Magical Butterflies 🦋

Have you ever visited a butterfly conservatory?

Recently, I went with a group of friends to “Magic Wings,” a butterfly conservatory in Western Massachusetts.  This was a very enjoyable and tranquil visit.

Inspired by the butterfly conservatory visit, I folded these four origami models of Honda, LaFosse, P. Jackson and Yoshizawa.

P.Jackson Butterfly 6.8.2019

Four Butterfly Designs 6.8.2019

Yoshizawa Butterfly 6.8.2019

 

Imagine hundreds of butterflies, different sizes and with a variety of colors and patterned wings, fluttering around a warm, glass conservatory.

They would settle briefly on colorful tropical plants and flowers or on the numerous butterfly feeders before flying to the next nectar source.

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As you stroll along the winding paths in the conservatory, butterflies might even land on you.  Rest on a bench in the gazebo.  Listen to the softly playing music in the background.

Pay attention to the tiny Chinese quails scuttling along the paths or darting in and out of the foliage.  Gaze at the group of tortoises crawling around their pen and remind yourself to s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w down.

Spring Colors & Box

Spring flowers are here!  I love these early purple flowers.  Wish I knew the name of this plant.  Doesn’t the color pop right up!

Purple Flowers 4.21.2019

This morning, I chose colorful jelly beans to fill my Origami lidded box.  Yup..I folded that box.  Crooked corners and all.

Origami Lidded Box 4.21.2019

I read Tomoko Fuse’s Origami boxes, studied his diagrams and was sure they would be easy to fold.   Not so!

After a frustrating hour trying the “easiest” box model, I threw the crumpled pieces of paper in the trash.

YouTube offered me an alternative – a simple traditional Japanese box.  Another half-hour passed before I was finally able to fold the box and lid.

Sigh…must dedicate more time to practice.

Folding Puzzle Challenge

Imagine…100 paper folding puzzles!  How wonderful!

This was the gift a friend and colleague gave me last week called “Manifold.” He knew I loved Origami and would enjoy each folding puzzle as they became progressively more challenging.

Like a Rubik’s Cube, the goal appears simple enough; fold the paper so black squares appear all on one side with white ones on the other side. It helps to know basic Origami principles to find the solutions.

I’m on #27 now…and can hardly stop. The smooth, colorful papers feel fantastic under my fingers.  My brain is focused and I am so very calm, like meditation.  I’m in the Zen!

The puzzles pull me to them immediately on waking.  I fold on the commuter train to and from work, during meal times and before going to sleep…just about anytime!

Happiness indeed!

OrigamiUSA 2018, Day 3

The third and final day of the OrigamiUSA 2018 Convention was all about experimentation and sharing information.

Origami Fish 6.25.2018

The three sessions I attended were:  Viviane’s excellent class on “Designing a Figurative Model” and the challenging “Corrugated Cardboard Crane” taught by Jeannine.

I also attended “Taro’s Origami Studio Workshop” — about the history of this workshop and the commissions they have received in the past.

Why was Viviane’s class so good?  Because we were each encouraged to design an original Origami model.  I was amazed by the number of students in the packed class who began playing with paper and suddenly produced an original design.

Origami Butterflies 6.25.2018

It was both surprising and hilarious as Viviane ran around the classroom photographing the newly “birthed” Origami model – some more abstract than others.  What a hoot!

I dare not show you the awful crane I folded from the corrugated cardboard in the next class.

This was very difficult to do as one needed accuracy and strength to “brute-force-bend” the cardboard into a crane.  My muscles were very sore after this class.

OrigamiUSA Cake 6.25.2018

While waiting for the evening banquet closing the OrigamiUSA 2018 Convention, someone showed me how to fold a fish and gave me a sticky, googly toy eye to put on the model.

Another folder showed me how to create simple orange butterflies.

At least I folded something successful on the last day of the Convention!

The banquet was quite tasty.  For dessert, a delicious cake, decorated with the Convention logo, was practically inhaled by the diners.

Sunset 6.25.2018

At one point, we all ran to the windows  to see the gorgeous sunset on the city.

Towards the end of the dinner, attendees, such as myself, were instructed to tear off their “First Timer” ribbons which hung from our convention badges.

We were now official OrigamiUSA Conventioners!

 

OrigamiUSA 2018, Day 2

This second day of the OrigamiUSA 2018 Convention at St. John’s University, Queens, NY, was even more exciting than the first day.

OrigamiUSA 2018 Convention Pin

Our registration bags held reams of beautiful papers to fold during the convention.  Attendees folded everywhere: in the Hospitality Center, in our dorm rooms, and of course, in folding classes.  We were also given a terrific book with dozens of designs to fold.

My folding classes this day were an abstract Pig and a Wolf, an Eiffel Star and an Untitled Jeweled  Star.   I had another class but missed it because I returned to view the exhibits and browse through the Origami store.  When I looked at the time, I realized the class was almost over.

