Folding Magic Workshop

It seems such a long time ago since I completed my Foundation in Art and Design and although I have tried to keep a track on what everyone is up to that was on the course you inevitably loose track.

My foundation was not an experience that I particularly enjoyed, it felt very much like boot camp to me and at one point I very much doubted that I had a scrap of artistic ability.  I very much enjoyed meeting and working with the other students and we were a very strong year, it became a community where we helped each other and moved forward to a common goal.

Recently, I linked up with Steff Lee who was on my course.  She is now a wicked illustrator/ animator and if you click on the link it will take you to her shop.  I love the styling of her work which seems to be very much influenced by her cultural roots.  Just before Christmas last year we had an online chat about doing a skills swap but due to our commitments as freelance artists this is the first opportunity we have had to get together.  At this point I won't share what I wanted as part of the exchange but Steff on her part wanted to learn how to fold some flowers.


I advised her what she would need and I went armed a selection of paper, wire, green tape and other bits and bobs we would need for the day.

The day started off with discussing what she wanted to learn and why ('cause I'm nosey that way). I took her through the basic folds keeping out the names of bases etc.  When you first learn origami I feel you just want to know a few basic folds and bases, get the feel for repetitive folds then your knowledge will grown from there.

We worked steadily through the day taking in nibbles and recording our progress as we went.  By
lunchtime we had two Kusudama structures ready to finish.

It's amazing how the time goes, as they say, when you are enjoying yourself and our day was no exception, it fair whizzed by.

After lunch, I finished off the day by showing Steff how to fold some random shapes using the techniques she had learnt earlier; a heart, a butterfly and a tulip.

It was a lovely day and I hope we repeat it again sometime.

Steff Lee and Phiona Richards