Starting with 2 squares of paper, some simple creasing, an odd thing happens – a solid shape emerges:
This squarish donut is odd, it slides together with nearly no folding and creates an interesting geometry. Continue reading
J Maekawa
597: (47/360) Jun Maekawa’s “Gemini”
Puddling around in an old Tanteidan magazine, I noticed that the first few pages are usually devoted to smaller folding projects – often modular in nature:
This 2-part modular is fascinating and initially I found it baffling as the diagrams were not really clear (the illustrator was trying to represent stages that were 3d in 2d line drawings) and the instructions are all in Japanese. Continue reading
580: (30/365) Jun Maekawa’s Six-Roofed Regular Dodecahedron
Trolling around in my collection of Tanteidan magazines, as one does, I came across a little 6-piece modular designed by Jun Maekawa:
Oddly named until you notice that each of the modules is a little “house” shape, complete with pitched roof. Continue reading
557: (7/365) Jun Maekawa’s Borromean Cube
Most Tanteidan magazines start with a section that deals with modular folding. I was surprised to find a modular cube designed by Jun Maekawa, along with a bunch of variations.
With cursory research, it appears “borromean” relates to interlocking shapes, and this cube has “ribbons” of colour that weave in among each other in an interesting way. Continue reading
350: Little Devil
This cutie little devil is such a snarly fold, but was a lot of fun because the design was well thought out:
Jun Maekawa models are always well planned but this little beauty started much bigger – folded from a 60cm square, the resultant model is barely 13cm toe to horn and I am so glad I decided to use brown paper instead of regular copy paper – the thicknesses are 17-23 layers in places – wow.
A lovely set of hands, splendid demonic tail, horns, frown and a cutey tongue – this guy is a masterpiece that has taken me an age to fold. I started earlier this afternoon to cheer myself up after attending a funeral, and this evening he is finally finished.
I have seen miniature versions of this (including one folded by Jun himself that is only a couple of cm tall, in a bottle) and I am buggered if I can work out how you could fold it much smaller – it is so fiddly in so many junctures.
I had no idea on this, the first fold, what was what – I will fold this again now I know how it works – it is not a speedy fold, so many layers but I see extra modelling potential in the face – so much more could be made of his expression. Although he is meant to be a little devil, he is rather cute and free-standing also, using feet and tail the tripod is effective to offset the weight of paper folded into the body.
This fold achieved, it means I have only 15 models left in this challenge – bring it on.
343: Squid
Cephalopods are a tricky subject in Origami, this is a figurative squid by Jun Maekawa:
Having eaten and cooked squid on a number of occasions, the basic body morpholoigy is right, the yummy bits are all there.
A nice set of bilaterally symmetrical pleats, a fun collapse and a 3d re-shaping makes an entirely recognisable squiddy.
There are a bunch of Maekawa’s models that I would like to try – he/she (sorry, not sure) has an original approach to the square and the models have a unique character
338: Maekawa’s Triceratops
I have folded a few dinosaurs, some have been simple but this little beauty has a good body shape and a fab head:
This is Jun Maekawa’s Triceratops – folded from his book “Genuine Origami”. There is something calming about folding a Maekawa model – I needed calming down as I had a model fail today – some super complex one with Russian instructions that made only partial sense.
I discovered Maekawa’s work relatively late in this project – there are many more in her collection that I would like to try – his models seem to have a “character” to them, difficult to isolate but her style is evident.
Near the end of a massive project – holiday time will see a mix of complex, ball-breakingly super complex and simple, I suspect – depends on where my head is at. I _want_ to pretend I have had a plan but, honestly, for the most part each day I decide there and then what I feel like folding – as evidenced by the mostly blank spreadsheet ahead of the day I have just folded. I like that tension (except when I arbitrarily try something too hard for me – you get that).
Very disappointed with the auction idea – after so much encouragement, to receive only 3 bids so far is disheartening and very depressing, thinking of abandoning the whole idea (and 4 of the 12 voices in my head are urging me to return to the bonfire idea) – you get that I guess, Internet “interest” is different from real interest in many ways.
336: Maekawa’s Cow
Always on the lookout for a good COW, I stumbled across this little beauty:
This is Jun Maekawa’s Cow, an interesting fold containing many new techniques for me, particularly treatments for flaps you need to multiply (ie. one stickey-outey bit that becomes 3 via some neato crimping and a swivel or two).
I like this, it reminds me of those old world illustrations of cows that appear almost rectangular – great painters are not necessarily accurate anatomists.
Not sure if I have room for more cows in this project – we shall see what turns up. A little brain-fragged at the moment, a good rest after a particularly brutal week will be welcome.
335: White Rabbits!
A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month:
This is Jun Maekawas Rabbit, a lovely 3d head and body and an interesting development – some precision needed in the early stages else it catches up with you later on.
This is my LAST first day of the month – woo hoo! that means only 30 Models to go after this one.
Of the rabbits I have folded this year, I think my favourite one would be Lang’s – something about the body shape and ears. They are all good – bid on one if you are so moved.
322: Fledgling
Comes time in the life of all magpie chicks, when pin feathers have moulted and the adult feathers, shiny and new are through, untested. The fledgling inches to the edge of the nest, mindful of the effects of gravity. With encouragement, and a gentle nudge, the fledgling spreads its wings, tenses the flight muscles it has been exercising more recently. In an act of self belief, it launches into the great blue yonder:
This is Jun Maekawa’s Crow (or similar, cannot read the Japanese, sorry) – I like that this bird looks like it needs to grow into it’s feet and wings – much as I imagine a fledgling does.
Why a fledgling? A new batch of year 12s launch itself into the real world today. Their future is entirely in their hands, the potential is all there, they will make of it what they see fit. I hope they look after each other, and themselves, that they make the world a better place to be and never forget that they can make wonderful things happen if they can be bothered.
Happy with this as a first fold, lovely feet, nicely proportioned body, economy of use of paper, great design.
321: Zombeh!!!
I love it how you can have a serious and in-depth discussion with students about Zombies:
They are experts – both the “undead” and “infection” zombies could, like, totally happen – yeah, and it is well understood how to dispatch them.
Having not long finished an adaptation of Jane Austin’s classic tale “Pride and Prejudice (and Zombies)” I am in touch with my undead self.
Well, in truth, I am a little undead zombie myself – marking does that to my brain, with perilously close deadlines and waaaaay too much to actually do before it, I neeeeeed braaaaaaiiinnnsss!!!
This is Jun Maekawa’s Zombie – well, I assume that is what it is as the book I got it out of is entirely in Japanese and I cannot read it, so, yeah. I love this posture of this model, the hands reach out sinisterly and there is just enough of a facial expression to know he is gunning for your fresh brain.
Glad I used a scrap of lithography paper for this model – copy paper would not have let me puff out and flatten the face before disintegrating.
117: Tapir
Now I for one am celebrating “World Tapir Day“:
I had to google it, I am sure I have seen them in zoos, but they seem to be an odd combination of pig-elephant-anteater-thing (an odd evolutionary concoction more real than a man-bear-pig), with a lovely temperament apparently (but I am not sure if they taste like chicken though)
An interesting base, tough in the final stages due to all the paper in the middle, but the overall shape in pleasing – this is a Malay Tapir (they vary continent to continent, region to region) designed by Jun Maekawa and is a fitting tribute.