Post-Matsuri Origami Workshop

2-22-2015

 I double-booked myself last weekend and had to be in two different states at once.  It all worked out in the end.

Originally, I was booked for Matsuri in Arizona.  I was planning to take Thursday through Tuesday off.....this week.  The problem is Matsuri happened this past weekend; and Yami had talked me into working with a contact from Marukai who was looking for an origami teacher to conduct a workshop in Costa Mesa at Tokyo Central.  Yami did not feel his health would allow for himself to be booked in advance.

2-22-2015 Display

Since I didn't have to be at the actual Matsuri Festival (which would have been nice) and help with the origami booths, I was able to do my Costa Mesa event; then high-tail it 600-700 miles to Arizona.  Yes, I drove.  Through bad LA traffic and drizzling rain. 
I arrived at my hotel after midnight.  Stayed up until 3.  Then woke up at 6am.  Workshop was from 9am to 4pm.

It was great to see so many old friends and make the acquaintance of some new ones.  There's something special about these kind of gatherings because these are friends you generally see only once a year, if even that.


I had been invited to Matsuri before as guest artist one year; then co-artist with Yami a second year.

I was a "last month" replacement for Andrew Ting, who had school on the day of the workshop.



I shared a couple of performance pieces, including "Instant Origami":

 I brought a shoebox full of pre-scored polypopagon cards and those pretty well disappeared.  I think it was a pretty big hit.

Among the other things taught, Akiko Yamanashi's twist box:

I also brought the scored paper for Angel Blanco's self-closing box.  That also went over well.

More photos here.

2-23-2015