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blah blah blah, about nothing in marticular – may contain traces of aaaarrrggghh

382: Self Made Man – Revisited

| wonko

I was determined to test whether my first fold of this nightmarish, but charming, fold was merely a fluke or not, so I set about folding it from a 3×5 cut from an A1 sheet.

The geometry for this model is amazing, and the challenge is to only put in the folds that are necessary to achieve the collapse – an interesting challenge indeed as construction lines, preliminary constructions and fold-flow ons are difficult to control with such large format paper.

I love the result, given this paper was thinner than the original #365 fold, the features and structure are much more considered and I think he has a lot more character in his face and pose.

This is one of my favourite folds from last year, and now I know it was not a fluke, I can fold it with confidence when I need to.

He is now on proud (temporary) display in the Library, with a suitable verse before him.

Charity

| wonko

Well it is official, as many origami auction payments as I think are likely to come in are, well … in.

The grand total:

$904.10

That is pretty awesome, right?

That meant that today I paid $452 to each of Medicines Sans Frontiers and Red Cross.

Thank you thank you thank you to ALL of you who got involved with the 365 auction and bought my twisted bits of paper – you all helped support causes I think do a lot of good in our world.

All over red rover – time to move on.

376: Langton Willow III

| wonko

Ladies and Gentleffolk, if I may be so bold as to introduce to you Mr Langton Willow III:

…so I bought a lovely book about an Origamist I worship, Eric Joisel, and was scanning pages prior to an in-depth read and came accross what seemed like an impossibility – a dwarf in a box. There were some photos of a couple of versions of the finished model and some sketches of crease patterns that might have been used to make it and nothing else …

So I decided to give it a whirl. The crease patterns gave no clues on what were mountain and valley folds (fairly important if you are going to make the model) so I sort of “guessed” most, and added a bunch of lines that would make the folding easier later, so I thought. I chose a large format paper – 1.2m x 0.6m, and in brown paper – thank goodness as even laying in the creases (a 2.5 hour job) put massive strain on a number of key points.

When it came to the collapse I must admit to being nervous – odd in retrospect but I had pre-announced to the social notwerks that I was attempting it and that was a mistake because psychologically that meant I could not fail in my attempt.

Studying the illustrations carefully, it became clear that when Joisel had his first try, there were odd gusset pleats on the OUTSIDE of the box that the dwarf sits in, I figured with some deft folding I could remove them and tuck that paper inside the box.

I must admit to grinning ear to ear when I worked out how I could do that tidily. This model was a fascinating exercise in not rushing to set a crease. After getting up, making another cup of tea, doing something else, coming back, leaving it a while then returning to it etc. I found a tidy method of tucking away what seemed like acres of paper inside the box to leave … well .. the box.

Conceptually we have split a dwarf – the head/arms and the legs/feet are split apart and the paper for a box is inserted between – the only difficult is ensuring a box-like remnant that lets you also tuck the dwarf-bits inside.

Oddly, the proportions of the dwarf necessitate lanky legs and a gaunt head, but that is in-keeping with the overall feeling of the model. It is like the dwarf is trying to get out of the box – what he was doing in there in the first place is a mystery, but there you go.

I have to admit to being very proud of achieving this model – the result is delightful, there is an astonishing amount of paper tucked away to reveal a lanky dwarf with real character.  I have no idea what I will do with this chap – it was originally going to be something I tried for shits and giggles, fully expecting to fail but the grinning has not stopped. I have “cheated” by using a few paper clips to keep the box corners together but I think Joisel would forgive me that.

“Rexy” Revisited

| wonko

You _may_ remember I folded a TRex Skeleton a while back, and I am pleased to say he finally has a new home:

As part of a science display, outside a science lab, he is now resplendant, mounted on a dowel with fishing wire (go team), he looks mean and hungry.

The display contains some info about the dino, and some fossils etc and I hope it provides interest for the punters.

The “Other” Seven Dwarves

| wonko

So I have this idea for a tableau … “I owe, I owe, so work is where I go…” where we are in an alternative animated future and it is populated by an ALTERNATIVE seven dwarves.

They could be Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy – I will CROWDSOURCE the seven best names.

They must NOT be Doc, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful or Grumpy.

Each successful “other” dwarf will be made and suitable attired with a SYMBOL or ARTEFACT that suits them soo….. how can YOU help?

I need YOUR help to decide what are reasonable names for the 7 not so nice, polite nor socially acceptable dwarves – name and characteristics please. The BEST 7 will be made.

Comments to blog please.

370: Permanent Reminders

| wonko

Now I must confess that 365 has changed me, made me more creative and allowing me to see the beauty in the everyday.

I decided to look for something that would be a more permanent reminder of the amazing year that was 2011. Continue reading →

Ephemera

| wonko

The 365 Project now over, I can concentrate on folding when the mood takes me.

It occurred to me that Origami creates ephemeral artefacts – short lived, made of materials not designed to last:

I am playing with a name change – the intention of this blog to document origami I have tried remains the same, but the one a day pressure is now gone and I can branch out and use more appropriate materials than plain copy paper.

366: A Brand New Day

| wonko

Established habits take time to break – even positive ones that have just run their course:

I woke early this morning (partly because of the second howling of the “wolf alarm” next door) and partly because a nagging, insistent NEW voice in my head (yes, count them, there are now 13 – a bakers’ dozen) told me to get up and get on with my fold for the day.

Without thinking, I cut a square and … sat and looked at it … for ages.

