Get to know this week’s featured artist, Karen Torres of MMAKER:

“I once slept in a sleeping bag on the floor for months, because I had to sell my furniture to fund my first startup. I also went to the cemetery once to troubleshoot a wedding client’s floral emergency whose venue was far from any modern conveniences. (Rest assured, I was simply hoping to find a garden in bloom, which Canadian cemeteries tend to have during summer!) 
 
That pretty much describes my personality, whether entrepreneurship or product design, I approach my life’s pursuits with dogged perseverance. I am also pragmatic, and logical, and my designs reflect that. I enjoy designing products that involve some architecture or engineering, and have a practical application, whether envelopes for wedding invitations, or a cookie box that can be used as party favors. 
 
As a self-taught artist, I gravitate towards geometrical designs. But being in the events industry pretty much my whole professional life, I get inspired by the beautiful things I see from weddings and social events. 
 
Currently, my repertoire of cut files reflect my guiding principle of practicality. I aim to design intuitive products that give the user a base to create something beautiful. 
 

PS. Thankfully, that first startup sold for a profit, and its fruits allowed me to pursue my life’s other passions. More designing! : ) “