Life List: Origami Animals
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 9:54PM 
One of the items that I added to my Life List during Karen Walrond's Pathfinder class was: Fold 20 Origami Creatures. It's in the "Good Things On Repeat" category, but truthfully, it also fits in the "Trying New, Not Particularly Serious, Stuff (Whimsy)" category. This goal was just going to be fun. Last weekend when we drove up to Woodstock for the afternoon I saw an origami kit to make sea creatures at the fabulous toy store Tinker Toys and I had to snap it up and get started on this goal. I wasn't planning on doing this one this year, so I hadn't put it on my five goals list at Camp Mighty, but I really enjoyed it so I think my five goals need a little adjustment. My Life List is totally flexible and always changing and there should always be room to change things if they feel right, or wrong. More on that later!
I love folding paper, it's like doing a puzzle for me, meditative and thoughtful. The key is clear instructions and understanding what the different symbols mean. This kit has very good instructions. Besides the pleasure of creating the sea creatures out of paper, I also loved photographing them. I started out shooting them on my white table, but they were just crying for more of an environment. Our blue anti-slip bathtub mat made a perfect underwater backdrop. Doesn't it look like they are floating in water? I also propped two of them up with toothpicks and then air brushed the sticks out in Photoshop.
I hope you love them as much as I do. Next? I want to find instructions for a set of Safari creatures. I'd love to try my hand at a Giraffe or Elephant.
Camera Settings
Focal Length: 70 mm, Exposure: 1/60 sec at f/2.8, ISO 400
Lighting: Natural Light from my wall of windows.
Animals, Origami in Art, Life List, Photography
Reader Comments (6)
Beautiful animals and beautiful photography.
OMG! You're right about using the mat - so much better like you said. Love them! xo
Reading this and seeing your cute photos motivates me to keep up my "52 birds" project. (In 2012 I'm trying to sketch a bird a week for fun and drawing practice/exercise.) Thanks for sharing!
Awesome Heather! 52 birds sounds cool, are you posting them? I'll look on your site.
Leslie, I have put my birds on Instagram and have considered putting them on my site, too. Thanks for the encouragement! hk
My 15 yr old son has been doing origami for over 9 years. His fascination with it has never waned. He will love what you've done with your creations here.
Thank you.