Biography
Capri Rome is a 2021 graduate at Rutgers University, located in Camden, New Jersey, earning a degree with a major in animation and a minor in art history. Based in New Jersey, she has been working part-time freelance illustrator since 2016. Her artwork is predominantly in character illustration and character design but has developed skills in multiple areas over the course over ten years.
Capri’s goals and dreams always gravitated her towards art. She graduated high school in the Computer Science Academy, as vice president of the Computer Science Club. She was lead of scheduling club meetings and creating game tournaments to fundraise money for both the club and charities. Whilst in High School she interned at Rowan University for programing. Despite a completely different field, she managed to always find a way to create sprites, drawings, and short animations to include in her programs. This allowed her to work within groups of both familiar and new faces, sharing ideas and competing projects together. This internship provided her with skills and insight on how to collab, brainstorm, and work in a field where teamwork is essential.
Statement
Since I was a child, I was interested in many different artistic forms, whether it be painting, drawing, or animation. Unfortunately, throughout most of my life pursuing art was extremely discouraged as anything more than a child’s hobby. Art was a use of escape for me, creating fantastical worlds and new characters. All my art is an expression of what I feel whether it be sad or a reflection of what inspires me.
College has been a long journey for me, and when I took off a year, I felt like a failure. I was supposed to be done already. When I created this animation, it was to remind myself, that even if you stray off, or fall off the intended path, you can still reach your goal at the end. The new path might even be more rewarding than the original. You might meet some friends along the way, learn things about yourself, or experience something that you never knew you would. The fairies in this story represent my two best friends. I have always prided myself on being independent; refusing to ask for help. I learned over that year, it’s okay to ask for help and receive help, it does not make you any less “strong” or independent. These fairies helped her through the forest, despite she had panned on following a map to get home herself. Without the help, she would have been lost. Falling and getting lost turned out to be a blessing in disguise.