I remember sitting in class reading through a few dozen of the haiku and I noticed how most of them were about the downtown, SU campus, and suburban areas. Then I picked this one up and it immediately stood out to me because it was about a more natural location in Central New York. I had a pretty clear image right away, which incorporated the pond and trees on one layer and a translucent, ghostly swan going over the whole thing.
Before I started painting, however, I felt that that particular idea didn't match the haiku's character and that it was a bit too complex for this haiku, which focuses more on simplicity. I ended up digging through a couple of photographs of swans I took and put one in. I think that the end result is more natural and simplistic.
Faceted shadows
across the shimmering pond
a still life of swans
