A magnifying glass is a zooming apparatus commonly found in classrooms, while the Sun, as we know it, is Earth’s biggest source of energy.

When a skilled artisan like Romeo Dacanay– with all that his imagination can afford him– utilizes both, it results in a type of obra that is both uniquely simple and simply unique.

Dacanay, 40, is a Samar-born solar artisan residing in Quezon City who has found an artistic passion in creating burnt portraits using a sunlit magnifying glass.

“Hobby ko lang iyan dati. Nung ako ay waiter, pag oras ng pahinga, mag-uukit ako pantanggal ng stress,” shared Dacanay, recalling the humble beginnings of his unique form of artistry which started almost 14 years ago.

In 2010, while working full-time as a restaurant helper, he picked up a chisel and began carving his own hand-stenciled portraits on wooden planks. 

“(Nung) 2010 nagsimula ako… Parang hobby ko lang iyan. Ginagawa ko iyong pag-uukit-ukit pang destress ko. Nagta-trabaho ako sa restaurant eh, para rin meron akong pagkakitaan bilang sideline,” he told GMA Regional TV News in an interview during the Bahandi: Eastern Visayas Trade Fair last October. 

So, what exactly is solar (or sunlight) art?

According to Dacanay, the process is both intuitive and demanding– intuitive because the procedures follow a simple but mechanistic sequence, and demanding because of the effort it takes to finish one output. 

“Ang paggawa nito, nagsisimula sa stencil drawing. Ini-i-sketch ko siya tapos ilalapat ko hanggang ukitin ko. Pagkatapos ko ukitin, kukulayan ko naman yan gamit ang sikat ng araw at magnifying glass– manu-mano ko yang susunugin,” explained Dacanay.

It takes him three to four hours to finish sculpting the borders of his portrait, and an entire day– sometimes more depending on the design’s degree of difficulty– to burn it black using his magnifying glass.

“Sobrang hirap talaga, pag wala kang tiyaga o pagsisikap hindi mo magagawa yan.”

Making use of direct sunlight to give life and color to a stenciled portrait clearly entails having to be under the scorching heat of the sun for prolonged periods of time. 

For the Samar native, the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. window has been proven to be the most conducive time slot to maximize the afternoon heat, which unfortunately poses a serious hazard to his physical health, especially his eyes and skin. 

“Sobrang hirap lalo yung reflection galing sa araw, kaya gumagamit ako ng ginagamit sa welding na mask. Yun yung protector ko sa mata ko,” Dacanay shared.

“Ang pinakamabilis na pagkukulay niyan ay mga nasa alas-onse (11:00 in the morning) hanggang alas-una o alas-dos (1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon),” he added.

After years of passion and persistence with his chosen artistic expression, and while the 40-year-old sunlight artist continues to work part-time at his relative’s restaurant, Romeo has started reaping the fruits of his labor.

He has put up a carinderia of his own in his hometown in Motiong, Samar from selling his artworks.

“Nagbunga naman na yung pag-uukit ko. Nakapundar ako ng mamihan. Ang walling dun sa mga mamihan ko, karamihan puro mga art ko yung naka-design.”