Support: The support is a moderately thick, cream-colored, smooth wove, sulfite wood-pulp paper (cartridge paper from an adhered block or pad).

Ground or Support Preparation: Graphite underdrawing can be seen in some forms under magnification and using infrared imaging.

Design Layers: Form outlines were either indicated with small, light graphite dots or graphite lines. The works were outlined and filled with water only, creating a distinct wet paper form to which watercolor was then added, allowing it to bleed to the edge of the wetted paper. The form was allowed to dry completely, and subsequent forms were added in a similar method, maintaining more or less formal, linear edges and unpainted margins between the forms. Paints have been preliminarily characterized using micro-fade vis spectrometry, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at 15kV and 40kV and 28.8 and 3.8 µA under full vacuum, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR. They include vermillion mercuric sulfide, lead red, carmine red, lead chromate yellow, barium white, Eosine lake pink, and Prussian blue.

Surface Coating: None.

Framing, Backing, and Hanging Hardware: The work is framed in a contemporary micro-environmentally buffered and gasketed, Ni/Al metal-leaf, "clam shell" profile frame that is a reproduction of O'Keeffe's original design created with the framer/artist George Of. The buffering media is either Rhapid gel or ArtSorb sheet, buffered to 45% RH, contained within the Marvelseal-lined frame backing panel with a micro-chamber activated charcoal/zeolite clay embedded paper cover as the dust-proof barrier. The glazing is Optium® tin salt-coated, UV-absorbing, static-free, non-reflective acrylic. The Optium glazing has a Volara closed-cell polyethylene gasket/pad. The frame is fitted with a laminated, Volara-gasketed backing strainer which has a Security mirror-hanger and T-bolt hardware as well as D-rings.

The painting is complete and retains all the original structural and material elements that the artist applied at the time of fabrication. No auxiliary materials or structures have been applied. There is uniform, fine drying craquelure in areas of dense, media-rich paint application, with isolated pinpoint losses in areas of dense red and blue pooled paint, particularly at the edges of the forms. All media appear secure and stable in areas of drying craquelure and abrasion.

The image area has a slightly yellowed cast from light exposure to the wood-pulp paper, with the margin of the support sheet noticeably brighter as a result of historic over-matting. The top edge has a slight crease from pressure applied by a historic over mat.

There is a diagonal crease across the viewer's upper left corner and a repaired tear in the top edge just to the viewer's right of center. The work has planar cockles/undulations typical of all the sheets from this block of cartridge paper, resulting in periodic pools of paint and the artist's application.

There are abrasions in the blue foreground, just to the viewer's left of center, as well as in the yellow sun figure, along the left edge of the design area where red and blue paints meet, and at the bottom corners.