FUN Origami Club Gallery

Origami Teacher Statements:

Adults...

Lisa B. Corfman: Born and raised in the Boston area, I am an origami (paperfolding) inspired artist.  With a BFA from Endicott College (Beverly, MA), I took a full range of art classes, from studio arts, to education, graphic design, and art therapy. There I studied under Professor Barbara Burgess-Maier and refined my drawing skills, becoming proficient at charcoal drawing.  Burgess-Maier said “Draw what you love,” so the charcoal drawing of origami series was born.  I became a poet under Professor Dan Sklar.  To Sklar’s advice “Write anything,” I did and began crafting poetry on subjects emphasizing origami.  Now all of my art forms revolve around origami.  In May 2014 I attained my Advanced Certificate in Marketing in New York which helped me strengthen my business skills including the act of developing and building her website, today as https://OrigamiPlace.com, which lists Lisa’s retail locations, options for taking a workshop, classes, running a party, exhibitions, and Lisa’s origami shop. I say “Discover paperfolding, materials galore!” as the entrepreneur of Origami Place – we make, sell, teach, and showcase origami arts embracing paper’s wonders.  With the FUN Origami Club, I strive to bring the excitement of origami to all, and for everyone to find ways to grow, achieve and enjoy our origami goods and services.

André van Meulebrouck:  I’m a computer programmer who started with origami when I was 4 years old.  My father taught me origami as a way to get to me to sit still, learn patience, and focus.  (My wife when hearing this story likes to razz me and ask “Did it work?”.  =:0)  My father teaching me origami, in a day and age before computers became household items, prepared me for a future in technology that neither of us could see from where we sat.  I gave up origami in High School; but one day as an adult, while building a computer and using a pair of tweezers (as I often did when doing origami), I had an epiphany.  Of all the things I learned growing up, the thing that most prepared me for building and programming computers was origami.  I then mused that while it had played a role, I’ve since moved on to more important adult activities.  Then I caught myself, and began to wonder if I still have things to learn from origami:  like patience, focus, and problem solving.  So, I resumed origami from that point on, and have never stopped folding since.  Origami truly is engineering with paper.

Xander Arena: I am a nuclear medicine technologist. I live in Phoenix, AZ with my lovely wife Patti, my children, and many animals. I first learned origami techniques in the 1980's under instruction of Frau Rasmussen, a German immigrant to the US.  I published an origami book of his own titled "Origami Over the Edge" in 2009.  I sought to design creatures which hadn't been seen elsewhere and the hammerhead shark was a good subject. I designed this model using the fish base because... why not?!

Francene H. Barrett: As a Legal Secretary for many years, I seized the opportunity to become a Paralegal and then transferred my A.A.S. credits toward my B.S. degree in Accounting. I am currently an Accountant in the employ of a tax attorney where I experience the best of both worlds.

As a child living in Brooklyn, NY, although I didn’t know it at the time, I became a folder using gum wrappers, folding a chain which extended across the City street. Later, my daughter received an origami kit, which I still have, but was never used, having been stored away.

But it was not until my father and I met Rachel Katz at the Town of Islip Brookwood Hall where she mesmerized us with her transitions from one beautiful model to the next.  At that time she recommended Eric Kenneway’s book “Complete Origami” (1987) which my father purchased for us.

Later my sister, who is a retired teacher, told me that Rachel was teaching origami to her students.  I learned that the Long Island Folding Enthusiasts (LIFE) met monthly where I was warmly welcomed.

I met Lisa B. Corfman, who as it turned out lived down the block, at Origami Heaven held at SUNY at Stony Brook.  She generously shared her paper and patiently taught me a complex model.  I am happy to be a part of Lisa’s FUN Origami Club so that I can continue to enjoy the paper, models, teachers and mathematics that origami offers.

Kathy Knapp:  From Peoria, Illinois, I have been dabbling with paper folding since the 1950's, in grade school.  High school brought knowledge of another fold.  Marriage, children, and attendance of oldest to VBS, I was taught the crane.  

When my youngest had an assignment of making a Noah's Ark, the inflatable bunny and crane were known.  A trip to the library taught us both the word Origami.  Florence Temko's book, "Paper Pandas and Jumping Frogs" became quite useful.  I became interested with the approach used in the book and ordered my own copy.  That was the beginning of my library of over 700 books and publications related to Origami that have made the move to my assisted living facility.  I have been teaching for over 40 years.  In 2010, Origami USA presented me the Ranana G. Benjamin Memorial Award for teaching.  It is truly an honor.  I usually teach novices, so simple, fun and often forgiving folds are chosen.  I especially enjoy folding US currency, to give as tips or gifts.  I began a local folding group, OPA, Origami Peoria Area.  When the library closed for major remodeling, my church was available.  Then came the pandemic, and in person hasn't restarted.  Thanks to Zoom, my origami learning and teaching need is met.

Children...

Enzo T: My adventures in origami began when my kindergarten art teacher taught us how to make an origami cat. I was immediately taken by the endless possibilities of folding. Since then, origami has been a daily practice and an important part of my identity. I find folding to be relaxing and rewarding. I’ve had fun over the years folding the designs of great origami masters from around the world, while also creatively adapting models and designing my own. During the pandemic, when I was feeling isolated, I decided to start my own YouTube channel. The ‘4th Grade Origamist’ created an opportunity for me to share and connect with other origamists. I enjoy folding on my own but especially love folding with others!  Link to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-Fhm2WMmnxgvEqamqw1kg/videos

Tenzin W-P: My name is Tenzin and I am in 3rd grade. I started folding a year ago when my Mom gave me an origami kit as a gift. I quickly became interested and started to look for more books and tutorials online. Since then, my skills have improved, and I have also started drawing Anime and Manga on which I am currently doing a report. My first origami goal is folding Ryujin, which is a dragon with individual scales. It is folded from a single sheet of 50-inch by 50-inch kami. My second goal is to fold Jeremy Shafer's Flasher Hat, which is very complex. The first model that I am going to teach is a variation of the classic water bomb. It's a spiky version called The Spiky Balloon. The second model is called Dragon Wing Propeller.