A Little Ray of Sunshine by Jago

Puzzle explanation

The diagonals in cells containing two letters joined up to form a large > shape, suggesting the “focusing” of WHITE LIGHT in the first column onto a PRISM (20dn). The seven conventional colours of the visible spectrum were hidden in successive columns to the right of that, to be highlighted in their respective colours (or solvers’ best attempts to match them).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 WEATHER EYE (HAW TREE) * + homophone of I
7 CLODS 2 meanings
12 HOGWARD HOG-WARD
13 ORES (f)ORES(t)
14 BIGOT GO in BIT
16 SCHORL SCHOLAR * − A
17 ALNAGE (GLEAN + A) *
19 TREETOP POTTER * around (lim)E
21 EARS 2 meanings
22 PER PRO PROPER with halves switched
24 REIVER (therefo)RE I’VE R(eformed)
26 LYOMERI (ROYAL MILE − AL) *
28 HAWES SHE * around (A + W)
30 GILA GI + LA
35 E-BOOKS BO in (E + OKS)
36 GRASSUM GRASS + UM
37 EGENCY (r)EGENCY
40 HUB-CAP H(onda) U(sed) B(oth) C(ardboard) A(nd) P(lastic)
41 ADES (tr)ADE S(how)
42 UPLEAD U + P(aper) + LEAD
43 TAINT ’TAINT
44 GOLD BEETLE (TO BLEED LEG) *
Down
2 EGOS EG + OS
3 TASTES ST in (A SET) *
4 EDH (crabb)ED H(andwriting)
5 ERROR (RR in ROE) <
6 YELL 2 meanings
8 LIND LIN + D
9 OGAM O + GAM
10 DOGIE DOG + IE
11 STEER 2 meanings
13 OOMPH OOMPAH − A
15 FUERO (OUR FE(e)) *
17 AGREE AG + REE
18 LUES L(arge) U(lcers) E(ating) S(kin)
22 ÉPERDU (theatr)E + PRUDE *
23 OWRES WORSE *
25 VIOL V + OIL *
27 YORUBA (BURY + O(thers’) A(ncestors)) *
29 ANGEL A + N + LEG <
30 GOYLE (LEGO + Y) *
31 ASIDE A-SIDE
32 FASCI F + ASCI
33 KISAN (A SKIN) *
34 REDO (seve)RE DO(ubters)
38 NUB NUB(ile)
39 DAL LAD <
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