I chose this haiku because it has so many elements that were just begging to be illustrated. Lots of disparate ideas: Trees! Yoga! Salt!

The sky is the sunset over the Seneca river, the tree is cut and embossed metal, the salt is a photo that I colored with pencils, and I snuck in a simple Syracuse skyline. I’ve been primarily a printmaker, but collage has become more and more a part of my art. I’m fortunate to have a room full of papers, inks, and unique items most people would have no use for. It’s so exciting to be part of the 2023 Syracuse Poster Project!

Creating an illustration of a haiku is one of my favorite things to do. Reading the poet’s work helps organize some of the random visual ideas in my head.

As soon as I read the haiku I chose, I thought of Onondaga Lake Park. As a teen, I walked miles by the water sharing crucial gossip with friends. More recently, I lived, kayaked, and rowed on the lake; and took my kids there in strollers. Like many, I've been spending lots of time there in the past year. There are people in the robes of other countries, walkers and runners moving with such purpose, and dogs pulling their owners towards interesting scents. Geese wander on the snowiest, sunniest, rainiest days unaware that no one likes them. And yes, no matter what, the sun still rises.

It was enjoyable using whatever materials best serve my ideas, employing diverse materials in unexpected ways. For this piece, metal, paint, block printing and paper folding were combined. Such fun!