This weeks Designer Spotlight focuses on Trish Dobson, whose love of the power of transformation has led her to create fun wearable pieces.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?
I am an artist and designer from Baltimore, Maryland who loves traditional craft as well as 3D digital technologies.
What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?
During my undergraduate studies at Towson University in the Object Design program, I became deeply fascinated with childhood experience. I always loved the book “Where the Wild Things Are” and it spurred on my love of costume and cosplay. I like to be able to create pieces that let you step outside yourself for a moment and become another persona.
What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?
Before my university had an in-house Object Lab, we sent all of our projects to Shapeways for printing. After school, it became the obvious answer to start my line of costume accessories because of the multiple materials and reasonable prices.
How did you learn how to design in 3D?
I started out in traditional sculpture and I got really frustrated that it never looked the way I wanted. I had a project that forced me into the digital realm and things just sort of clicked. After that, I took every class I could get in the medium and spent my free time teaching myself other programs via online tutorials and experimentation.
How do you promote your work?
I am big into social media, I have a Facebook page, I’m on Twitter and Instagram. I am all over it. I also love forums because of the person to person interactions you get there.
Who are your favorite designers or artists?
In general, I am inspired by Alexander McQueen and Caroline Moiret’s wearable sculptures. Here on Shapeways there are a lot of great artists like Nervous System, Joaquin Baldwin, and DotSan. I love anything that really shows the possibilities of 3D printing.
If you weren’t limited by current technologies, what would you want to make using 3D printing?
A house. I really want a custom printed house where each room has a different theme.
Check out Trish’s designs on her Shapeways Shop and if you’d like the Designer Spotlight to focus on you next week, email natalia@shapeways.com
gr8 designs u have. i really dig the sly, hilariously creative Fruit-grenade–and i thought the pun someone wrote was perfect “When life gives you lemons, make “lemon ‘nades.” Even tho most folks probly like ur main work the most–the costume style pieces–i really thought the nut/bolt-twisty tea cups were awesome.
Thank you. I do love those teacups. I mean to do more of them.
hey just saw ur comment ((shapeways sent gmail reminder/notif.) so i clicked ur link here 2 homepage & saw ur ESTY, well, those Pokeball Pokeman objects are cool, i bet little kids everywhere want those bigtime… heck be careful that the lame copyright ((often copyWrong jerks like the guys who yank fan videos off uTube!!) don’t give ya trouble over the rights to sell objects based on pokemon or fan cosplay & such; i’d guess there’s some stuff about that online if u google it that tells how to sell crafts so big corporate greedy copyWrongPolice don’t fight ya. That stuff really bugs me, i’m a huge fan of EFF (electronic frontier foundation, check’em out the original heroes & sheros of DIY & web freedoms), also a guy connected to that stuff who’s a guru legal geek/genius from Stanford & now @ Harvard: Larry Lessig who fights to allow artists the right to do cool music or art that isn’t “shackled” by corporate control-greed, he’s really cool (dig this video of his on freedom to create: innovation & rights @ http://youtu.be/–ysSSw-YeQ )). Dig it,, peace0ut 😉
Thank you. Yeah, the pokeballs were actually just a custom order for someone they are not publicly available. The only thing that is publicly available are the belt clip holders so you can paint your own.