Boston Strong

Made these today, on the one-year anniversary of the marathon bombing, and left them with some of the local hospital staff. I am happy to say that they were quite well received. :)

White

The final set is complete, and there will be more photos soon. I just need a little time to collect my thoughts.

Yellow

These four cranes were made while waiting for my flight to Boston. One was left at CLT airport, one stowed away on a United Airways flight, one decided to take a rest in BOS airport, and the last found a comfy nest in Wakefield.

I'm not certain if anyone who ever found (or will find) these cranes will understand the beauty of where they started from, but I hope that it at least puts a smile on someone's face out there. :)

Still learning

Valentine's Day was a tough time for us all this year. We all knew you would be leaving us soon, but I sort of hoped that it would last just a little longer. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had hoped that the cranes project would keep you interested and wanting to stick around to see the end.

You saw 900/1000 of the tiny paper creations, and I regret you didn't see the final 100. I had such high hopes that I could pull off something great at the end. I wanted to gather words of inspiration and positive energy from people all around the world, and write them each down on a crane for you.

It's funny though, all this time I was expecting you to keep the cranes in that large vase to be admired as the level inside grew higher with each set, but you held them close to you, and all around your room. You shared their beauty and the memories they represented with everyone who came in contact with you, and you eagerly handed them out to spread their joy and happiness, instead of keeping them to yourself, contained. You amplified the project a thousandfold (truly worded) by creating their own new memories and happy thoughts of well wishing and luck for all. Paying it forward through origami.

For this, you were even more wise in regards to the project than I was, and I am humbled that together we could transform one thousand little pieces of paper into something magical, not only for us, but for so many people who touched our lives.

I'm inspired to keep some origami paper handy whenever I go out or travel now, with hopes that I can continue our work together and bring a little bit of light to someone else's life, even if for just a fleeting moment.

Thank you so much. For everything.


I'll post photos of the last hundred soon.

900/1000

Christmas comes a little early this year, but it's never too soon to think about all the good times we've shared together during the holidays. A warm and cozy home full of family and friends, christmas music playing in the background, the tree and festive decorations keeping up the holiday spirit, delicious food and traditional confectionaries, and all the stories we'd tell - old and new. It was always such a colorful time and a great gathering for our family.

I really enjoyed all those special times with you, and am happy to provide these hundred cranes towards revitalizing our fond memories together.

After each set of cranes, I ship them, 100 at a time, to my grandmother in a sturdy mailing tube. This is a small, festive drawing I did on the address label for this set.

Tis the season

Just a twinkle of the next set...

800/1000

This set of cranes is not my own memory, but one of my daughter's. I asked if she'd like to help fold some cranes, and if there were any special moments that she enjoyed spending with you. Lindsay told me about the card games you would play together on her visits to the apartment, and how much fun she had. She was especially fond of the automatic shuffler.

There are 52 white cranes all representing an individual card from a standard playing deck, plus one joker. I drew each suit and number on them in black and red ink, including the illustrations for the face cards. Lindsay helped fold a number of them. We hope you enjoy the memory.

700/1000

One of my favorite memories together was our trip to "The Butterfly Place". It had just opened, and I remember when we arrived the parking lot and land around it was still just dirt, no pavement or grass, and seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere. Inside however, was lush and full of plants that stretched towards the high ceiling.

We very carefully walked down the path, observing all the different types of butterflies. Some of them I recognized, but a large number of species I had never seen before, or only knew existed from photos. I remember the luna moth was probably the most extravagant of all we saw that day. I have seen it only once in the wild my entire life, and was completely awed by its presence.

There were lots of butterflies in the museum that day, and their bright colors and patterns inspired this next series of cranes. I added the design of butterflies we know and saw that day on some of the cranes. Eastern tiger swallowtail, red admiral, mourning cloak, monarch and luna moth among the chosen few. I hope they remind you of this happy time we shared.

600/1000

Of course I remember the fun times we spent at your house finding the Easter eggs. The four of us scrambling to get them all under the couch throw pillows, behind the furniture legs, on the fireplace mantle... and my eggs were always up higher and in trickier places. I remember one time finding a purple egg hidden gingerly among the african violets.

Being able to wear your fancy hats was an added fun bonus to the day as well. Tights and flowery dresses, walking along the stone retaining wall in the front yard, the soft textures of the couch fabrics, scent of your perfume... these are all things I remember from the day. It's interesting to remember through my senses like that.

