Thursday, March 1, 2012

SteamPunk Rings + Giveaway

Mi nombre es Dereck Maltez, soy el segundo hijo del matrimonio de mis padres. Me considero una persona muy alegre un poco expresiva, liberal. Talves un poco unico pues creo y me he dado cuenta que veo el mundo de diferente manera, entiendo que no vivo solo en este planeta, y soy amante de la naturaleza, pero tambien de las cosas extranas, y raras. Soy originalmente nacido en la costa sur de mi pais Guatemala, un pais como todos conocen, lleno de cultura arte y tradición, de alli proviene mi pacion por la artesania y todo lo hecho a mano.

My name is Dereck Maltez, I am the second son of my parents' marriage. I am a very happy person, expressive, and liberal. Maybe a little unique because I think and realize that I see the world differently; I do not live alone on this planet, lover of nature, and things that are strange and rare. I am originally from  the south coast of Guatemala, a country as we all know, full of art, culture and tradition. This is where my passion comes from for craft and everything handmade.
Original interview in our mother tongue, Spanish. I also translated it into English!
Se que Steampunk no es nada nuevo en el mundo de el arte, pero lo es para mi, podrías explicarme un poco de el estilo steampunk? El estilo steampunk, para mi el temino, tambien es algo nuevo. Pero el estilo steampunk, significa para muchos  una union de ficcion, arte, y fantasía. Originalmente, steampunk es un termino usado en literatura, salida de ficción y una rama de lo que es cyberpunk. Pero, en los últimos años, se ha puesto como una moda muy fuerte  para artistas, escritores, cine, etc. Lo mas fuerte en el termino steampunk es todo lo que se refiere a maquinas de vapor fuciladas con artefactos electrónicos Victorianos.

Steampunk is nothing new in the world of art, but it is for me! Could you explain a little about what steampunk is?  The term steampunk is also something new to me. But the style steampunk, means for many, a union of fiction, art, and fantasy. Originally, steampunk is a term used in literature, coming from fiction and a branch of what is cyberpunk. But, in recent years, the style steampunk has become popular with artists, writers, film, etc. The term steampunk refers all that relates to steam engines fuzed with Victorian electronics.

Como nació tu interés en Steampunk y como decidiste empezar tu linea de joyería steampunk? Creo que todos los hombres cuando somos unos ninos, somos amantes de la ficcion y de los engranajes. Esas pequeñas partes mecanicas de juguetes y relojes, que algún día todos desarmamos e imaginamos hace nuevas creaciones con ellos. Desde allí creo que inicio mi interés en lo steampunk, aunque el termino yo en realidad no lo conocía. Siempre me gustaron los engranjes, los ferrocarriles a vapor, y toda esa clases de maquinas. 

En mi país aun se usa mucho en las industrias grandes, maquinas a vapor, calderas, y turbinas de vapor, y toda la maquinaria usada en tiempos Victorianos esta expuestas como reliquias de lo que algún día fue, la era de vapor. De ahí mi interés por todo ello; recuerdo que en mis años de estudios tenia compañeros que sabían manejar muy bien, los tornos, y maquinas capases de crear engranajes. Yo conseguía el bronce y aluminio y les pedía que hicieran engranajes para mi y así crear collares y anillos con engranajes. Los vendía a otros compañeros y amigos. El nombre steampunk fue lo ultimo que conocí sobre mi arte y mi joyería, pues siempre hice creaciones con alambre, con tuberías y engranajes.

How did your interest for Steampunk start? And how did you decide to start your own steampunk jewelry brand? I believe that when we are children, we are lovers of fiction and gears. I enjoyed imagining and dismantling small parts of toys and mechanical watched and creating new things with them! I think that's how my interest in steampunk started, although I didn't know the term back then. I always liked gears/gadgets, steam railroads, and all of those kinds of machines, as a kid. In my country, steam machines, boilers and steam turbines are still widely used in major industries and all the machinery used in Victorian times are displayed as relics of what was known as the "era of steam." 
I remember that in my years of study, I had class mates who could dismantle machines and gadgets so well that they would create gears!  I would get the bronze and aluminum and asked them to make gears and I would later create necklaces and rings with them. I would sell my jewelery to other class mates and friends. The term steampunk was the last I knew about my art and my jewelry, because I have always created with wire, pipes and gears.

De adonde viene tu inspiracion? Mi inspiracion viene de gran parte mi nececidad por comer!  Se que suena poco inspirador pero es la realidad. Tengo aproximandamente 3 años alimentandome solamente de mi trabajo en joyería. Antes solo hacia joyeria por diversión y pasatiempo, pero desde que la situacion economica del país se deterioro, con ella mi trabajo se bino abajo, tuve que recurrir a lo que podía hacer con las manos.

