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WHAT IS ORIGAMI? Origami is the Japanese art of paperfolding in which pieces of paper, usually square in shape and uncut, are folded into decorative objects such as birds and animals. An ancient art that dates back to 538 A.D., origami has grown over the centuries from a craft used to make decorations for ceremonial occasions to an art form practiced by people of all ages and all nationalities. Today people from all walks of life, from schoolchildren to mathematicians, enjoy origami. These origami enthusiasts refer to themselves a paperfolders. They also use the terms origamists and origamians, although these terms are less popular. The decorative paper objects that they fold are referred to as folds or models. MY ORIGAMI The models that you see on this website are my first original designs. So far my origami is traditional in some ways, non-traditional in other ways. My models are traditional because all of them are folded from single sheets of paper without gluing or cutting. However, my models can also be categorized as non-traditional because most of them are folded without first folding the paper into a traditional origami base. The only exceptions are the kiwi and simple kiwi, which begin with the kite base. In the future I plan to create more models and to learn more about the scientific methods of creating models. In the meantime, have fun folding my first creations. ORIGAMI PAPER Origami is one of the simplest of art forms because the only materials needed are your hands and pieces of paper. Using only pieces of paper, an experienced paperfolder can make an almost limitless number of origami models. You can purchase origami paper at most art supply stores. Origami paper comes in a variety of colors, patterns, sizes and textures. Most origami models can be folded using any type of origami paper, but sometimes the model that you are folding will dictate the type of paper that you will use. In general, you should use thin paper when folding a complex model that has many folds. Heavy paper should be used when folding a large-scale model. Keep in mind that you do not really need to buy origami paper to make origami. You can use any paper available in your home - loose-leaf paper, typewriting paper, and even gift-wrapping paper. All you have to do is cut the paper into squares (or whatever shape is required by the model) and you are ready to fold. |
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