Particles of the Sun

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Date: 1982

The Particles of the Sun

I grew up on a farm, where my days began and ended with the sun. Its golden rays kissed the endless fields of corn where I worked alongside my family, soaking the land in light that seemed almost alive. I remember standing in those fields, barely tall enough to see over the crops, watching the sunlight scatter through dewdrops, bounce off leaves, and dissolve into the soil. Even as a child, I could feel its energy, flowing through the earth, the plants, and me—a quiet, universal force that connected everything.

Those early days shaped how I see the sun—not just as a source of light, but as a great giver of life. It seemed both distant and intimate, scattering its energy in all directions yet weaving everything together in perfect harmony. That realization planted the seeds of my fascination with contrasts—the way the sun could be chaotic yet precise, playful yet profound, vast yet personal. Its particles were everywhere, transforming and grounding life at every level.

And that’s the inspiration behind this week’s piece, The Particles of the Sun. This artwork is a visual ode to the sun’s infinite energy—fragmented, scattered, and reassembled into forms that reflect the diversity of life. Each layer of the composition captures a different aspect of solar energy as it transforms through the natural world: creation, movement, and eventual grounding in the earth. Let me take you deeper into its story.

Symbolic Elements and Visual Design

1. The Upper Layer: The Spark of Creation
Bathed in golden yellow, the topmost figures—one reminiscent of a face with an almost plant-like plume, the other a lion-like sunburst—embody the sun’s creative force. They are radiant and playful, brimming with vitality. This layer represents the first scattering of particles, where energy from the sun begins its cosmic journey, sparking life and imagination.

The cloud forms along the top edge suggest that even the sun’s brilliance must filter through veils of mystery, adding depth and softness to its otherwise raw power.

2. The Middle Layer: The Flux of Transformation
The creatures in the center hover in a transitional state, their birdlike and serpentine qualities evoking flight, movement, and metamorphosis. This is the realm where solar energy transforms—feeding plants, fueling weather systems, and sustaining animals. The muted tones of yellow and blue suggest both harmony and tension, capturing the delicate balance of this energy in motion.

The overlapping identities of the creatures here—part predator, part prey—remind us that energy is neither created nor destroyed, only passed from one form to the next.

3. The Lower Layer: Grounded Power
At the base, the horned bovine figure stands firmly within a serene blue wash, with humanoid faces nestled beneath it like roots. This layer represents the grounding of the sun’s energy into the earth itself, absorbed into soil, stone, and the rhythms of life. The red horns of the creature cut through the serenity, suggesting the raw, unyielding power that remains even in rest.

The ghostly faces beneath evoke ancestors, or perhaps the sun’s long memory of everything it has ever touched, a reminder of our connection to the past and the energy we carry forward.

Techniques

The soft, diffused watercolor washes echo the way sunlight scatters through the atmosphere. The choice of unbroken, whimsical linework reflects the interconnectedness of all life touched by the sun’s energy. The simplicity of the design invites the viewer to see both the macrocosm (the grand system of energy and transformation) and the microcosm (the personalities of each individual figure).

The restrained palette—yellow, blue, and subtle red—mirrors the sun’s daily journey, from the golden glow of sunrise to the cool descent into dusk.

Emotional Impact

The piece evokes a sense of wonder at the sun’s omnipresence and its ability to permeate every aspect of life. The faces and forms are simultaneously humorous and profound, encouraging us to see both the cosmic and the personal. There’s a joyful, childlike quality here, but also an underlying reverence for the forces that shape existence.

Life Lesson

The sun’s particles remind us of the nature of energy—it moves through us, shaping our lives and the world around us, only to return to its source.  Who are we ourselves?   Are we playful creators like the sunburst lion? Are we in a state of flux and transformation? Or are we grounded, drawing strength from our roots and the earth itself?

As Georgia O’Keeffe said, "Nobody sees a flower—really—it is so small it takes time...like taking time to have a friend."  The particles of the sun require attention to truly appreciate. We may take time to notice how sunlight transforms the world around us and within us.