Where does your inspiration come from? My inspiration comes from my necessity to eat! I know it sounds uninspiring, but it's reality. I have been supporting myself from just making jewelry, for approximately three years. Previously, I was only making jewelry for fun and as a hobby. But since the country's economic situation deteriorated, with it my job, I had to resort to what I could do with my hands.

Como discribiria su estilo de joyeria? Mi estilo creo que es artesanal callejero, pues es realmente la forma como comence mi arte. Lo aprendi en las calles y practicando, y lo perfeccione igual. Pero siempre siguiendo lo aprendido y visto con otros artesanos amigos que ayudaron a que mi arte fuera mejor cada día, dandome consejos, y exortandome a crear nuevas cosas siempre.

How would you describe your style of jewelry? I think my style is a urban, street art, since it is really how I started my art. I learned, practiced and eventually perfected my art on the street. I continue to learn and have other artisan friends who have helped craft my art to be better each day, giving me advice, and always pushing myself  to create new things.

Ques es lo que mas disfruta de la creacion de sus piezas? Es una pregunta muy buena...y lo que mas disfruto de mis piezas es poder llegar con ella a casi todos los rincones del mundo. Me pongo a imaginar que en una calle de una ciudad de Australia hay alguien caminando con un anillo o collar mío. O en una calle de Inglaterra, Italia, Francia, o en NY, Texas, ya que he vendido aproximadamente 28mil piezas! Pues mucho tiempo antes de empezar a vender por internet, yo vendía mis creaciones en Venice Beach, California en un Artwalk.

What do you enjoy the most about creating jewelry? Very good question ... I enjoy the most, is that my pieces reach almost every corner of the world! I like to think that there is someone wearing one of my rings or necklaces, walking down a street,  in a city of Australia. Or on a street in England, Italy, France, or in NY, Texas! I've sold about 28 thousand pieces! For a while, before selling my jewelry online, I was selling in an ArtWalk in Venice Beach, California!

Algun consejo  para las personas que desean expresar su creatividad, pero no saben como? Mi consejo mas claro es Adelante, no piensen que no tienen talento, o que su creatividad es muy poca. Yo me quedaba admirado de que las piesas que yo pensaba que eran las menos creativas y con menos posibilidades de venderse tenian, eran las que mas rapido se vendían. Eso me hiso entender que en el mundo todos tenemos una vista diferente a la de otros, y que realmente  somos totalmente diferentes. Eso es lo bonito de este mundo

Y sobre todo nunca piensen que son los unicos con arte en sus manos, o que por que fueron los primeros en expresar un tipo de arte, seran los unicos que la tiene. Siempre hay en algun lugar del mundo alguien con el mismo o mejor talento que ustedes, pero eso nos hace luchar siempre por ser mejor cada día!

Any advice for people wishing to express their creativity, but do not know how?
My advice is to  "Go ahead," don't think that you have no talent or that your creativity is low. I  was astonished that the pieces that I thought were the least creative and least likely to be sold had, were the ones that sold faster. That made me understand, that everyone in the world has a different view from one another, and that these views/ideas are actually quite different. That's the beauty of this world. Above all, never think you are the only one with art in your hands, or that you were the first to express a kind of art,  or  the only ones who have it. There is always someone in the world with the same or better talent than you, but that makes us always strive to be better every day!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Dereck, the very inspiration artisan! Dereck is going to giveaway one of his signature  steampunk rings to ONE lucky Nina on the Moon reader!  

El anillo esta hecho con una piesa de una bala de pistola vacia y cortada, es ajustable. Crystal swarovski estilo catedral, con alambre de cobre con esmalte que evita que se oxide.
This ring is made from a piece of an empty and cut bullet! It is adjustable and made with copper wire with polish that avoids rusting. Blue, cathedral style crystal Swarovski.


75 comments :

  1. My favourite woman is Hypatia

    mojemakaze@yahoo.com

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    1. I am about to google Hypatia! =) thank you for the introduction

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  2. My fav woman is Elizabeth Bathory

    roxana.cake@gmail.com

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    1. Roxy, I am going to have to google her too!!

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  3. My favorite woman in history... oh goodness I love so many. At the moment I'm drawn between Elizabeth I & Queen Victoria!

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  4. quenn elizabeth - the 1st and queen esther (biblical)

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  5. Difficult question.. ;) dont know, maybe Audrey Hepburn

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  6. My favorite woman might be Joanna D'Arc.

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  7. He is definitely very talented and his jewelry is beautiful.

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  8. I love it! Great interview and ring!

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  9. My favorite woman in history is Jackie O! She was so stylish and boss lady!

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  10. I just discovered Steam Punk recently, when my boyfriend and I were looking up comic book festivals. We ended up just sitting youtube and looking at people's videos of their costumes and gadgets and conventions. Its very cool. Love his work. p.s. I got the email today about the conference. Im pretty enticed.