A blank square, like a person, is surrounded in boundless potential. I can see the 8 legs and ribbed thorax, imagine the swivels necessary to raise a sail, lament the accordion pleating necessary to shape a hoof, anticipate the stress that a common vertex will experience and know when to nurse the brittle paper through that difficult last bend before the collapse, ready my still bruised finger tips for the tough folds through many layers to reveal ….

… something other than a plain, flat, square.

Today’s fold is no fold at all – there is a Zen beauty in that – if a tree falls on a mime in the forest will anyone care … sort of thing.

Do not panic, I will not abandon you, my fold following fans – it has been a fun ride, great to have had you along but I am a little saddle sore right now so might just take a breather … if I can get that 13th voice to speak a little quieter that is, because at the moment she is screaming hysterically at me, but she will eventually calm down, I am sure.

POSTSCRIPT:

Lindy, a friend, suggested the page is calling for some words, she offered a poem she wrote, it is lovely, here it is:
…perfect, thanks Lindy.

December, Done and Dusted

| wonko

December done and WOW, what a huge month this has been. Because this month corresponded with my holidays, I sunk some extra time into some amazing (and a little dizzying if I am honest) models.

This table full of bent paper represents a quantum leap in my skill set – most of these models I could NOT have done at the beginning of the challenge.

I have learnt a lot about myself over the past 12 months, and spent inordinate amounts of time enthusiastically bending paper – even when there were many things much more important to do.

Some of these models will soon have new homes, some not – you get that. I thank most sincerely those that have encouraged me along the way – sometimes that was the difference between giving up and keeping going.

I am proud to say that I did not miss a day, had a total of only 9 model fails (in 365, that is an amazing hit rate) and now have an arsenal of paper bending skills that I can use moving forward … to whatever – yeah, cannot imagine what yet but I am sure something will turn up.

I hope you have enjoyed the ride. It will not end here – I will keep folding, but do not expect one a day, or necessarily one a week – I will just let it happen and we shall see. This blog will remain, I will keep adding to it, but might change the name – suggestions that encapsulate paper ephemerata would be appreciated.

359: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

| wonko

You better watch out. You better not cry
Better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He’s making a list. And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

This is a David Brill tableau, scaled down to teeny weeny because … well, because … because I could? I have a packet of shiny small origami paper so used that for the micro-reindeer – they sort of determined the scale for the remainder of the figures.

There is much to like about this festive scene – The sleigh is full of water bombs (the perfect summer gift), Santa sits, the reindeer seem animated and Rudolph has a lovely red nose, courtesy of a suggestion from “she who must be obeyed” to use a glass headed pin – good call.

I hope this post finds you enjoying family, fun and festive cheer. Our Christmas Origami display is as you see it here – most of these models are available for you in the auction house for a limited time only.

347: Tree Topper

| wonko

So I was putting up the tree again this year and remembered we had nothing to put atop it:

I remembered an “angel” designed originally by Neal Elias, reworked by gabriel Vong that I had put in the “must try this sometime” pile, so set about folding it.

A nice figurative angel, hands clasped in prayer, lovely wings and a nifty gusset at the back to allow you to insert some foliage at the pointy end of your tree.

You should try this, it is actually fairly straight forward. I had a sheet of gold metallic paper (but wrapping paper would make the fold even easier) and bent it laboriously (it was almost card, so the folds around the hands, shoulders etc were hard going – thank goodness for fingernails as my finger tips are bruised and sore from the continued 365 onslaught).

Atop the tree she is lovely – this is an A4-cut square, prolly a little big for our small tree but ideal for a larger one.

346: Urchin Star

| wonko

The “monthly modular” is something that would be suitable for hanging on a christmas tree that YOU could make along with me:

This is an Urchin Star, designed by Martin Sejer Andersen with the folding sequence videoed by Jo Nakashima here. I have made a cutting pattern that requires you to print it out on A4 paper twice – you can download that here: print-me-twice.

You need 30 modules, but they are easy to fold, taking no time each once you get into the zone, and they slot together really easily (certainly the easiest assembly of ALL my modulars so far) – even with fat, clumsy fingers like mine.

You should make these – they are lovely – if you use paper coloured on one side, the tips of the star are white, which is pretty also. Wrapping paper would work well – some of the thicker foil-based paper would work well indeed (not that thin plasticised stuff tho, it does not take folds at all)

Have fun with this – totally try it and post your result as a photo on facebook for me to see how it went please.

November, Done and Dusted.

| wonko

November has been another HUUUUUGE month, and I have not taken the easy road – some of this month’s models have been down right snarly and challenging, taking way more time than I had, really.

ONE MONTH TO GO. I am excited, hope you are too, there is a great ride ahead and the start of the paper auctions to begin raising money for Red Cross and Medicine Sans Frontiers.

334: The DEVIL is in the DETAIL

| wonko

I have grown to respect a number of designers of all nationalities and Fernando Gilgado from Spain is one who is guaranteed to produce a challenging model:

This is the Demon, and the devil in the details, trust me – his head alone is frightening – 2 sets of horns, beard, snarly mouth, eyes etc. His body is very dense, arms and legs 20+ layers of paper but that bunching results in the most splendid wings and a pointy demonic tail.

This instruction set was a real challenge – apart from folding it during school time (in between end of year report checking and tidying up), the instructions were in Spanish, and some aspects of it were very fiddly indeed. Even at 54cm x 54 cm, the head and facial features were too small to fold tidily, still, as a first fold I am very pleased with this. It is a monster, wing span of nearly 30cm and he looks very menacing – in a cutey sort of way.

I thought the “angels” of yesterday needed some “demons” today to bring some sort of balance to the paper cosmos. A suitable end of my second last month of this challenge.