What a week - 01/09/2002

What a week!

Sculptor and painter Bridget McCrum talks to Ramona Depares about her hectic week in the run-up to the launching of her exhibition yesterday

Sunday: I can’t believe that the exhibition’s about to start, finally. My husband and I first started talking about the possibility of holding it in Malta some eighteen months ago. The sheer amount of preparation that it involved was amazing. But I love the sheer space at St. James Cavalier and when I first saw it I loved it immediately. My first thought, in fact, was of what a great opportunity this was for me. This also meant that I had one less problem when it came to organisation: the venue was already decided!

Afternoon: worked on my hanging plans: I actually planned this exhibition around the space available, which means that I want my works to complement the area and be a part of it. Sounds like a simple task but in reality it’s not!

Monday: Still waiting for my pieces to make it here. Getting the work all the way from England involved considerable effort and expense – thankfully, the British Council is helping with the latter. Rather worried about whether everything will be in one piece, but the delivery people are normally very good about it.

Worked some more on my space drawings: they’re very details, with the precise size of the niches so that I can work out how every hanging will look. Drew almost all of the exhibits in, it’s looking good. I’m also including some pastels in this exhibition and all of them are inspired from Gozo. These are my holiday works, the ones I do to relax and unwind. Painting is not as strenuous as carving, which is why I do most of it on my Gozo holidays.

There’s one particular painting I’m very proud of: it took me some four or five years to get the exact shade of colour. And suddenly, bang, I got it. I must say that as an English woman from a Northern climate it did take me a while to get used to strong, vibrant colours. In the Mediterranean the colours are so much more intense…

Tuesday: The pieces have arrived! It is always exciting when the consignment arrives. Everything’s in place and spoken for so that’s one weight off my mind. Did quite a lot of unpacking, a pleasant morning all in all…

Later some deserved relaxation, painting the peaceful surroundings in Ghasri. I first fell in love with Gozo after I got married and spent my honeymoon on the island. Some years later in the eighties, we got the house and since then we’ve made it a point to come over at least three times a year.

I’ve spent some of my most peaceful moments in Gozo. At home I normally spend the whole morning carving and at the end I emerge looking much like a workman coming off a building site! Carving is a very messy job, as well as being tiring. In fact it is not recommended that the carving tools are used for more than three hours at a stretch, which goes to show that relaxing is hardly a term I’d apply to the art.

Painting is different and this is why I keep it for Gozo, it’s just so relaxing! Did some work on my pastels this evening: when I’m on the island I do them postcard size and then expand on a real canvas when I get back home.

Wednesday: In the morning got the stone bases for some of my sculptures from a friend of mine who’s a stonemason. I certainly couldn’t ship the basis all the way from England! Sorted some of my photographs and this made think of my home in England. Our house in South Devon is almost on the edge of a river, we also have a seven-acre garden so you can imagine the kind of inspiration I get from there. Probably that’s where my fascination with birds first started. Today birds remain one of my favourite subjects, I love transforming the raw material into the graceful form of these winged creatures.

Afternoon: my brochure is finished finally and I’m extremely pleased with the end result. This was the first time I put something of the sort together and I must admit that it took considerably more effort – as well as money – than I anticipated. But it was well worth the time and the expense and the result is so good that I will also be using it for my gallery in England.

Thursday: Started putting the exhibits up. Did a number of interviews with the media, so the excitement is definitely starting to make itself felt. It’s such a fantastic feeling when you see everything coming together. This is actually my second exhibition in Malta, I had one in pastels some years ago. It’s also a great pleasure being able to keep the exhibits so well spaced. Exhibiting in England is always done on a commercial basis: you never get all the space you need and the gallery normally gets to decide which pieces it pays her to exhibit. It’s quite refreshing to find such a change!

My silk screen image got here today as well. This is sort of a surprise part of the exhibition, made up of images reproduced by digital camera. It should be quite stunning, actually! The Maltese so far have been very receptive to my works, I’m really pleased and I must say that the people at St.James are all extremely helpful.

Friday: Missing my garden a bit. I work a lot in it, together with my husband and it’s even in the National Garden Scheme for charity. My life in England centres very much around art, the garden, visiting friends and going to exhibitions. Rather like when I’m in Gozo, in fact. I also like doing a bit of cooking as long as it doesn’t take too long. Decided to indulge in this hobby tonight, although I’m so excited about tomorrow that I can barely eat a thing. Still, the evening meal remains very much important.

Saturday: The big day. Was at St.James very early in the morning, taking care of the final touches. Was so excited right before the opening that I never thought the time would pass.

Greeted the first guests. Thankfully the turnout is extremely good. People seem to be enjoying the exhibits, so everything’s OK from that respect.

Evening passed like a dream and got back home exhausted but satisfied.

I can’t wait to plan the next exhibition!