The lines, “Slow awakening in the dark swirls below—a lake comes to life,” reminded me of the clean-up effort at Onondaga Lake.

In a lot of my artwork I enjoy conveying subtle movements and emotion. The haiku was dark and mystical but optimistic as well.

For the poster, I also thought about what I would like to see as a kid walking down a Syracuse Street. Seeing two very large leafy sea dragons would be exciting. In addition to making an image that exemplified Syracuse, I wanted to make something you wouldn't see everyday.