A flash of lightning lights the open skylight above a crowded attic workbench. Three small diamond kites hang against the storm clouds, their lines descending past the timber frame with bright points of blue light. Below them, a boy in an oversized white coat raises both fists, his mouth open in a broad expression of triumph. Large dark goggles sit across his eyes.

His scruffy terrier stands beside him wearing a smaller pair of goggles. The dog looks upward from among jars of metal fasteners, loose tools, copper coils and a plain black battery. Bicycle wheels lean against the beams, and simple drawings of imagined machines cover the sloping wall. Scratches on the bench and marks in the timber give the room the feeling of a well-used hiding place.

Warm lamps pick out the dog’s wiry fur, the boy’s striped jumper and the edges of the scattered equipment. Cold light from the storm fills the top of the picture. The low viewpoint brings the clutter close while leaving room for the open sky, holding a playful moment of discovery between a small workshop and a very large night.