Pixel Rocky

by Lauren Harmer

“I am a 22 year old amatuer graphic design student. My work is inspired by whimsy aesthetics, calming colors, and subjects I love such as animals, pastels, video games, and cozy comforts. A lot of my inspiration comes from the media I consume, my pets, or gifts I want to curate for specific loved ones. While a majority of my work is digital and design oriented, I also enjoy painting, ceramics, and sculpture. Pixel Rocky is a painting I created as a christmas gift for my father in 2022 of his dog Rocky. The pixelated aspect was inspired by my love of pixel art and 8-bit games. I hand picked a family favorite image, pixelated it, then measured and manually scaled it to the size of the canvas. Rocky unfortunately passed unexpectedly in the beginning of this year, and thus the painting has become a way for the family to memorialize him and remember him fondly.”