Catching the Moon

About this work

In a small boat a lone figure stands upright. The boat does not float on water but drifts on clouds, lit gold from below. A fishing line stretches upwards from the boat towards a full golden moon in the deep blue night. It is a quiet, slightly impossible scene, and it is easy to imagine the line suddenly going taut.

Surreal art places ordinary things where they cannot be, so that a familiar object starts to carry a new meaning. A boat, a fishing rod and the moon are simple images, but together they become a picture about longing and patience. Folk tales in many countries tell of people trying to catch the moon, often its reflection in a pond or a well, and the story is usually told with affection rather than mockery. This work belongs to that gentle tradition: reaching for something out of reach, and perhaps catching it.

It is a good companion in a bedroom, a home office or a child’s room, where it can act as a small reminder to keep trying. Navy, dusk blue or warm grey walls deepen the night sky. Hang it with The Door at Sunset and The Whale over the Lighthouse to complete the Golden Hour Dreams set. The file prints sharply to roughly 76 cm on the long edge at 300 dpi.