1.5hrs

213: A Foal

| wonko

Now in Australia, to save confusion, horse breeders take August 1 as the birthdate of ALL horses:

I made a foal, a newly born horsey to mark the occasion, he even looks unsure on his legs, but I cannot help but wonder what horses feel about us missing their actual birthday to celebrate the communal one. I wonder how horsey party supply places cope with the demand for balloons, streamers and cake?

This is a variation of “The Old Kentucky Horse” by Raymond H M’Lain from Robert Harbin’s “More Origami” ad the original model has always struck me as a much younger horse that promised – neato for today tho – Happy Birthday Horseys!

212: Brill’s Dragon

| wonko

End of another month, thought I would wrestle with a dragon to celebrate and found David Brill’s interpretation of the theme:

I like this a lot, for a bunch of reasons – it has a lovely head and tail, well placed wings and when photographed flat (hey, another model suited to a card) it looks like the Welsh Flag.

Some fiddly flap rearrangement and some folding by eye (rather than to landmark) makes this model interesting, my guess is each time it is folded it’s posture is subtly different.

Tidy use of plain paper, I was concerned the media would let me down but it was fine, meaning the model is well designed in my opinion (models that demand tissue foil are less so). There is an accompanying figure (Saint George – you know,  “George and the dragon” fame) but it is a composite figure, so might hold off on him for the mo.

Folded from the aptly names “Brilliant Origami” by David Brill, I really like that book, and there are still LOTS of things in there for me to fold.

191: Scorpion

| wonko

I have seen many models of various complicated insects, and intend to try many – my first foray is not an insect at all, but a scorpion:

This is a well designed model with 8 legs, a pair of lovely claws and a crab-like carapace underneath

The tail, IWHO, is a major oversight – it ends up so thick and fatigued that it was very difficult to model and you can see (if you look close) paper fatigue took it’s toll along the back primary crease and part way up the tail. Copy paper is not up to this job but I found out waaay to late in the fold to even consider re-starting it with different paper.

Some interesting and precise folds beforehand mean a collapse and a bunch of reverse folds easily make the legs and claws, quite impressed – could see also how this technique could be used to make a squid as well, will keep that in my toolbox of folds to consider.

183: Hummingbird Feeding

| wonko

I have the greatest of respect for Robert Lang, his models are discussed mathematically and with great artistic intent also, and when I saw this hummingbird in “Origami Design Secrets” I knew I had to make it:

Having never actually seen a hummingbird (except on the telly), I am amazed and in awe of their size, industry and life habit. After folding the bird I decided it absolutely needed a flower to feed from, found a simple blossom in Harbin’s “Origami 2” by Toshie Takahama and fixed them together with the wire from a straightened paperclip and a (shhh) little double-sided tape.

Hummingbirds use huge amounts of energy to fly, and so feed voraciously on high-energy foods like nectar, so I can imagine my little bird about to plunge into the nectary of this flower for a much needed energy boost.

Am really pleased with this model – beautiful beak, breast and wings, the tail was a surprise as it came from a tortured sink early on. A masterful design that, from what I can gather, captures the intent of the bird mid flight. this makes it difficult to pose (as it has no legs) and, interestingly, every picture I have seen of this completed model is posed adjacent a bloom (presumably using the same support trick I used.

You may, collectively, go awwwwww now, as that was my reaction when stepping back from the handiwork.