Silvana Cordova

BFA New Media

ARTIST STATEMENT: The animation “Monch” is a short, animated film with a character I designed foraging for magic flowers deep in the woods. In addition, the four images surrounding the screen are illustrations I made to represent the four common places the magical flower grows. The paintings shows a skull, a shrine, a forest, and a spirit or God-like entity.

 The four illustrations are about the four main places where the magical flowers grow and the “Monch” character who feeds on them. There is no explanation of how or why the flowers come about, only that they produce odd magic energy used by humans in their world. The flowers produce these magic orbs that are both rare and valuable to any magic user in the world around the little creature. However, it is only these small creatures that seem to be able to locate them. The flowers grow by shrines that are either abandoned or not frequented by humans. They grow by the dead, more specifically, by those who died with intense emotions or desire to live like soldiers on battle fields. The third location they grow deep in forests or by crystals where humans have never gone. And finally, the flowers also grow by sources of powerful energy such as divine spirits or gods.

 Since the flowers grow deep in forests, by the dead, religious shrines, and near God like entities, people began creating stories regarding the origins of the flowers. These stories form local folklore about how or why these flowers bloom along with the creature who feed on them. Natives who live by the sites where the flowers grow always see these odd shadow creatures nearby feeding on them. Because the creature always shows up where ever the flowers bloom the creature has all sorts of different folklores with the said flowers. Similar to how certain animals are associated as assistances of gods or are symbols of some sort of mythical entity. Such as how crows are associated with misfortune and ominous misfortune or owls with knowledge and wisdom. The four illustrations show case one specific character in each said location looking to make a quick meal.

 My animation was created in Clip Studio Paint EX and my illustrations are with watercolor and digital media with same program. I created this project to bring my characters to life through animations. This animation holds great meaning to me because this is a cutesy shadow monster character, I doodled for fun my sketchbook. Now I am finally able to bring him to life and tell a part of his story and the world he lives in.