Nick Robinson's Blog, page 42

A fillet of Brill

A video interview with my origami friend, artist and mentor for pushing 30 years. He's been an inspiration to me as a designer and is just a thoroughly wonderful gentleman (that's your 30 quids worth Dave).

Interviewed by Sara Adams, he talks about what inspires him, how he creates and his philosophy of origami. You can see how beautifully his exhibits have been displayed by Paulo Mulatinho in their Origami Galerie. Here's the direct youtube link where you can view in higher res.

Wu-hoo!

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I'm very much looking forward to the BOS Autumn Convention – it's on 3 September at The University of Winchester. Our special guest is Joseph Wu – he's asked me to diagram to of his designs for the accompanying Model Collection (buy my last effort here) , his "Jalapeno" and "Chibithulhu" – both excellent designs.

We intend also two feature a couple of videos he's made of other models on the CDrom version of the collection. I hope to meet some of my readers there!

BOS conventions are always a treat because they are organised in quite a relaxed way, so you don't feel under stress and can sit and chat with your friends almost anytime. We only meet twice a year, so it's fantastic for catching up with old friends.

I'm very much looking forward to the BOS Autumn Conventi...

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I'm very much looking forward to the BOS Autumn Convention – it's on 3 September at The University of Winchester. Our special guest is Joseph Wu – he's asked me to diagram to of his designs for the accompanying Model Collection (buy my last effort here) , his "Jalapeno" and "Chibithulhu" – both excellent designs.

We intend also two feature a couple of videos he's made of other models on the CDrom version of the collection. I hope to meet some of my readers there!

BOS conventions are always a treat because they are organised in quite a relaxed way, so you don't feel under stress and can sit and chat with your friends almost anytime. We only meet twice a year, so it's fantastic for catching up with old friends.

Teach Your Children

For the last couple of years I've been working for a company called Rotherham Open Minds Theatre Company. Formed by two disillusioned teachers, they began to take their own drama classes into schools. On success, they expanded the range of classes they offered to include subjects like street dancing and African drumming. Seeing their advert for free-lance artists, I thought I'd give it a go. I had to do a micro teaching session at the interview and managed to secure a place with them. I found out later that one of the directors, checking through the applicants, saw the word "origami" and promptly short-listed me!

So, it was back to the "coal face" of teaching origami, after many years of sitting at a desk, illustrating books. I had to get a CRB check, which came back clean, proving that excruciating puns and crimes against origami good taste don't count.  Many of us have taught a model one to one, but there are few more humbling experiences than teaching a group of eight year olds! Where adults will overlook mistakes or poor explanations, children will say "I don't get it"! I ask questions to enhance the learning experience, such as "what do you call it when something looks the same on both sides", when some tiny cherub will say "Lateral symmetry, of course!" Never, ever, underestimate your students…

Working with children is an immensely rewarding experience – you are constantly reminded that they are just little adults. One child told another to "shut up", the response was "that's inappropriate language!" They respond with enthusiasm and excitement – I'm constantly reminded of the pure joy origami was for me before I became a cynical, jaded, "expert". Your linguistic skills and assumptions are constantly challenged – I asked them to tuck a corner under a layer, but one child looked completely puzzled. I rephrased it before they admitted they didn't know what a "layer" was. My teaching is coming on in leaps and bounds as I learn these small but important lessons.

I've built up a repertoire of teachable designs, including many from A4, that being a format easily available in skools. I bring diagrams, partly for follow-up folding sessions, but also because there's nothing worse than forgetting the sequence – this happens more often as you get older! I've also learned that younger students get as much pleasure from decorating a model as from folding it. Crayons have become an integral part of my tool box. It may be that they feel more "ownership" after decorating it, but it means you need fewer models for a given time. I usually do 90 minute classes and we get though between three and five models.

One of the many benefits is that your success rate with adults will undoubtedly go up. You learn the best words to use, the way to hold the paper, which steps may need more careful explanation and many more subtle but useful tips. You also get lots of creative ideas, since many children will say "it looks like .." and you think "Yes! Good point!" and file the idea away for the next time you teach the model.

Some of the classes are repeated over 6/8 weeks, meaning I have to prepare lesson plans, always a good idea but often overlooked.  They all fill in a "learner evaluation" form I devised and some comments are priceless. I urge you all to give it a try sometime!

The origami tool you can use and yet retain your credibility!

[image error]Envelopeners have been with us for some time now and despite some reservations, have slowly worked their way into the "essential equipment" list for many paper-folders. You can use them just as easily with A0 paper as with smaller squares and it's almost impossible to injure yourself using them..

They do have a tendency not to work every time, but a 90% success rate is good enough for me. During classes I wear mine around my neck – an origami dog tag perhaps and it's a great conversational item as well as almost magical (when it works).

My current favoured opener-of-choice is neither the Versnick, nor the BOS branded version, but that obtained from Viereck-Verlag, with the world's most stylish neck band, created for the Träume Aus Händen exhibition organised by the Origami Galerie. You can buy these here for a solitary euro.

I'm sure there are people out there collecting these devices – anyone brave enough to admit it?

Little Johnny Montroll

A new book by John Montroll is now available – "Origami World Wide", featuring two of my own designs (frog and dish). You can see it and buy it here. When my copy arrives, I'll do a full review, but it looks to be an essential purchase, judging by the wide variety of the contents.

John is, of course, a legendary figure in the origami world, but his creativity stretches back a lot further than many people know. Here is a photo of him at 17, fresh-faced but still producing extraordinary work. Did you know that Elias' wonderful Peacock is largely based on an earlier design by Montroll?

In case you wondered, the photo is from an early copy of the Origamian – I read through a fascinating collection of these recently. I won't say how early to spare John's blushes ;)

Wonderlandigami

I've just completed the artwork and photography for a forthcoming book on Sterling Publishing, (provisionally) entitled "Alice In Wonderland Origami". Due early 2012, it will be a tiny format (6″ x 4″) volume containing some of the well-known characters. The lack of space and page count have placed a few design restrictions (colour changes etc) but I've felt for years that less is more…

All the models were created by myself and diagrammed within 3 weeks. Photos below, can you identify them all?

Oooh Jung Mann!

I recently had a nice email from a German folder called Christian Saile. He said he as a big fan and hoped we could meet at the next Origami Deutschland convention. I did some googling and found his website – discovering not only is he young (12) but he's also written an origami book!

Impressive modesty that he didn't mention this in the email, the book looks a lot of fun and he features prominently on the cover.  This got me to thinking how my sales might be affected with a photo of me on the cover, but after 15 seconds of reflection, I realised it would not a be good idea.

I get the impression Christian has a great future ahead of him, whatever he chooses to do with it…

AEP report posted

You can read about my shenigans in Spain…

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A recent creation, inspired by stunning work by Sipho Mabona, but probably simpler – it's just a waterbomb base ;)

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