Hi again;
Don’t worry, I won’t go all religious on my blog. I leave those topics for other people with more to say on the matter.
But I had a funny thing happening this morning, on my way to help set up our upcoming group exhibition at Copeland Gallery, Peckham, and … I had to share with you.
There must have been someone watching over me. Things could have turned out very differently.
Why? Well, it was just the wrong set of ingredients: I was feeling somewhat rough (I’ve been fighting a cold for the last few days). I had left my home short of time. I was worried about being late, so I decided to take whichever bus came first and swap for a bus to Peckham later. I was carrying several bags with my work, my portfolio and various other tools to help with the set up.
So I got on a bus, my local 176.
When passing another bus stop (with an electronic system) I noticed the bus to Peckham (197) was just 1 minute behind. So I jumped out and… realised I’d left one of my bags on the bus. I had left precisely the bag with the work for the display. The 176 had already moved on, and the 197 bus came one minute later as indicated.
I spoke to the driver about my lost bag. She told me she couldn’t contact the other driver because they were from different companies. I would have to contact their garage at Norwood Junction. I started to feel a bit light-headed but decided to keep on the bus, and … pray. I wanted to believe there would be a happy ending. I stood on the bus, watching the road ahead. No sign of the 176. We passed Kirkdale, Forest Hill… Still no 176 on sight. Then we passed Horniman Museum and at the next stop there was the 176. I asked the driver to help me get the bus in front to wait. She was lovely, signalled to the bus in front and the driver waited for me.
I ran to the driver, told him I’d left a bag on the bus and … found it where I’d left it.
I jumped back on the 197 feeling a weight off my shoulders and feeling that some angel was on my side. Several of them, if we consider how well synchronised they worked to stop disaster from happening.
Hurrah! I made it to the gallery and spent the rest of the day feeling glad that I made it there with my prints. I didn’t have to go speak to anyone (on a Sunday) to try to find a lost bag.
I also realised it was too risky not to have a contact number or business card in the folder with my work.
Good to know for next time.
If there is a next time.
In the meantime I want to tell you that the works of all my classmates are amazing. I didn’t know what projects most of them were working on (we are split into different specialities) until today.
I can’t share much yet. I haven’t spoken to them about sharing their work. And it wouldn’t be fair to some of them who haven’t managed to finish their installations yet (there are quite a few sophisticated set ups, so they need to deal with technology and the added complications)
But I can tell you that they all look fantastic.
I have to say that. I’m part of the group. I mean it, but I may be biased. You need to go see it for yourself.
Go on, see what all the fuss is about.
By the way, I’m happy to share a peek of my -oh so close to not making it!- print works.
They are those on the wall, just opposite the installation on the foreground. Nobody thought of leaving enough room to take a photograph of my work straight on.
Never mind. It could’ve been worse.
