A year ago I was lucky enough to spend a semester abroad in Europe. While there I visited the king's chapel, Sainte Chapelle, in Paris, France. I fell in love with the stained glass windows in that sanctuary and have been fascinated with them ever since. So when the opportunity came to paint stained glass—I could only jump on such a project.

St. Paul's Cathedral in downtown Syracuse echoes that faraway church in Paris through its decoration of stained glass. After close examination of the poem and the church, I chose to do my painting at night with the rarely seen view of stained glass lit from the inside. This decision also allowed me to depict Syracuse's signature snowfall, and the attendants of St. Paul's.