Special Announcement
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are closed... or are we? See more info here.Origami Page:
Flat Tulip
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
The month of May makes me think of flowers! Here is a simple traditional tulip-fold that can be used to decorate cards or gift tags. Folded flowers make a wonderful theme for Mother's Day, birthdays, congratulations, or a "Thinking of You" message.
The tulip blossom can be used by itself or with the accompanying stem/leaf fold. If the blossom is used alone and attached to paper, a full picture can be created by drawing in grass, stems, leaves and other objects.
Try folding this model using various paper sizes and different colors to see what best suits your needs. It can be interesting to color your own paper before or after folding to achieve a unique look. And you can put a group of tulips together topped with a ribbon bow for an attractive presentation!
Happy folding!
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
