Dreams Can Come True

This mural is my A-level final piece and it's a mural about the tale of Orpheus; a Greek myth.

I chose the tale of Orpheus because I feel it captures the essence of life.

The blue figures of the mural represent Eurydice (Orpheus' late wife) but also the negatively impactful events everyone experiences in life; the orange figures represent Apollo (Orpheus' father, famed god and archer). The golden arrow acts as a positive guiding force and the entire section symbolises the positively impactful events in one's life. Orpheus, the central figure, rises through it all and grasps the constellation (Lyra) of his Lyre. The mural is commentary on how we can still achieve in life despite the awful things that happen to us and that our life and our achievements can only be shaped by the good and bad we experience. The mural is also a reminder that children can achieve their dreams (painting murals is one of mine) and that a creative career path is possible and are accessible. 

As such, I received an Unconditional Offer from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to study Scenic Painting for Theatre and Film. It is a specialist course which teaches me skills like scaling up and painting and texturing techniques that are essential for set design. I am really fortunate to get on the course and I cannot wait to start the next chapter of my life - one hopefully filled with large-scale murals and theatre productions.  To follow what I do next, check out my Instagram page @dawsonpaints. 

I want to thank Mr Bond, the FOXS, the Premises Team and the Art Department for supporting me and helping make this happen. I'm so very grateful.

Ella D (Year 13, 2021)