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Origami : Origami to Astonish and Amuse
Origami to Astonish and AmuseOrigami to Astonish and Amuse features step-by-step diagrams for over 89 original origami models for folders at all skill levels.Book Review by Chris Dunmire About the Author:
"Jeremy Shafer is a professional entertainer whose act includes juggling torches and fireballs, riding a flaming unicycle, and folding a Flapping Bird out of burning paper. Jeremy has been folding [origami] for over eighteen years and has created hundreds of original models, each folded from one piece of paper without cutting. He has traveled around the world teaching and exhibiting his work. He lives in Berkeley, California, and is editor of the newsletter for the Bay Area Rapid Folders. His first book features "Over 89 original models, including such 'classics' as the Chocolate-Covered Ant, the Transvestite Puppet, the Invisible Duck, and many more!" BARF Web site How does the saying go — "You can't judge a book by its cover?" Well, I have to admit that when I first saw the cover to Jeremy Shafer's book, Origami to Astonish and Amuse (St. Martin's Griffin, 2001), I couldn't help but to form an opinion about what was inside. The cover models — a cleverly folded Dragon, Dollar Bill Cuboid, Swiss Army Knife, and working Nail Clippers floating around the serifious title led me to believe that this was going to be something much more than your typical crane-and-Kawasaki rose origami book. And, yes, it was! But you'd already expect that if you've surfed Jeremy's Bay Area Rapid Folders (BARF) Web site and observed the multitude of his unusual, no, make that BIZARRE, paper-folded origami models — many featured in this book including the Surfer on a Wave and Running Car. Jeremy is an original himself, with an imagination that steps outside the traditional bounds of origami art, or shall we say, the paradimic 3D origami cube? Origami to Astonish and Amuse is definitely worthwhile for any origami enthusiast — especially for those who are seeking a deeper adventure into origami art. It contains cover-to-cover origami folding fun — 251 pages, in fact, with step-by-step color diagrams and instruction for folders of all skill levels; from simple to complex. WARNING: Some models included in this book walk on the edge of dark humor and the bizarro world, but they are so interesting you just can't look away. Yes, Jeremy's original Clogged Artery, Walking Boat, and Who's Staring at My Rump are little works of art that you won't find anywhere else. Other fun folding projects featured in this book range from simple boxes and faces — to more complex surfer dudes on waves, cars with feet, and hands playing the piano. Plus, each project has an extra special Thoughts Behind the Folds sidebar from Jeremy with folding tips and tricks, background information on the models, and challenging variations you can try as you master the folds. Not only that, but the whole book reflects Jeremy's unusual sense of humor and entertaining style to make your reading and folding experience extraordinary. This book will not bore you. It may scare you, but it's definitely worthwhile. Be sure to visit the BARF Web site to learn more about Jeremy, Origami to Astonish and Amuse (including free downloadable Origami PDF project models from the book), and the creative art of unusual origami paper folding.
Origami to Astonish and Amuse
Please respect the creator's copyright by not duplicating this article on your Web site, blog, electronic or print publication. 10/13/07 |
