. Is this some Freudian thing going on- we've climbed back into our mother's womb, or our Earth mother's womb, our collective womb? Or is it sanctuary from the wild excesses of 21st century life? That we can still make ourselves shelters (ok, I know from something already manmade- but don't spoil the concept, pleeeeze!), that we can protect ourselves from the busyness, the hectic lives, the rushing time passing us by, by creating a haven, a quiet, calm  haven that we can fill with whatever we like, however we like? Is it an adult's tree house, wendy house, or den in the woods, that we all dreamed of as children, even if we never actually had anything more than a sheet over a table.....

I would love to have your thoughts on this- please do comment!

Special thanks to...

Dani, Josie, Dizzy and Pam for all their help today. And to everyone else who has contributed to making the day go so well. We hope that lots more visitors will enjoy Sunday's opening.

Ed the perfect picture of the artist

Ed Bowden looked totally at ease discussing his photographs with visitors. I was really impressed by his mature attitude and hope that he is only the first of many young people who use the gallery.

All ages enouraged to participate

This included making signs and decorating the fence (see previous) and Josie's idea of getting everyone to tie ribbon (thanks Scrap Store) on the fence to record visitors and for me to enjoy the passing of the seasons as they degrade and drift away (I'm a bit of a degrading materials freak for those who don't know me!)

first exhibition

It all went so well. People dropped by over the afternoon- never too many, including the photographer from the Gazette (so keep an eye out on Thursday!) and we could enjoy the natural environment, the stunning views, relax over tea and cake, make new friends and catch up with old ones, and use the gallery for its purpose- to bring art to people as part of everyday life, not as something in alienating anonymous cubes in busy cities far away from here.... just because we live in a very rural area, why should we be cut off from contemporary art, from new ideas, methods, challenging concepts...?

Official Opening of The Horsebox as The Gallery @ the End of the Lane

Today it really happened. 2 months of hard work, hard graft, feeling as if I was bankrupting myself for no reason.... it came together and we had a fantastic time!

The first people to roll up were a couple I'd only met last week, through Freegle (thanks Freegle!) when I picked up some violins for one of my projects I'm working on- to set up an orchestra for children who can't afford to have music lessons at school or privately... (so if you'd like to donate to that one, or can help in any way (I have a pile of violins that need fixing!) please let me know!)

Back to the main plot line-

We had a good mix of local people and friends from college, from orchestra- all happy to spend time sitting around drinking tea, eating scrummy cakes and take a look at Ed's wonderful photos.

Danielle Jones, Pam Bowden and I also exhibited an eclectic assortment of mixed media, photography and printing.

So many people commented on the very special atmosphere in the horsebox- it's cozy, still and calm- one visitor described it as if in Narnia- you step in and everything feels a bit different.

I made some amazing new connections with old friends- we hope to get Archway School involved through my orchestra friend, Alan, who is a governor. I'm hoping that my friend Lori, from an art class a while back, will come and exhibit- and good luck to her in getting an apprenticeship in tattoo art (she'll be amazing at it- her designs are great) I'm hoping she'll exhibit some time next year.

Anyway watch this space for more news....

Exhibition set up

Pam and I had fun curating in the semi darkness last night- aren't the nights drawing in? By 7.30 we had to borrow my son's torch to read the exhibit labels!

But the horsebox feels so good with art in it.. we really hope everyone who visits this weekend picks up on that cozy comfortable vibe....

No photos because we were too busy and it was too dark! But hopefully lots today.

See some of you later...