plant

188: Edelweiss

| wonko

Now I am on the look out for effective flowers, and oddly Origami has lost of four-petaled ones (which in nature are fairly rare). this edelweiss caught my eye:

Made from a frog base and a deep sing, the bloom has a lovely symmetry about it and the stem works will together with it.

A simple fold, will try it out in colour als to see if it is effective – building up a repertoire of paper blooms soif I need to consider a bouquet at some time that is a possibility.

Why Edelweiss? 2 reasons – (1) Mum is home from the UK and it might be nice to give her flowers (awwww); and (2) I saw pictures of @Edelweiss – the dog owned by @jzagami and thought it so cute … yeah, I know, tissue thin justification but you get that.

Addendum: Made some light lilac blooms on 2 colours of green stems – they stack you see – noice, unusual, different – I hope my mum loiks them 😛

183: Hummingbird Feeding

| wonko

I have the greatest of respect for Robert Lang, his models are discussed mathematically and with great artistic intent also, and when I saw this hummingbird in “Origami Design Secrets” I knew I had to make it:

Having never actually seen a hummingbird (except on the telly), I am amazed and in awe of their size, industry and life habit. After folding the bird I decided it absolutely needed a flower to feed from, found a simple blossom in Harbin’s “Origami 2” by Toshie Takahama and fixed them together with the wire from a straightened paperclip and a (shhh) little double-sided tape.

Hummingbirds use huge amounts of energy to fly, and so feed voraciously on high-energy foods like nectar, so I can imagine my little bird about to plunge into the nectary of this flower for a much needed energy boost.

Am really pleased with this model – beautiful beak, breast and wings, the tail was a surprise as it came from a tortured sink early on. A masterful design that, from what I can gather, captures the intent of the bird mid flight. this makes it difficult to pose (as it has no legs) and, interestingly, every picture I have seen of this completed model is posed adjacent a bloom (presumably using the same support trick I used.

You may, collectively, go awwwwww now, as that was my reaction when stepping back from the handiwork.

168: Tulips for Jo

| wonko

Today is my Wife’s Birthday, her favourite flower is a tulip so I had an idea:

After researching tulips suitable to stick on a card, I discovered that none were suitable so I invented a fold for that, then I decided that real-size tulips were also a good idea – a dozen a piece

I chose some nice pastels and strong colours, invented stems and foliage, made a custom vase (pyramidal) and then went to the florist to buy some dry oasis foam and cut it to fit – after a little faffing around a lovely arrangement was made and the presents sorted.

Happy Birthday Jo, love and hugs.

155: See Hear and Speak No Evil

| wonko

About a month ago I bought a huge sheet of tracing paper. Well, I call it paper but it is actually a type of opaque plastic called “vellum”. For my birthday fold I decided to see what vellum could do:

The paper was 42cm square (cut from a 42x60cm rectangle) and straight away I knew it would be tough – vellum does not like to be folded but once it is, hates being unfolded.

This INSANE design sculpts 3 wise monkeys Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru and places them under a palm tree via some miraculous paper torture. See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil is a pretty good life philosophy but there were evil words muttered whilst this fold was wrestled into place.

Getting the monkeys to look monkey-like with the density the body ends up being is a real challenge. facial expressions, such that they are, and arm postures alike were tough fought, but I am pretty happy with the end result.

I have learnt a lot from this exercise – vellum can be folded, but fatigue shows itself as splits, particulalry at the pointy ends. It hates being re-folded in the opposite direction on a fold (reversed), is VERY strong, once folded it stays there – consequentially, this model is rigid and is not trying to unfurl (much as I imagine tissue-foil behaves).

Will I use it again? not sure – when my tissue-foil arrives along with my Satoshi book I now have a point of comparison, I am honestly surprised the model worked at all, but will accept congratulatory applause now.

You too can have a go here – be warned, this is NOT an introductory exercise.

Happy Birthday to me 🙂

144: Carambola

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I stumbled across this nice geometric “floral” design by accident but rather like it’s simplicity:

It reminds me of an apple blossom, or a star fruit in cross section

Unusually, it is made from a pentagon, and the pre-creasing means the shape is largely just a collapse

Busy day, vicious earache, simple but lovely model – enjoy. You too can have a go at this here

128: Mother’s Day Brooch

| wonko

Mother’s Day is a chance to do something nice for Mum, because…. When your Mum is going to be overseas, it takes planning for that to happen:

This first fold was completed a couple of weeks ago – snail mail to the UK is slow, so I needed to make the coloured ones for cards in time for them to arrive today:

I made a card for each (Mum and Mum-in-law), hope they like them. The coloured roses are rather special – made from imported Yuzen Washi, mounted on to blank cardstock I think they look lovely.

