This week, we are so happy to highlight M Sloris. M is a dedicated Shapeways Crew member, artist and designer. She has an amazing shop full of nature-inspired jewelry that’s differnt than anything you’ve seen. Her pieces will be sure to make great gifts; she’s even ordered inventory, aware of our material cut-off dates, allowing customers to order past deadlines!
Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?
I’m a fine artist who first discovered the world of 3D printing about two years ago. My initial goal was to design jewelry based on the forms in my oil paintings; that resulted in the ‘One Infinity’collection. I live and work on the road. Over the last year; I joined the SW crew from Songkhla, Thailand, launched my website from Granada, Spain, created multiple new designs for the holiday season in Palermo, Italy, and just received the first prints of that work in Mahdia, Tunisia.
What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?
I enjoy challenging common assumptions. I identify what defines an object or concept and undermine that while still maintaining its essence. For example, I twist, turn, push and pull my infinity signs until they’re barely recognizable, and yet they’re still two loops overlapping in the middle. I shoot a hole directly through the center of my holeyware glasses, but they don’t leak. In my newest works, I reference water by highlighting its absence; the hard results left in the wake of a soft and malleable element, like a ravine.
What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?
When I put my mind to it, I can procrastinate like nobody’s business. My partner, Jesse, had been asking (i.e. harassing) me to sketch a design for a piece of jewelry for over a year. I avoided action because of the many problems I associated with traditional manufacturing. Frustrated, Jesse dove into Google, determined to find a solution. He came across Shapeways and our great new adventure began.
How did you learn how to design in 3D?
Hair pulling, teeth grinding and the creative and extensive use of expletives. I began with Blender, using YouTube tutorials coupled with random and blind experimentation. Recently, I’ve been working in Rhino with T-splines, which flows very naturally in creating my newest organic asymmetrical designs.
How do you promote your work?
I wish I could spend all my time creating, but this would leave me with an audience of one. Every day, I make an effort to promote. Whether I invest 5 minutes or 5 hours, it’s better than inactivity. I do my best to cover the social networking avenues that feel the most natural to me; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Jesse developed our proprietary website. I’ve really enjoyed working with Shapeways as a guest blogger and crew member. I reach out to specific writers at online and real world publications. We recently opened shops on Etsy and Amazon.
Who are your favorite designers or artists? Who in the Shapeways community has served as an inspiration to you?
Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Amedeo Modigliani, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, Mark Rothko, Lucien Freud, Francis Bacon, Richard Serra, Ernesto Neto, Cecily Brown… I could go on and on and on and on. The people in the SW community that really impress me are those that assist others and are active in the forums. They’re knowledgeable, humorous and very seldom leave a post unanswered.
If you weren’t limited by current technologies, what would you want to make using 3D printing?
Size matters. I love to create medium to large format paintings. Being able to sculpt using 3D printing with similar dimensions in multiple materials would be spectacular.
Anything else you want to share?
I’m thrilled that shapeways brought 3D printing into my life, but the real bonus is the cool community that comes along with it. Thanks to everyone who has made me feel welcome and supported.
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS SHOP:
- Great photography
- Different “collections” with their own unique styles
- Fun experimentation with materials
- Great profile, shop description, sections for easier shopping, etc
- REALLY love the idea of keeping inventory so customers can order past any holiday deadlines!
M, thank you for a really lovely interview. Your work is fascinating and beautiful! Those metals look so great. Don’t forget to keep up with M’s work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. As always, to be featured, email aimee @ shapeways.com.
Great interview with an amazing designer! I’m totally stealing the inventory idea because (a) I have unsold inventory and (b) I think it’s a great idea to stock up a bit, especially in the holiday season.
Thanks for your kind words 🙂 Maybe if a few of us list in stock items, SW will promote products that are immediately available.