A Calendar Wallpaper

Every year at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Online we get asked to create a company desktop calendar for internal use. This year I was asked to create a piece and I chose June as it is my birthday month.

My intention here was to play on the reversals that happen in June. On June 21, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun begins to reverse its path across the sky. An observer who has watched the sunrise/set position move from south to east between December and June will now see the sun reach a standstill and within a few days begin to move from north to south across the horizon. As a result of the solstice, the days will begin to shorten (i.e. less periods of sunlight) and the moon begins to gain dominance over the northern hemisphere sky.

So reversals is the driving force behind this artwork. Hence, I have the female figure (Tinkerbell) created from fire (traditionally a solar and masculine element/force), while the male figure (Mickey) is reflected in the water (traditionally a lunar and feminine element/force). Reversals in gender according to traditional symbolism! Also, you may notice that Mickey and his reflection form a crescent moon, a little visual wink speaking to the increasing periods of moonlight that happen after the summer solstice. Finally, as a final pun on reversals, I placed the Sorcerer from Disney's Fantasia in the upper left. For those who do not know, this characters name is Yensid, which, fittingly, is Disney spelled out in reverse!