TY - GEN T1 - [6] The Puddle AU - Harper, Tara AB - My presentation entitled The Puddle is an imaginative digital “flipbook” reminiscent of the Post-It Note version I made as a child. Through the use of rich colors and playful, moving illustrations, I invite viewers to join me in feelings of nostalgia and call upon their own similar memories that have shaped who they are today. I have always loved to draw. When I was around eight years old, I happened upon a yellow Post-It book as I was searching for paper in my mom’s work desk. As my tiny fingers skimmed along the book’s edge, the sheets turned in rapid succession and inspired me to make my own cartoon similar to the ones I often watched on TV. After making several sketches, a simple story emerged from the pages: a shoe and a ball splashing through a puddle. I creatively entitled it The Puddle in squiggly letters; and thus, my first flipbook was born. When I see that book now, I am flooded with nostalgia about my past. To reflect this sentiment, I am pleased to present a chronological collection of memories recounting my formative years. This includes the challenges, triumphs, and seemingly insignificant moments that have for some reason been the most impactful in shaping my life. Though these memories are highly personal to me, I hope all viewers can share in my nostalgia and reflect on the “highs” and “lows” that have ultimately brought them to their current selves. In this latest motion graphic reinvention of The Puddle, I seek to echo my growth as an artist and person through the use of digital media and graphic design, both concentrations of my adult artistic career. Retaining the spirit of the original book with similar cartoon-like humor, bold linework, typography, and even gentle motion to evoke page turns, this new “flipbook” combines scenes of vivid color and energetic characters to create a more developed experience reflective of my artistic training and personality. Though a lot of things have changed in my life, a part of me will always be that eight-year-old with a passion for art. Through actively reveling in my past, I am better able to appreciate the artist and person I have grown to become. In a similar way, I hope others are able to do the same and we can connect through the experience of nostalgia. Art is a part of my past, present, and future and I am excited to see where the story goes. KW - puddle KW - graphic KW - childhood KW - animation DA - 2020-10-1 PY - 2024 ER -