Darren Haper

I spent the early part of my childhood in the heat and humidity of the south-Arkansas and Louisiana. The first few years of my education were held in a one room private school (Think of a modern day little house on the prairie school) grades 2-8 with approximately 12 students spread out throughout the grade levels. I skipped kindergarten and first grade, not because I was a child prodigy, but because there was no curriculum for those grade levels. My mom was the teacher and this did not work out very well.We lived on the school grounds in a mobile home (I was not allowed to call it a trailer. My Mom always said a trailer is what you put cotton in.) Because it was such a small school, there was no art class. Somehow I found the materials I needed to create, and that is when a whole world opened up for me. I began my newly found interest drawing triangular cars with huge wheels in the back and tiny ones in the front. The engine or “blower” as I called it was the most important part of the drawing. The bigger the better, even if it was completely out of proportion with the drawing.
By fifth grade I was living in Baton Rouge, Lousiana and attending a larger school. My mom was still a teacher and there was no art class at this school e...

BFA Miami University