Regarding the Pig and Wolf designs: every fold only suggested the form of the animal.  It was a truly amazing design.  The teacher helped me a great deal as the turn or twist of the paper just so, animated the figure.

Jeweled Star 6.24.2018

Eiffel Star 6.24.2018

The Eiffel Flower design had a pink and light green whirling pattern..lots of pieces to fold and fit together.  The same could be said of the Untitled Jeweled Star. I’m going to have to work on accuracy of the folds since these designs are unforgiving.

A long walk around St. John’s University topped off the evening after dinner.  I did not have the energy to watch the over-sized folding where teams competed to fold a life-size Origami model.  I heard it was lots of fun the next day.

OrigamiUSA 2018, Day 1

Imagine hundreds of Origami designs covering rows and rows of tables:  animals, insects, people, flowers, plants, and modular forms.  This was the incredible exhibit at the OrigamiUSA 2018  Convention – Day 1, St. John’s University, Queens, New York.

 

Crane Mandala 6.23.2018

Two-Sided Basket 6.23.2018

Kami Sleeve 6.23.2018

I gasped, oohed and aahed in awe of the dedicated Origami design creators’ and folders’  works in the exhibition.  Multiple times throughout the day, I stopped by the exhibit to study the folding techniques or just to admire the works.

 

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The rest of the day was taken up with Origami classes.  To mention a few of my favorite classes:  folding a Kami Sleeve was fun.  The Kami Sleeve was designed to protect Origami papers.  The two-sided basket I folded for candies and what-nots was quite delicate.  I loved the multi-colored, eight crane modular mandala I folded which was  taught by a 17-year-old!

Origami Snowflake 6.23.2018

All of these Origami classes required quite a bit of concentration and dexterity…even if I was only a “low-intermediate” folder.

Since I was a “First Timer,” many people gifted me models they had made to swap with other folders.  I was surprised and delighted with these unexpected presents.

Jean, an Origami expert, teacher and OrigamiUSA Convention attendee for the past thirty-three years gave me a magnificent snowflake she folded.

I will always treasure this beautifully folded work!

 

 

Spring Plantings

We gathered on Saturday, a community determined to garden.

Rows of green spades waiting their turn, to be grasp and thrust into the ground.  Hard earth, not yet moist and soft with Spring rains, challenged us.

Barrels of water  were available for thirsty plants and fertilizer to nourish them.

Small lingering snow drifts in garden bed corners and a chilly breeze overhead did not deter us.

Narcissus, daffodils, tulips, and seeds from last year’s marigolds were mingled with others.

Some of us dug holes, others planted flowers and seeds or added water and fertilizer.

Children were delighted by the colorful plants and eager to help.

Soon, their tiny hands and faces would be muddied with dirt in their gardening effort.

In no time, our planting was completed.

We collected our tools, smiling in anticipation of the summer perennials and the annuals we would enjoy later that year.

A happy thought after a long New England winter.  I folded this Narcissus flower the next day.

 

Winter Weather Fluctuations

The North East coast was hit by a “snow bomb” which dropped more than two feet of snow in my backyard.

Boston Icy Waters 1.8.2018

The Boston Harbor  and surrounding water channels were uneven sheets of ice.

Then, a rapid warming over a few days  melted everything.

Yesterday, the temperature rose to a balmy 50 degrees at 10am but by noon, it had dropped to 20 degrees.

To cheer myself up, I folded a blue Origami Dinosasur.  Thank goodness it was an easy model.

Blue Origami Dino 1.15.2018

My fingers and hands were stiff and clumsy.

Each Origami model I tried to fold resulted in a disaster.

Perhaps  I can blame it on these crazy winter weather fluctuations.

Maybe…

Cute Origami Mouse

Here is a simple, cute Origami Mouse design.

It is a very easy model to fold following the YouTube video here.

Pink Origami Mouse 12.29.2017

I like how the mouse’s ears puff out towards the back of the head.

The nose points upward as if to sniff some cheese or a tasty crumbs.

If you squint, the shape of the mouse really seems quite alive.

Kids would love to fold this design!

Snowman ⛄ for the First Snowfall

Jo Nakashima, an Origami artist, posted a new design of a Snowman on YouTube.

Origami Snowman 12.10.2017

The design uses three pieces of paper; one for the body, another for the scarf and one for the hat.

It was quite a lot of work folding the snowman – almost as much as making one in the snow!

I chose this model because five inches of snow fell last night.

This is the first snowfall this Winter in Cambridge.

The fluffy white stuff covers tree branches, roof tops and the ground.  It looks so pretty.

Plows worked all through the night to clear the roads and sidewalks.

I could hear the scraping sound of the vehicles removing snow from the street as I dosed off to sleep.

Snow Outside My Window 12.10.2017