Origami Page:
Wind Glider

Mary Ellen Palmeri

Welcome to our monthly "Origami Page". Origami is folding paper and ending up with delightful figures and models, such as flowers, boxes and animals. This feature will showcase a different origami model in each monthly issue, with diagrams and photos to help readers learn how to fold them. Most models use one square of paper, some use a rectangle, and others use more than one piece of paper.

Photo by Mary Ellen Palmeri

This month's diagram is my favorite origami boat. It is an interactive model - a wind glider that is propelled by blowing on the sail. All you need is a puff of breath and a smooth surface to see it glide away at surprising speeds! It can be fun to decorate and personalize the sails with images or words, using colored pencils, markers, or your favorite stickers.

Invent ways to have fun with this boat. See how many puffs you need to get it to reach a certain distance. Or create an obstacle course and see if you can 'steer' your glider around and past objects by changing the force of your puffs. Maybe try placing a basket on the floor at the end of a smooth table and see if you can get your glider to land in the basket. Teach others how to make their own glider and then have boat races!

Happy folding!

Click for printable PDF file.

Origami originated in ancient Asian cultures and has been adapted by contemporary artists worldwide to reflect their own cultures. Local artist Mary Ellen Palmeri has incorporated paper folding into many of her mixed media art paintings, and teaches origami classes locally and nationally. Some of her work can be seen in a Tucson Happenings feature here: Artist_Profile

Ms. Palmeri's original origami models have been published in books and magazines, she has been featured on broadcast media, and her mixed-media fine art works often include various original origami models. Origami LAFF (Lyric Arts Folding Fest) is a Tucson based club founded by Ms. Palmeri to provide a venue for sharing this art. The group meets monthly at a local library; for more details please contact the artist at info@lyric-arts.com