Yes, a secret gallery! Want to know more? Read on!
Last year, while on my annual stay in La Manzanilla, my friend and art mentor Patrizio shared a discovery with me.
There’s an abandoned house near him in front of which he has created a lovely garden. (I believe the impetus was to deter all the litter throwers who had decided the empty space was their personal garbage dump. And it worked – there’s very little ‘basura’ found there now.)
One day, Patrizio went inside the building. Rather than the empty space he expected to see, he found some imaginative and large paintings of rather strange beings. These paintings are unseen from the street, only visible upon entry. And entry is through bushes and around the side so not easily seen or accessible.
Who did these paintings? We may never know. Certainly someone with a creative soul who wanted to quietly leave his or her mark in this small fishing village.
Needless to say, I was delighted by what I saw.
I was in La Manzanilla again this year and a couple of times wandered through the secret gallery. Since last year, Patrizio has added his own creations to the secret gallery – a delightful surprise. When my niece Aly was visiting, I shared the secret with her.
And now I’m going to share the secret with you!
Let me take you on a tour:
I had an uncontrollable urge to add my own stamp to the secret gallery. What would it be? An installation of hangers and cloth that I had found? Or a selection of figures from my On The Edge theme? (Read more about this series here.) Aly convinced me to add figures, saying that they are my unique signature. Materials to use? Well, happily, Patrizio had just given me a box of pastels that had come into his possession and which he had decided he would never use. Perfect.
So one afternoon, I took the box of pastels and went to the secret gallery. I spent an hour plus, looking, seeing, and adding a number of figures. I examined the walls and let the contours, design, and colours lead the way.
Here’s what happened.
The walls are rough and sometimes I was frustrated that I couldn’t get more detail. Also, there was no erasing once the pastel was down! All in all, a most satisfying hour of contemplation and creation. I wonder who will see my creations, this hidden graffiti?
Talk to me! What do you think?? Leave a comment on the blog with your thoughts 🙂
Until next time,
~ Gail
And in case you were curious, here’s the secret gallery from the outside. Shhhhhhh…..
15 thoughts on “A Secret Gallery In La Manzanilla….Shhhhhhhhh”
After looking at the renderings placed there before and your figures, I was reminded of cave drawings. Secret little drawings drawn on walls to tell a story or just to say I was here. You were there! You added the figures on certain chosen areas of the walls like along a crack to create people walking on a precipice as we all walk in life. Brilliant as always ! Gail.
I like your lotus figure contemplating the enigma of this place. Your series of shadow figures dwell elegantly in the secret gallery. You have left your mark.
What a wonderful secret space… your figures are so delightfully whimsical… a true voyage of discovery for the next soul who wanders in and finds this space. Magic.
Thank you for sharing this most amazing installation/collaboration. Inspirational!
You’re most welcome!!
Carolyn sent this to our Wed. Writers group, Gail, and I am absolutely thrilled. Your figures are so vibrant and alive and full of movement. ‘Shadow figures’ in a hidden gallery, who could ask for more? I’ve long loved your work, but this is the best of all. Thank you so much for sharing the Secret Gallery. Long may it guard its secret art and may each addition be as worthy as yours is!
Thank you for your wonderful words about my work Pat. Glad you enjoyed the Secret Gallery and yes, I hope it remains quietly there, with new additions as the months go by. I can’t wait to return next year to see what’s changed!
I finally ventured into the ‘secret gallery’; thanks for pointing it out Gail! How wonderful, I’ve been going by that place for years and never knew…
I know, it’s so cool that this empty ignored building holds treasures unseen by most! Glad you had a visit 🙂
…just wants to say thank you! Truly a place of magic and inspiration. I’ve been twice now. Shhhhhh!
😀
Shhhhhhhhhhhh
shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
🙂
correction….i did not do the hanging!again by someone unknown.i did create the figures below and the mountain….originally there was an american dollar bill between two pieces of glass hanging from the ceiling……that has since left the building….
patrizio
Thank you for correcting my assumption that you perhaps had created the mobile. I had thought it didn’t ‘fit’ what you had been doing artwise but with you and your work, anything new is to be expected! I love that we have another unknown in the Secret Gallery.
I laughed about the dollar bill – movable installation!