This illustration depicts the Hawley-Green neighborhood, which is near downtown Syracuse. However, the illustration is not a map. Instead of an exact replica of the buildings and neighborhood, I consider the illustration an attempt at communicating my impression of how it feels to live here.

To me, it's one of the most interesting places in Syracuse; many of the buildings have been taken care of for more than a century and the neighborhood is full of friendly community spirit.

Hawley-Green is a diverse place where a variety of people live in harmony, and slowly but surely a thriving community is coming into bloom. Creative people, new homes and small businesses are moving into the area. The neighborhood is a sign of hope for a city that really needs such signs.

This haiku initially caught my eye because I'm a fan of poetry and I'm familiar with the café in Hanover Square. What really sealed the deal was the actual scene I found when I visited open mic night at the Coffee Pavilion; the audience was really tuned—in to the reader—all these engaging postures and expressions—and the reader had this great body language.

Since the haiku depicted brotherhood, I probably shouldn't have been surprised by the diversity of the audience, but I was. The poetry brought together a true variety of people, and I sketched what I saw. The people and the feel of the scene are what I attempted to capture.