Special Announcement
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are closed... or are we? See more info here.Origami Page:
Origami Village
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.
Try these easy-to-fold paper units to construct houses and other structures. Great for an individual or group activity! You can create an imaginary house, your own neighborhood, or build a whole village! Start today and continue adding structures for an on-going project.
Begin with standard copy paper cut into 8.5” squares; after folding the papers, each unit will measure 4.25” square. For smaller structures, begin with smaller squares. Each unit will be 1/4th the size of the original paper squares.
If you want to decorate the walls, inside or out, there are several ways to do it. You can simply add designs with markers and/or crayons, or you can trace the size of your unit onto the back of decorative paper, cut out the square and glue it onto the desired space. Papers can also be decorated before folding to create all-over patterns.
To decorate the inside walls even further, cut out small reproductions of paintings to put on the walls. Or make small prints of your own photos to personalize your house.
Use a piece of cardboard to build upon; this supports your structures and makes it easy to move them around. The support can be painted or covered with colored papers, depending upon the environment or setting you’d like to create for your house or building.
The units will hold together well without glue, but the larger the structure, the less stable it will become. A little glue stick can be used on the ends of the connector pieces to stabilize units, but don’t glue until you are sure your structure is the way you want it!
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
All of her Paper Dream Paintings can be seen in her Etsy shop where custom matted art prints of her original work can be purchased. Go to: www.etsy.com/shop/LyricFineArts
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
