Nuit

393 AC - With the tips of my fingers, I flick the hairs of my brush to splatter white dots on my canvas, making stars. Then I wipe my hand on my apron and take a few steps back to admire my work. Dad always says you need to stand back to properly look at what you've done. When you're too close, you focus too much on the details. You notice all the faults, all the inaccuracies… But what's important is the overall view. It's Nuit, hugging the sun. She cradles it, and will soon cover it with her cloak of stars and darkness to bring on the night. I love to paint. I've known that since I was very little. It's probably why I have such a visual imagination.

I look at the painting from every angle. If I want to summon Nuit and make night fall, I need to remember every detail of the scene: the constellations, the starlight, the moons… was I right to paint three of them? I shrug. If I want to make her more real, it's easier if all viewers can clearly understand who she is. OK, note for later: Add golden patterns that recall Egyptian gods… And why not show an eclipse happening? Rather pleased with myself, I go to the sink to clean my brushes with thinner. And on the way, I tell Bubbles not to swim too close to my daubing.

Nuit is a goddess from Egyptian mythology. She is the personification of the sky and heavens, as well as all celestial phenomena. Mother of the stars and protector of the earth, she also gave birth to Osiris, Seth, Isis and Nephthys by mating with her twin brother Geb, who represents the earth. Every evening, it's said that Nuit makes the sun disappear within her, then makes it reappear in the morning, thus illustrating her nocturnal journey across the sky.

NADIR