"Originally I was going to paint the Weather Dancer in an interior setting, but the very image of the finished painting came to me very late one night when I was fast asleep. Hence the title, The Weather Dancer Dream..."

Combining his artistry with his subconscious instinct, Terpning captures the glory of The Blackfoot Weather Dancer—a priestly figure charged with the responsibility to keep the weather favorable at the Sundance Ceremony. The majesty of Terpning's art matches the majesty of a man who could part a storm—standing amidst a deluge without being dampened before the rain would come to an inexplicable but merciful end.