Pasqualina's Dream or a story from the 5th dimension...
Most of my work is product of an systematic creative process. First there is the idea, then sketches exploring the possibilities, followed by studies and then I start working on the final piece, and even at this stage the idea keeps evolving. However, in some cases the idea and the urge to create the image come in a way that I start working on the final piece without any preliminary work.
That was the case with "Pasqualina's Dream" and this is the story on how it came to be named like that.
At the time when I did this painting our friend Pasqualina lived next door to us. The houses were very close, less than two metres apart. Her house's entrance was next to my studio window, she would wave from her gate whenever she saw me working, and very often she would come over for a chat.
I used to paint until very late, it was not uncommon to end up working all night and sometimes into the morning. The day when I finished the painting was one of those occassions that I'd been working well into the morning. As Pasqualina left for work she saw that I was still up and came to say hello. As she entered into the room her usual cheerful greetings changed into a look of astonishment that I could not understand. My first reaction was to ask if she was ok, if there was something wrong...
Finally, hesitantly she said: "...when...did you do that..." while pointing at the painting.
"Last night..." was my prompt response, and then I added "what's wrong with it?"
Pasqualina replied: "Yesterday I went early to bed because I didn't feel very well and...you're not going to believe this: I spent all night dreaming that I was in that place!" - pointing at the painting but without looking at it this time. Then she explained how every detail in the painting was like her dream....
What else can I say, did I paint my friend's dream or did she dream my painting?...anyway as an old sage used to say: "I don't believe in the supernatural, but as if it exists, it does!"