Origami Festival at Storrier-Stearns Japanese Gardens

This took place two Sundays ago:

Descanso Gardens: Robert Neale butterfly demo

Carrying on the traditions of Yami Yamauchi.

March 3, 2019

This is from yesterday:




Pam and I are there once again today.

Bringing a Dollar Bill to Life

Manipulating the audience....





Sorry for the sad camera angle.  I should have had someone else film.

Demonstrating and Teaching Yesterday

I've been coming to the Van Nuys Garden for well over a decade, first hired by Michael Fritzen, I believe.  at some point, Sylvia Wong took over the reigns and brought aboard more regular teachers at the annual Origami Day festival.  This year, Carla Shaw has taken the helm. 

Instead of just entertaining visitors, this year I had the freedom to also teach; and I got to be in the Tea House, which I ended up liking better.

I entrusted filming to one of the volunteers; but something happened and she missed recording some really good moments.  Oh, well.

It was a fun 5 hours of origami (not counting the 2.5 hours before and hour after). 

Georgette setting up her display models

Cherry Blossom Festival last weekend in Monterey Park

Last Sunday in Monterey Park at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.....


This is one of the first things I do in my demo, asking who in the audience has folded paper before (most people have probably done a paper glider) and as a lead in to action models.



My indoor stage demo was scheduled at 3pm on Sunday but then changed last minute to 4pm to accommodate another performer.

I've been doing this festival since 2002 or 2004.  I think it may have been my very first one and "big break" in doing things like this.  The first year I was outdoors with a booth.  I think my second year I had been given the center of the indoor gymnasium with 4 tables boxing me in.  At some point, I was asked to start doing stage demos.  That's when I had Yami and Joe with me, too.

I talk a bit about the evolution from traditional models into modern origami; including practical application nowadays into physics, sciences, and technology.  Then show off modern works of art.

My material has become such that it's growing a bit stale; but I follow a formula that I don't even need to rehearse, because I've done it so many times now.  Once I start talking about different moneyfolds, it segues into the realm of origami magic.

Us paperfolders love magic:




I'm a fungi:



After teaching Yami's banger to the group (really small crowd I thought, this year), I engage them in a "quick fold" contest for prizes:  Who can fold a banger (doesn't have to be the one I just taught) and make it pop first?





The big finish:

Descanso Japanese Gardens Origami Introduction

This is part of my warm-up introduction.

There weren't too many people sitting at the table beforehand, like on other days; but this gives me a chance to build up interest before we start teaching.

I like to talk about modern origami, show off complex and fun action models; segue into moneyfolds; then from there...magic!

Another Robert Neale trick

Here's another variation of the same trick:

Robert Neale's Magic Trap Door

At the Genius Bar (That's what my station was called)

More from the Van Nuys Japanese Garden:

Robert Neale's $ Butterfly and Instant Origami

Here are a couple of clips from yesterday's Origami Festival.  I have much more, but not the time and energy right now to sift through and edit them down:

Sunday Funnies

And here's an off-topic bonus- how to win at rocks, paper, scissors by Robert Neale:

"What do magicians pull out of a magic hat?"

A common reaction to Robert Neale's bunny bill.  Van Nuys, Japanese Gardens October 14, 2012

Demo excerpt of 2008 Cherry Blossom Festival

Filmed on April 11, 2008, this is a performance demonstration of the Robert Neale dollar ƸӜƷ:

Happiness in the Garden of Imagination

This is from last Sunday's Origami Festival in the Japanese Gardens at CSULB:



Photos here.

The magic of Robert Neale's dollar butterfly

My material is still slowly evolving and getting refined; I know exactly what I need to do to make the presentation better. I just haven't taken the time to do my homework and rehearse the material (I haven't done this model since the last festival).

I think what I need to do is research some material from the field of physics and aerodynamics to give some bs rhetoric about Newton's First and Third Law, wind current and wing lift, upwash and downwash, angle of attack, etc....you know: Get them thinking there's a rational, scientific explanation (other than the simple, obvious one- I'm squeezing a lever).

Also, when someone does question whether or not I am pinching, I should hand it to them while secretly undoing the petal-fold, so he can try it himself. Sometimes, even handing the model to a person untampered has the person failing to make the wings flap.

Origami on Local Public Access Broadcasting

Carolyn hosts this, and invited me to do two programs. The first one, "Origami 3", I used up the entire airtime to demonstrate the folding pattern of Montroll's horse (I didn't dwell on teaching it slow, as I only had 25 minutes tops.

This is from a Long Beach public access program. Teaching the Robert Neale dollar bill flapping butterfly with John Andrisan's cosmetic modifications.

Unscripted and dry...funny toward the end...hey, it's public access! What more can you expect?

Thanks to both Johns for their permission to teach this on the airwaves.

Breathing Life into Origami (the Japan Expo 2006, LA)

12/03/06 Here's a video from NewspeakTV:

For a larger screen, just click on the screen, and it'll open up a new browser, with a direct link.

It's not completely "child-friendly"; fortunately, for you visitors who are strictly origami-enthusiasts, I appear in the video during the first couple of minutes. It's pretty funny, throughout; but for all you kiddies below the age of 13, be responsible adults, and abstain from corrupting your young minds with inappropriate videos...until you turn 14. As for the rest of you: well...I'm pretty sure your minds are all quite corroded by now. So enjoy!

*End Update*

Joe abandoned Yami and I, to work in another booth on behalf of his church, I believe. And he was only at the Expo for a few hours on Saturday. Yami had what he called a "senior moment", when at the end of the day, Saturday, as we were packed up and ready to leave, he discovered that his keys were missing. We did everything short of calling for his auto service to come open the trunk door of his car. We didn't figure to do that until we came back the next day. *Groan*. What a relief, though, that he still has his keys. His next assignment: make duplicates! All of his keys, including his apartment key were on that one ring. This video focuses mainly on people's reactions to the Robert Neale bunny bill and flapping butterfly. One of the things that I love to try and capture is the magical effect origami has on people. Their joy expresses itself in their spontaneous reactions. Some of the best reactions, as usual, have been when the camera wasn't ready. I tried to get Yami to film me when I had a large audience; and another friend to do so when I went out in the middle of my area and launched the cicada boomerang glider far and wide, and still had it return back to me. But I guess my camera's too difficult for others to work with. I guess it's getting old, because the button gets stuck; and only I know how to jiggle it just right. One thing you don't see, is that I don't have the dollar butterfly pre-made. I fold it for the guests, on the spot, telling them about how we were going to bring their dollar bill to life. After I fold the model, I have the audience guess as to what I've folded. 98% of the time, they guess that it is a butterfly. I have a way of giving them a subliminal hint, if they are having trouble guessing. Works every time. The reason why you see so many people in the video blowing on the dollar, is because when I hold it up, I tell them that they must blow on it, to breathe life into it. Both Robert Neale models were introduced to me 5 years ago, by Joel Bauer, who did a magnificent job of selling their virtues to me. In his masterful hands and presentation abilities, the magic is there.

Photos can be found here.