We started this project in the fall, and I was very much in the fall spirit at the time. I wanted to create a picture that people could associate with fall in a collective, unconscious sense. Not a painting about a specific scene—more about the sense and feeling fall gives you, which seemed to be the aim of the poem as well.

I grew up in Liverpool, and since childhood, I've traveled up to the Adirondacks to go climbing in the High Peaks each fall. That's probably why I love fall so much. Up there, you're completely surrounded by it, from the cold air to the leaves changing color, and you gain a real appreciation for the incredible change that's taking place as the world prepares for winter.

It's difficult to encapsulate such a fundamental notion in a single image, and I met several limitations during the execution of the painting. I hope that despite this, my image still accentuates the mood created by the poem.