Some sights and sounds from the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival

My exhibit display:

Origami Festival in Pasadena

From the flyer:

At the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden on Sunday September 30, 12pm-4pm Come and learn to fold paper cranes, flowers and other fun forms with expert paper folders from the Pacific Ocean Paperfolders (POP) and our own Origami Club teacher Nick Cavallo. We will host talks on different aspects of origami from local experts and have Japanese tea and snacks for sale – all in the beautiful setting of our Japanese garden! Festival Program
 12pm to 4pm: Ongoing Origami Folding Stations in the Garden1) Paper Cranes for Peace with Sue DiCicco and our volunteers2) Fold a Flower with Michael Sanders
3) Origami Explorations with POP members, Jared Needle and Bryan Yu4) Learn to Fold ?? with Nick Cavallo Special Lectures followed by book-signings in the House (in En Gallery)12:30pm: Storigami with origami artist and children’s book author, Joel Stern
1:30pm: New Expressions in Origami Art with art historian Meher McArthur
2:30pm: SPECIAL NEW BOOK LAUNCH: The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki with animator and arts activist Sue DiCicco

LaFosse F14 Tomcat

Origami Class with the Seatuck Environmental Association in 2013

Last weekend Cherry Blossom Festival, Monterey Park

An obituary/tribute was included in the program:

My stage demo was on Saturday.  Last act.

I folded Yami's fireworks as giveaway prizes for the quick fold contest at the end.

I was joined by Pam Miike.

I had ordered a paper glider gun from Amazon and did not break it open until the day of the Festival on Saturday.  It took me a while to figure out that it wasn't broken (Have to insert a paper glider for the motor to start running).

The Yami Chop

Pam Miike coined the term last weekend:

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

Model Menu sneak peak: $ Flower-in-a-Pot

I'm signed up to PCOC so far to teach at least 2 models.  This is one of them. 

I think I taught this at my first OUSA Convention around 2002.  Herman Lau went out of his way to make sure I taught it according to his specifications as, at the time, he said people were getting the proportions of the pot wrong.

The class will also be remotely broadcast.  So for those of you who are unable to attend, please consider tuning in from the comforts of your home.

I'm hoping Herman Lau himself can still attend (he's located up in Sacramento). 

Pasadena Origami Festival at Storrier Stearns Japanese Gardens

Meher McArthur:

Looking for something fun to do with the family this Sunday? Come to the Pasadena Origami Festival at the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, from 10am to 4pm. Come and learn how to fold flowers, animals and modular forms with expert folders like Joel Stern and Jared Needle of the Pacific Ocean Paperfolders (POP) in the gorgeous setting of our Japanese Garden. I will be giving a talk about contemporary origami art and signing copies of my new book New Expressions in Origami Art and my earlier book Folding Paper. 

So today I spent time at the Gardens teaching the Thai Tulip:




In between teaching, I managed to film Joel Stern telling teaching tales:

This one is a Storigami by Christine Petrell Kallevig:

Photos here.

Teaching at Descanso Gardens for Family Night

Family night at Descanso Gardens yesterday involved a showing of "Kubo and the Two Strings".   I provided the origami entertainment prior to the movie playing out on an outdoor big screen.

Yami's secret ancient origami folding technique finally revealed!

Yami actually first started doing his "karate chop" knee action about 10 years ago.  I've since "turned up the volume" by expanding upon the comedic effect and setup/build up.

Warming up the crowd and testing their abilities to listen, watch, and follow directions

This is Yami's banger.

Before any vigorous, physical activity, it's important to warm-up and active stretch.

This will tax you, physically; teach you spiritually; test your mental acumen; train your listening skills; and take your powers of observation to the next level!

Origami. It's not just for kids, anymore.

Origami Games

Kinokuniya bookstore in Little Tokyo, LA- an advertisement for Joel Stern's book

Ilan Garibi has put together a collection of origami contest/games, commonly seen at origami conventions around the world. 

It got me to thinking about different ways in which to have origami games, in general (Not just amongst expert paperfolders).

One of the things I've been doing for the past several years at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival is the "Quick Fold" contest. 

Typically, Yami would end our onstage demonstration by teaching a highly complex piece of origami to the audience- his simple banger.  I'd then host a quick draw contest, complete with showdown music (Sergio Leone's spaghetti western sounds) and origami cowboy hats; followed by Samurai music (Abarenbo Shogun and Hissatsu Shigotonin) and various Samurai hats for contestants to wear. 

Dueling folders stand on opposite ends of the stage and on the count of 3, pick up a fresh sheet of paper and start folding a banger.  First one to successfully fold and make their model snap wins a prize (I usually give a prize to both participants).  I've yet to see anyone simplify a banger after understanding the concept of what creates the sound (they assume they need to fold the exact model they were just taught; and that they should fold it neatly). 

Math'scool

December 9, 2006

I was taken advantage of, doing this without pay (too naive and unconcerned about what they were doing).  I don't know if they ever actually used this footage; but at least they sent me a copy of this embarrassing, cringe-inducing promo video, aimed at getting kids excited about geometry:

I have a promo video on VHS from my stint with Sony Pictures Imageworks booth at Siggraph in 2007.  Maybe one day I'll transfer that one over.

Last Weekend's Venture at Descanso Gardens

Had to miss the POP meeting in order to help out Yami with his Descanso Gardens event.  I used the GoPro camera chest mount and it creates an interesting perspective:

It was difficult to break away for lunch as there was wave upon wave of people eager to try out their hands at some paperfolding with us.  We were supposed to be done at 3pm but went about an hour overtime (and started ahead of time as well).

Photos here.