Poster Image
$20
Item#: 2014SYR09
Purchase Details
11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.
You also receive…
An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.
Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.
Buzzing Up Above
poster information
Description
Buzzing up above
Cicadas in the treetops
Shower me with songs.
I love haiku because it's a cool challenge to capture an entire moment in 17 syllables. I often compose haiku in my head when I'm running. That's how this one came about. I was running at Green Lakes, under the trees in July, and the cicadas provided the signing.
I'm an elementary school teacher and I do haiku with the kids. It helps them to focus and really look at something, instead of just rushing past. Then, when they actually put it into words, I hope they see it in a new way, and say, “Wow!”
I like drawing organic themes because of my fondness for nature, so when I saw “Cicadas”, I was inspired. I thought I could illustrate a creature and the trees. I immediately thought of Oakwood Cemetery. I went there and took plenty of reference shots. The illustration is based on one of the photos taken there.
Cicadas have these brilliant wings with intricate patterns. Their wings are like stained glass. Some people think insects are gross, but I wanted to bring forth and idea of beauty. I love mythological stories, and nouveau, and Japanese printmaking. I tried to combine my sources of inspiration to create a soothing, ethereal mood. I love that living in Syracuse allows for moments of nature where you can sit and listen.