Emergent behaviour is fascinating, apparently where these Japanese Macaque monkeys live gets snowy in winter, they have learned that sitting in thermal pools near bathhouses (Onsen) is one way of staving off the cold:
This is Fumiaki Kawahata’s Japanese Macaque – a model I had intended to fold ages ago because it was in a Tanteidan I had shelved. Continue reading
Working in the same school for 28 years makes me feel a little like a dinosaur at times:
This is Jo Nakashima’s TRex – a lovely little cartoony Trex that is fun to fold and simple enough to do with smaller coloured squares. I followed along with the video tutorial on Jo’s Youtube channel. Continue reading
Returning to work, we balance between the stinking hot outside temperature and the painfully cold airconditioning (yes, I know this sounds like a first world problem, and it is), but I decided to fold a critter that has evolved to put up with intolerable temperatures:
This is Jo Nakashima’s Penguin, a lovely little model with a blocky, cartoony feel to it. Continue reading
Over the holiday break I have taken up swimming laps again. The aim was to be a little bit fitter and a little less fatter – it is sort of working. Naturally I wanted to choose a model for my last day swimming that itself swam, and a turtle/tortoise (who knows what the difference is) seemed to fit the bill:
This lovely little model is deceptively simple. Using a surprisingly small number of folds, a lovely sea turtle emerges from a waterbomb base. This photo reminds us that the fate of all wildlife is in our hands. We dwarf the natural world based on our effect on it. Continue reading
Leafing through “Folding Australia 2016”, the Sydney Origami Society Convention book (in which I have a model published :)) I came across a cute little carp designed by Mindaugas Cesnavicius:
An ingenious design based on the pony base that teases lovely eyes and mouth, fins and a tail while managing the colour changes beautifully. Continue reading
I was casually puddling around in origami blogs, as you do, and came across the one page diagram of this little charmer and decided to give it a whirl:
8 pages, sort of a spectrum, combine in a whirl not unlike the leaf garland popular in Roman times however the locking mechanism leaves a small hole in the middle rendering it unwearable.
I could imagine folding these in red/green/gold/silver, pimped out with baubles and glitter (in a craft project from hell) that would make a lovely seasonal wreath – something to consider I guess. Continue reading
Paper dolls are big in Chinese and Japanese culture, this little charmer is a two-piece model from Jacky Chan:
Head and body are folded separately from the same size bits of paper and then the head neatly slots into the shoulders of the body.
When folding this I started with the head and was convinced that the body square would never be big enough to make something that worked with the head but it worked out fine.
Lovely traditional headdress, robes, proportions and self-standing. Happy with this first fold, I can see how you would pose this little guy in other positions, bling it up with fans and walking stick etc.
So I was on the phone to my mum, as you do, and she asked if I could make Scotch Thistles out of origami:
I must admit to not having folded many butterflies – not sure why, hopefully this year I will remedy this situation:
This is Robert Lang’s Minamimachi Butterfly – I know it looks simple but there are some wonderfully complex techniques in it’s fabrication. Continue reading
This is Hoang Tien Quyet’s Shining star, a multifaceted recursive fold that is somehow appropriate for today, the anniversary of the passing of David Bowie:
2016 was a difficult year for me, and there remains 2 things that I am still struggling to come to terms with: my father’s passing at Easter and Bowie’s Passing in January.
In a true testament to sheer bloody-mindedness and perseverance, I present to you for my self-satisfaction my first SUCCESSFUL attempt at Shuki Kato’s “Western Dragon”:
Some explanation: This is a western dragon because it has wings (westerners reason that to fly it needs wings). Potter nerds would naturally recognise that this is a “Hungarian Horntail“. It is version 3.1w because I used the “modified” instructions for v3 and then added some of my own variations to improve the model (I closed the breast and used the otherwise wasted flap as a bottom jaw allowing me to model a tongue).
So I have more or less committed to another 365 Origami challenge. This is not a decision I have taken lightly (unlike the last time, in 2011, where I had NO IDEA what I was getting into).
For those unfamiliar with the concept (as I see it), I will endeavour to fold a different Origami Model every day this year – 2017. As in 2011 I will ensure that the models are things I have NEVER folded before.
Some models will be simple, some less so and others far from it. Time permitting I will do a mix. Check the tags for the designer, sheet shape, base (if any) and the duration of the fold.
My nomenclature this time around is complex. I was up to novel model 550, so the current 365 series will look a little like 551 (1/365), 562 (12/365) and so on – keeping track of both numbering systems is a pain I know but…reasons. It will also seamlessly allow me to continue folding and blogging after the challenge with continuity. Remember, only models I have never folded before get a number, so from time to time there will also be un-numbered posts.
This blog posts automatically to Fakebook so friends get a headsup when the day’s model is up. I am trying to be strategic also this time around, and have a number of models in reserve, folded and ready to go for those times when it gets busy, or I am away, or whatever.
Last time, in 2011, the journey was interesting, I learned a lot and the business helped me be more productive in other areas of my life – I am hoping for similar flow-on benefits, along with a further growth in my skills.
Please feel free to leave comments. I will probably also Auction off selections of this catalogue for charity as I did last time around – we shall see.
Now I am not really new to the whole “fold from a CP” approach to origami, but I am not consistently good at it either, many models have just baffled me. Initially this CP was beyond my understanding also but you know, when you keep at something eventually something gives and it can make sense:
This is Mike case’s “Campfire” – a devilishly clever use of a colour change, box pleat and concertina folding that results quite magically in a set of pointy flames and 6 modellable stickey-outey things that become the logs. Continue reading
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
In exploring the “Tiny Snek” interwebs phenomenon, I stumbled across a money fold that resulted in a simple cobra:
This is a variation on Vu Dung’s Cobra, folded from a 2×1 rectangle. Although relatively simple it was made more difficult by the size of the fold – this is tiny but still has a recognisable hood and lovely mouth/set of fangs. Continue reading
