In Weber County, brought to you by Cache Valley Bank
SPOTLIGHT
Ogden Arts Festival
June 11-12: @ Union Station, 12 p.m.
(Admission: $5; 18 & under: FREE)
ARTIST BIO
Krista & Tony Romero
BY HAILEY MINTON
Krista and Tony Romero live in North Ogden with their three kids. They homeschool their kids and have a tech fund they use to educate their kids. With it, they got a 3D printer. As they were figuring out how to use it, Krista’s and Tony’s interest grew as their children’s diminished. That set them on the path to where they are today— in designing and selling their own and other designers’ 3D creations.
They 3D print bendy sculptures of snakes, dragons, and animals that can withstand playtime with a six year old. The plastic filaments used in the printing process come in a variety of colors, so the toy itself is the color you see. Krista paints on finishing details, like eyes, at the end.
It was quite the steep learning curve to learn how to make these pieces, and they currently work with other designers to help them. They are also authorized dealers to sell the work of the other designers.
Aside from their 3D printed pieces, which tend to be the most popular when they sell their work, Krista and Tony also sell other creations. “I’ve always loved arts and crafts,” said Krista. “My mom would take me to ceramic classes, and my grandpa would make mosaics with me.” Her family was very encouraging. She took every art class she could in high school, and the internet really opened up many doors. Her husband asked her to narrow her focus in the art she created and sold, so she now focuses primarily on painting and sculpting custom-made tumblers.
Tony has been a software engineer, mechanic, and garage door technician and originally didn’t see himself as being very creative. One day, he learned one of his garage door customers had a wood-turning lathe that didn’t work. Earlier, he had watched some wood-turning videos that piqued his interest. The customer gave it to Tony. He took it home, fixed it, and has been creating from there.
Currently, they sell their art at vending events. In June, you can find them at the Ogden Tattoo Convention and Summerpalooza, with a few smaller events between. Krista and Tony are hoping to have a storefront to sell their art and teach others how to design and create 3D printed pieces. They spend hours at events teaching those who are interested about the 3D printing process. They hope to, one day, offer classes to people interested and give them hands-on experience.
Find them on facebook or look for their booth at events @MyHappyViking.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 6-30: The Great Ogden Art Hunt – Monthly Art Scavenger Hunt @ various local Ogden art galleries and businesses. (Search, submit your guess, and win $100 AND the hidden artwork!) **More Information can be found at https://ogden4arts.org/the-great-ogden-art-hunt.html.
June 3: First Friday Art Stroll @ 25th Street, 6 – 9 p.m. | Historic 25th Street Car Show Quick Draw Competition @ 25th Street, 12 p.m. (Entry Fee: $25 / Student Fee: $10)
June 11: Plein Air Quick Draw Competition @ Wall Avenue to Jefferson Avenue between 24th & 26th Streets, 8:30 a.m. (Entry Fee: $25 / Additional Entry: $10) Call 801-392-6935 for more information.