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  11. I love steampunk. It's so imaginative.

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  12. My favorite woman in history is Ruth Graham.

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  13. My favorite woman from history would be Queen Victoria. She loved her husband and children and stuck to her principles.

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  14. My favourite woman in history is... my grandmother. Honestly. And if it doesn't count, then Maria-Słodowska Curie. She was from my country and she gave her life for chemistry, so... She was amazing.

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  15. Favorite woman in history has to be "Mother" Mary Harris Jones
    A self-proclaimed mother and “hell-raiser” for the downtrodden American laborer, especially children.

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  16. Queen Elizabeth is my favorite woman in history for showing just how strong and successful a female leader can be!
    Thank you for the giveaway :)
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Harriett Tubman, she was brave and fierce. Thanks for this giveaway and God bless. I also love Ruth Graham as well.

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    1. God bless you too =) Thanks for entering and I will have to read more about your two favourite ladies!

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  18. My favorite woman is Giovanna D'Arco.

    hugs

    ale84.vercelli at hotmail dot it

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  19. My favorite woman is Jacqueline Kennedy O.

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  20. Me favorite pirate be Grace O'Malley!

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  21. I'm pretty much a fan of Harriet Tubman. :)

    http://munchtalk.blogspot.com/

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  22. Eleanor Roosevelt

    sparmeland(at)optonline(dot)net

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  23. I love the jewelry he makes it is so unique and different. I also thought it was awesome that the interview was done in spanish. I enjoyed reading it in spanish and I learned some new words.

    But this young man is definitely very talented.

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  24. my favourate women is Florence nightangle
    preranakedia(at)gmail(dot)com

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  25. My favorite woman from history is Joan of Arc!

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  26. My favorite woman in history is Cleopatra
    niuniuzheng at gmail dot com

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  27. My favorite woman in history, hm... that's a tough one, I'll go with Joan of Arc, she was young and determined, and fought for what she believed in

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  28. I don't know who my favorite woman in history is, that's too hard to decide! Harriet Tubman was an amazing lady!

    edendaphne at gmail dot com

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  29. I love Ruth Graham
    e-mail: selmicak3@hotmail.com

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  30. Who is your favourite woman from history?
    Mary Wollstonecraft - a pioneer in the fight for women's suffrage. This month wouldn't be possible without her efforts.

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  31. My favourite woman from history is Jeanne d'Arc :)

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  32. I could go way back or more recent. I concur with many commenters. There are so many great women ... my birthday and International Women's Day both occur on March 8 and I am an ardent feminist. I choose Rosa Parks - an ambassador for both women and blacks.

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  33. Christina - xristya@rock.com - Joan Of Arc is my favorite!

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  34. Ann Frank and Helen Keller

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  35. Rosa Parks and Ann Frank! Great post and loving your giveaway!

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  36. Mine surely would be Cleopatra, she's splendid.

    kiss_shani(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  37. my favorite woman would be the Virgin Mary

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  38. My favourite woman would be Rosa Parks.

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  39. so many inspirational women :) I have taken note of all!!

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  40. Audrey Hepburn :

    Arra
    theprincessonthebrink.blogspot.com

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  41. Thanks for your lovely comment hon!!! :)
    I love this ring.. How can I enter in this giveaway?

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  42. My fave woman is history is my idol Brigitte Bardot
    (and so many independent french women...*_* like Simone de Beauvoir )

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  43. Clara Barton!

    Nichole Hartwick
    hartwicknichole@yahoo.com

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  44. Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, Emperess of Russia :) Always found her life fascinating :)

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  45. Whitney Houston!

    beinssatiable1@gmail.com

    x

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  46. My favourite woman in history is Anna Magnani, a great Italian actress! But there are so many others that deserve to be remebered, all women that changed our world!

    rossoantonella AT gmail DOT com

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  47. My favorite woman is the painter, Artemisia Gentileschi!

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  48. my fav woman in history is Rita Levi Montalcini!

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  49. Marie Antoinette!

    My e-mail: blackasphodel(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  50. 'Aisyah Ra :)
    rinei.martiani at gmail dot com

    (please e-mail the winner too, not only via twitter)

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  51. love the story and the ring...good luck to everybody

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  52. The jewelry is gorgeous (plus I love his scarf.)

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  53. My favorite woman is marie curie.

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  54. My favourite woman by far is Hatshepsut

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  55. My favorite woman is Mother Teresa...

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  56. I always like Joan of arc and evita.

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  57. My favourite woman is Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie von Wittelsbach:) Because im hungarian ;)

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Thanks for leaving the positive vibes! Many besos,bendiciones and buenas vibras. I will be sure to send them back!xo