It’s not uncommon for laughter to peal through Brian Peterson’s home. For the California-based muralist and his wife, Vanessa, everyday life revolves around their three kids, who often enjoy playing with floating bubbles. That childlike wonder and joy are both at the heart of Chase Dreams Like Bubbles, Peterson’s newest project in Long Beach.
Designed for the city’s Marriott Hotel, the mural sweeps across an otherwise bare facade, bringing with it a vibrant optimism. A little girl peers toward the sky with hopeful eyes, bubbles circling her as they continue their climb up the building. The work is drenched in a complementary color palette, where blue and orange tones contrast yet still build off one another. The result is a charming sense of buoyancy, mimicking the bubbles that swirl around the central figure. Even so, these bubbles represent more than just playfulness.
“As we reflected on the rich artistic culture of Long Beach, we couldn’t help but wonder how many people in this city were carrying unfulfilled dreams quietly in their hearts,” Peterson tells My Modern Met. “It was Vanessa who imagined a child chasing bubbles as the perfect metaphor for pursuing [those] dreams. What began as a family moment in our living room has become a towering visual reminder to never stop chasing what sets your heart free.”
It’s certainly an apt comparison. Much like a dream, bubbles teeter just beyond our reach, graceful in their movement, weightless in their composition, and ephemeral in their presence. Still, a bubble’s “fleeting nature,” as Peterson describes it, doesn’t detract from the mural’s ultimate call to action. Instead, it reveals how dreams are not only constantly evolving but sequential, a new one always on the brink of emerging even as one suddenly evaporates.
“As creatives, our dreams often arrive in the same way, one after another, delicate and full of potential,” Peterson says. “Yet all too often discouragement or setbacks can cause those dreams to vanish before they ever take flight. This mural is an invitation to remain open and expectant.”
That “invitation” is made all the more monumental thanks to the mural’s scale—both physically and creatively. For the first time, Peterson shared his creative process with his wife, and, in another first, worked on a suspended scaffold to reach greater heights. At night, he and his team projected the mural’s design onto the lower half of the hotel’s 12-story facade, whereas virtual reality goggles and the Stencil VR app helped “guide the layout with precision” for the upper portions. All told, it took six days of dedicated work to complete Chase Dreams Like Bubbles, which now stands as Long Beach’s tallest mural at 86 feet.
“I don’t hope this is just the tallest mural in Long Beach. I hope it becomes the most meaningful, etched not just on a building but in the hearts of all who pass by,” Peterson adds. “I’ve met too many creative souls who have quietly abandoned their callings. This mural is for them.”
To learn more about the artist and Chase Dreams Like Bubbles, visit Brian Peterson’s website.
