The Syracuse Poster Project has a special place in my heart because of my time at Syracuse University. When I researched Gustav Stickley, he reminded me of the resilient, quality driven artists I had befriended in school.

In his magazine, “The Craftsman,” he encouraged readers to make things by hand, so that’s what I did. Ink brush pens are my favorite for their bold lines and force me to be confident, since there’s no way to erase mistakes! I wanted to draw a beautiful oak tree, since that was how he created much of his iconic furniture. Then I painted tons of textures in acrylic gouache using sponges, toothbrushes, and paintbrushes. I scanned everything in and assembled the pieces, similar to assembling furniture!

The concept was simple: a luscious oak tree and his iconic Morris chair underneath. These two elements provide the everyman with comfort and beauty that can live on for hundreds of years. In the poem, the verse “Stickley reigns supreme” represents his legacy which not only impacted the furniture industry, but created a community that loves the craft.

The phase “trick-or-treat” caught my interest immediately. I love Halloween. The costumes, pranks and free candy are all I need to feel like a kid again. Sugary smiles and the crunching of fall leaves beneath little kid feet bring great joy to me, and it is full of warm memories.

I have always admired both abstract and surreal artwork, so I tried to implement that conceptually into my poster, by placing the children in the leaves, so they are one with nature. Leaves come in a variety of shapes, colors, and hues similar to the diversity of the world and Syracuse University in particular. Every leaf is beautiful and constantly changing, like children who go through changes and someday become adults. I wanted the boys and girls in my poster to represent different types of beautiful leaves, innocent and pure. I wanted them to look like a lovely group of friends having a great time together.