Ascent to a Dream – Albert Hall – Original Painting
About the image
The Albert Hall is a dream location, for many aspiring musicians. It’s a dream to perform there. More than that, the Albert Hall has a program of working with schools to make these dreams come true for groups of school children. My daughter was one, many years ago.
The original plan for this painting was to be the view without the figures, but when I looked at it, I knew something was missing, the people. More than the people, their dreams and ambitions but how to you portray such an intangible thing? Identity is linked to our dreams, so beginning with transparent figures becoming gradually more solid as the dream becomes reality. A place like the Albert Hall is a focus of such dreams.
Dreams start off as an idea. They can be hard to define, but with each step, they become clearer, as the figures in the background do. They are on their ascent to the dream. The Albert Hall stands as a metaphor the vision itself, while the steps stand for the journey. The dream becoming closer with each step.
Dreams never stay still, though. With music and theatre, the realisation of the dream is a performance. This has to be experienced by those present. Then it’s gone. The beauty and delight of the performance is shared only by those present. Recordings can be done and replayed, but they will never capture the lived moment and experience of those at the time. Like the two figures in the distance, they become part of the dream, and then it’s over, and the dreamer focuses on the next dream, or stage in the dream.
How the image is created: Masking fluid is painted onto watercolour paper to create an image. This is covered with a watercolour wash and covered with clingfilm. The picture is further developed using acrylic inks once the film is removed. The masking is removed after several layers are added and allowed to dry. Revealing the final picture.
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