This is a variation of a camelia fold I have yet to try. With 2 colour paper the leaves would be one colour and the rose another, neat:

Designed by Sy Chen, YOU should have a go at this yourself – it is simple and the result is lovely. I am sure your mum would love it – go here for a video demonstration

76: Shamrock (Four Leafed Clover)

| wonko

The luck of the Irish be with you:

A four leafed clover I thought was appropriate for St Patrick’s Day – pity it is not green, could do with a pint of Guinness right about now, or maybe that is just a load of blarney.

This cute model is actually in 2 pieces – the clover leaf and a stand that tucks into it’s underside – I like it.

You can try to make one for yourself – all simple folds: shamrock

66: Golden Slipper Orchid

| wonko

I have grown these, but the blooms of the cultivars I am familiar with are really tiny yellow leopard spotted flowers – I misjudged the scale (seems a full square from an A4 makes quite a sizeable bloom)

A delicate, spidery flower, with a well developed nectary and some interesting folds – if I was to fold it again I have learned what does what so I think the second+ fold would be much better

You too can have a go – it is not that difficult: goldenslipperorchid

41: Pavlova

| wonko

Now generally my students rock. Often they do really cool things and this bunch of Year 12s seem to enjoy, from time to time, homebake.

I was approached, post Australia Day, and canvassed as to whether it would be ok to bring Pavlova to share in our double IPT … silly question really:We as a group ate dessert in the lab, it was very cool (many thanks James and Joe) – they organised fruit (strawberries, blueberries and passionfruit), cream, the works – wow!

This is my attempt to modify a twist-flower into the swirls of meringue that is a Pavlova – I fully realise I FAILED to recreate the magnificence that was morning tea today – the intention was there however (I have been sick, it was late, I was tired). I sort of thought the things on top would look a little like fruit (strawberries) but there was something lost between idea and realisation – they cannot all be gems I suppose.

Not to put a damper on the gesture – I thought it was awesome, those guys rock! (all of my students do)

39: An Orchid Bloom

| wonko

Robert J Lang is a living treasure in the origami world for many reasons. He is a mathematician, artist and seeming magician (for he can do with paper the seemingly impossible) but more importantly he specialises in realistic Origami models.

It is my Mother-in-law’s birthday today and I thought I would attempt a hideously difficult model of Lang’s which attempts to accurately represent a bloom from an orchid called a “Phalaenopsis” as a suitable birthday present.

A Real Phalaenopsis

These lush beauties have 5 petals, often frilly or oddly beautiful throats or slippers at the nectary.

Nectary Detail

All my reading and advice to folders suggested the model was not for the faint-hearted and boy, was that understating it – so many folds, so much folding, pre-folding and unfolding then bending into new shapes.

I am amazed the photocopy paper I am using actually did not tear or just disintegrate. This model would benefit from a “wet fold” where you wet the paper as you fold it, the shapes are softer and hold when the model dries.

I must admit to being completely chuffed and proud I could actually make this model, first time fold, and love how beautiful the end result is.

It is amazing that it started as a plain square cut from an A4 page, it ended up so organic with such bulk of paper tucked, crimped, sunk, and pleated in exotic ways.

I must try to find some of Robert Lang’s books – they are considered “bibles” of form, technique and contain so many iconic models.

Back and Side Views

You can have a go yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-UPR_HIyQo

35: A Banana

| wonko

When bad weather beats up the tropical coast, we have a banana shortage. When Cyclone “Yasi” ripped through Cairns, Townsville, Innisvale and further afield we lost crops – I am doing my bit by making my own banana (the ultimate low calorie, high fibre snack):

Quite a cute, sort of 3D model with a partially peeled fruit, quite appropriate for a “banana bender” like me.

You can try this also:  banana

…also kinda hoping the OTHER 365’ers keep going, else it is gonna be real hard for me to keep going also

23: Fujimoto’s Apple

| wonko

Quite taken with box pleating, I looked for a 3D piece of fruit and came across Fujimoto’s Apple – a real bastard of a pre-creasing exercise that coalesces into a delightfully organic shapeI was heard to exclaim WOW as the mess of twisted and tangled paper started to take shape. Botanists will note this is a morphologically correct model – it is comprised of 5 sections/divisions as is the core of a real apple, has the right shape and is hollow.

Why an apple? Well, I have a saucepan of stewed apple and nectarine gently ticking away on the stove that will become the most delicious crumble later tonight … why not?Please have a go at this yourself, if you can follow the instructions and understand the presenter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2e4jyWCtaU

6: Strawberry

| wonko

Two views of the same berry, a nice variation of the time-tested and much tossed water bomb base.  Made with a square cut from half an A4 page, the smaller you make these the more realistic the shape.

Quite happy with the hull (or calyx) although some of my more nerdier botanist friends will argue that it should have 5 subdivisions not 4.strawberry