Mentor For Senior Project on Origami Needed

[buritani14]

Hi, I am going to be a senior in high school this fall and for graduation we are required to do a senior project on a skill of interest. I find the art of origami interesting and I need a mentor to help me complete a project of choice. I'm having trouble finding someone in my area, I live In Ocala,Florida. If anyone knows a really good artist or someone well known in origami arts in Ocala, that would really be helpful. Thanks.

[TheUnChosenOne]

What is you project of choice anyways? I think it would help if you told us. Also, wouldn't it be okay if there aren't any folders in your area but you still could do something interesting/impressive within you ability?

And maybe this topic should be in the General Origami Talk forum

Comment by Moderator: You are right, I moved it to the right section.

[buritani14]

I was told to discuss this with my mentor once i have one but I am looking for something where the finished product is simple but complex to where a decent amount of work is needed. For the project, I'm supposed to complete a minimum of 30 hours on the project of choice. And I'm not really understanding the folders part but origami is what I would like to do and I don't really have any other alternatives.

[TheUnChosenOne]

Folders as in people who fold.

If you want you can make golden venture origami. It's like modular and piece them together to make whatever you want. It's a decent amount of work if you make something impressive and easy to make too.

[Bubo]

Another possibility would be to pick a subject for which there are many different models of various complexity and then progress through them. If your project requires a written component you would then be able to comment/discuss the various folding/shaping techniques that you developed working through the various models. Good examples might be elephants, penguins, rabbits, frogs, horses ... I'm sure others could be added. This suggestion is dependant on what your access to diagrams is like.

[buritani14]

Thank you these are really good suggestions. However I'm still having trouble finding someone who can be my mentor. Doesn't have to be a professional, but an expert would be perfect.

[maddoghoek100]

I think the odds of finding a world renown artist in your home town are not great. But that said you can check the following website and see if there is a local folding club that meets near you where you might find a local mentor: http://origamiusa.org/groups_us

If you are looking for a project i would recommend you you go to your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com and pick up michael lafosse's book advanced origami or origami art. Pick a model that is not too difficult and practice it till you can do it perfectly. You sound like you may be new to this so this may take some time.

Once you have a model you like and you can do it perfectly from memory turn to some of the advanced sections of the book. Make your own perfect piece of paper using one of his recipes from the book. Practice painting or dying your paper to be perfect for the model you choose. Then even try wetfolding your model with the perfect piece of paper, shaped to perfection and it will be completely hand crafted by you from scratch

Once you have picked a model, practiced it, tried making paper, tried hand dying/painting/printing paper send Michael an email, tell him what you are up to, how much work you have put in, send him a picture of you best effort and ask if he has any tips. He is literally one of the best most respected origami artists in the world and is a heck of a nice guy that loves to teach. If you have done everything above and really put in the work i would wager he emails you back with some great tips on your model.