Juliet Schreckinger - The Midnight Moondance

The Midnight Moondance
17”x17”, Ink and graphite on Arches hot pressed paper
$1700

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Herman the Heron had always dreamed of being a dancer, but did not believe herons could dance. He would see the longboard surfers dancing along their boards in the waves, and thought there was nothing more beautiful. He would imitate their dances in the sand, swaying to the repetitive sound of the waves breaking against the shore. One night, when he was practicing his dances in the cold sand, he saw a large figure moving slowly overhead. He flew up to it, and saw that it was a sperm whale. "How are you flying? Sperm whales can swim but cannot fly!" asked Herman. The sperm whale replied "Well, how are you dancing? Herons can fly, but they cannot dance! Yet I saw you, doing the most beautiful dances in the sand. And here I am, gliding through the night. I guess I wanted a better look at the moon, it is so glorious this time of night. I swam towards it, and before I even knew what was happening I was flying." Herman was so charmed by the whale, and figured that if whales can fly, herons can absolutely dance. "Come with me, we can get closer to the moon and both do things that were never before possible!" So Herman joined the beautiful old whale, dancing along his back as he had seen so many surfers dance on their longboards. Soon other herons flew up to witness this magical sight, a whale and a bird both doing the impossible under the moonlight.