This crane series was made from a great number of different papers and materials with plentiful colors, patterns and designs to represent the look and whimsy of Easter eggs. I hope you enjoy them and the memory they accompany.

Bouquet

After a brief discussion about a wonderful little memory, I have decided to forego my previous plans and fold the next set of cranes with whimsical patterns and bright colors to imitate the look of Easter Eggs.

Been quite delayed this week by Halloween projects, but here's a quick preview of a small sample folded so far. I adore the colors.

How to fold your own cranes

A lot of people have been interested in my cranes project, even wanting me to teach them how to fold one. I spontaneously taught a couple of Marines at the post office just yesterday.

I decided last night to make an instructional video on how I fold the cranes. Just a humble, low quality vid, with a nice, slow pace so you can fold along with me.

If you'd like to give it a try, go grab yourself a square piece of paper (most any type/size of paper, as long as it's square), and press play..

I'm also including an instruction sheet to look at while you fold along, in case you get lost.

If anyone out there follows along, please feel free to share photos of your own cranes.

500/1000

  It's the halfway mark now. Five-hundred origami cranes. Depending on the paper and how quickly I fold them, each crane takes me about 4-5 minutes. Factoring in the time I spend selecting and cutting paper, I have spent around 40 hours on this project so far, give or take a few. This is certainly a dedicated task, and will be rivaling some of my most time consuming artwork to date upon its completion.

  Crane series 500 is dedicated to all the times we spent looking out your window into the backyard where your feeders and bird bath were. While we ate a meal at the table, played a game together, or just sat and talked, we always gazed out the windows at the wildlife. Past the curtains and stained glass decor, we saw cardinals, blue jays, crows, juncos, chickadees, sparrows, finches, mourning doves, grackles, starlings, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, robins, goldfinches and orioles. There was also the occasional acrobatic squirrel raiding the feeder, and sometimes the chipmunks would pop their heads out of the ivy and marigolds.

  Part of the reason why I love birds and animals so much is because of the physical closeness that you were able to expose me to as a child, and appreciation for nature has been strong with me ever since. I hope you'll enjoy picking out my drawings of the species detailed on select cranes from this flock.

Leading the flock

A sample of birds from the next flock before they migrate 1,000 miles north.

400/1000

I know this is one of your favorite memories we share. That hot, summer day we spent in Boston, and the "frog pond" on the Common. You tell the story so amusingly, describing me not caring a bit that the other kids were in their bathing suits. I just ran right into that water and splashed around with the others, fully clothed and everything. There's a time and place for responsible adults to have their limits, and you let me run free and have fun - just be a kid. I had a really great time that day, even if I was perhaps too young to remember it all.

I made this set of cranes to reflect, like water, the summer sun at the Boston Commons pool that day.

300/1000

This was the summer I opened my eyes to the stars, standing there in your driveway as you pointed up into the night sky. You had that star guide from your coffee table Audubon book, and we looked up at the constellations Ursa Major and Minor: the Dippers. Whenever I see Orion's Belt, I think of that very night, and how it sparked my continued interest in the cosmos.

Filling up the vase

The first hundred cranes have arrived, and have a lovely, tall vase that I hope will look nice and full by the time this project has come to completion. A beautiful, colorful reflection of happy memories and good times transcribed through hours upon hours of dedicated paper-folding.

The second hundred are en route, and the third hundred are nearing completion.

By the way, I love that the origami cardinals I folded years ago are displayed there as well!

200/1000

So the season is changing and the trees are putting on their best show of the year. I know you love to look at the foliage... Wasn't it last year when you and dad went for a drive to look at the trees all the way out in Vermont and (patiently) got lost for a while? I guess I don't know the whole story, but I think I recall hearing bits and pieces, and seeing a photo or two. I don't know if you'll be able to get out and have such an adventure right now, so I thought that I would bring a little Autumn to you instead.

Blind folded

Lindsay challenged me to fold a crane with my eyes closed. Certainly didn't come out perfect... but not bad. This one is in the 200 collection.

Recycling is for the birds

Hershey kiss wrappers. Trash turned treasure.

These were extremely delicate to work with... and I'm under the impression that Hershey only vaguely makes sure the wrapper foil is square.

I've been experimenting with some different types of paper, it keeps things interesting.

Photos from the first hundred