Special Announcement
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are closed... or are we? See more info here.Origami Page:
Proud Rooster
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.
2017 is the year of the Rooster, starting from January 28th, and ending on February 15, 2018. It is tenth in the Chinese zodiac. Each year is related to an animal sign according to a 12-year cycle. Years of the Rooster include 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 2005, and 2017. Add another 12 years to get the next Rooster year, which will be 2029! Traditionally, people born as a Rooster are active, amusing and popular within a crowd. They are considered to be talkative, frank, open, honest and loyal individuals.
If you fold a Proud Rooster you can use it several ways. It stands alone to present to someone on their birthday, (or any other reason!) - or can be glued flat to a home-made greeting card. An origami rooster can be used for a table centerpiece if folded from a large square; the size of the finished model will be half the size of the square of paper used, so if you want a 10" rooster you need to start with a 20" square. A roll of gift-wrap or other paper rolls are good sources for cutting large squares. If you have trouble getting your large rooster to stand up, reinforce the legs with triangles cut from cardboard glued inside the legs - or - glue the feet down onto a sturdy base of cardboard.
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
