I like my work to be abstract and loose, not photo-realistic or cartoony. For me, painting is more about a mood, rather than dwelling on a subject. So for this piece, I went to Armory Square, took some reference photos of the buildings, and then took colors out of magazines—color swatches—and used them as the base of my painting, as a kind of collage, and painted over them.

I wanted a lot of movement in the crowd, but nothing specific happening. I mean, I could have showed people eating food, or playing music, or could have showed their faces. But here, instead of focusing on a specific thing, you get the overall feeling of a craft festival. My teachers keep saying it looks like a European city. It wasn't meant to be. I guess it's just my take on what I think Syracuse looks like.