Michael LaFosse's Origami Butterflies. Michael G. LaFosse
alt=""/>
A collection of paper butterflies created for the Holocaust Museum’s Butterfly Project by a tenth grade English class at Henrico High School in Henrico, VA.
The Exciting World of Origami Butterflies
by Richard Alexander, Origamido Studio Cofounder
This book contains print and video instructions for folding Michael G. LaFosse’s favorite origami butterfly designs. We chose a new selection of models to illustrate his origami butterfly design system, a series of decisions and techniques that will allow you to discover an unlimited variety of butterfly “species” by mixing and matching folding maneuvers. Not only do the printed diagrams show how to fold them, the companion video DVDs show Michael explaining the steps as he folds. He also demonstrates wet-folding techniques (for creating lasting works of art from fine papers).
The Origamido Butterfly (page 82), folded from iridescent marbled paper.
A Butterfly for Alice Gray (page 34) A Butterfly for Emiko Kruckner (page 58)
Poetry for the Fingers
Art in any form helps us cope with daily life. Michael’s origami butterfly designs are “poems for the fingers,” the folding of which is a particularly satisfying blend of relaxation and stimulation. There is a beautiful progression of musculoskeletal movements that advance naturally, as when keying a lyrical passage on a flute. You might feel the same way when you recite a favorite poem, stanza by stanza, or when you control phrasing and breathing to sing a song. If some of today’s complex origami models are similar to epic novels, then these origami butterflies are short, sweet, love sonnets. To help you relax and enjoy learning these folds, we have included a few haiku thoughts for you to ponder along the journey.
when you love to sing
sad lyrics are forgotten
happy words burst forth!
Wet-folding allows the artist to sculpt graceful curves on this Mudarri Luna Moth (page 106).
A Serendipitous Journey
when was the last time
you jumped over a puddle
then over a tree?
The butterfly’s metamorphosis symbolizes change, and the transformation of a single square piece of paper into a beautiful origami butterfly can be as unexpected and wonderful as a real butterfly’s progress as it emerges from a cocoon.
Prepare for a delightful journey full of surprises! Discover the satisfying shapes and powerful personas of the butterflies you create. We recall the events that transpired or the places we were when we first folded each special origami butterfly, and often name them after that location or occasion. Let each butterfly remind you of happy times and gatherings. Spread the pleasure of folding and the joy of serendipity by sharing them with your friends. Hold them dearly in your hearts as we have!
The Question Mark (page 87)
Special Butterfly Names
special folding friends
become part of the table
and never leave us
From the beginning, Michael has named his favorite origami butterfly designs for the folding pioneers who spread the joy of origami through their creating, traveling, and teaching. Sometimes when he is exploring new combinations, proportions, and details, and he discovers something beautiful and unique, it can spontaneously remind him of a special origami ambassador, and then he names the piece for them. While it is difficult for him to explain, he does not set out to design a butterfly for a specific person, but rather, names a butterfly design only when it feels right.
A Butterfly for Eric Joisel (page 68)
A Butterfly for Kyoko Kondo (page 62)
Origami Butterflies Have So Many Uses!
Butterflies are pollinators, and so origami butterflies have become a symbol, not only of change, but of communication, sharing, and the spread of knowledge. Fold butterflies with children to help them make their own personalized decorations for jackets, book bags, and backpacks. They are easily interchangeable when fastened with magnetic clips or Velcro dots. Use them for your own personal enjoyment, as earrings, pins, barrettes, and other origami jewelry.
We love to frame origami butterflies in shadowboxes for the wall. Use them to celebrate an important day—perhaps a wedding or anniversary. The First Wedding Anniversary is also known as The Paper Anniversary! When displayed in pairs, these butterflies often symbolize a special, joyful relationship.
When framed in small groups, we have used them to represent families, perhaps to welcome a child. They also make wonderful house-warming gifts. We often include mounted sequences (or step-folds) to symbolize metamorphosis, showing the steps from an open square to the finished butterfly. For the natural history lovers, Riker-box (compartmentalized display case) mounted, “vegetarian” butterfly collections of your favorite “fantasy species” could be just the right gift. Our more dramatic artistic presentations sometimes feature swarms of similar colors or styles, often on a handmade paper background representing grass, blossoms, or leaves.
Wearable origami butterfly art is sure to garner compliments.
Express your creativity with origami butterfly jewelry.
Paper butterflies make cheerful greeting cards, either as cover decorations (especially fitting for Mother’s Day, graduations, St. Valentine’s Day, get well, or friendship cards).
You can also fasten the butterfly inside the center of the card, and it will act as a pop-up element, flexing its wings when the card is opened.
There are dozens of appropriate social and office uses for origami butterflies as well. Use them to spice up banquet place cards, name tags, or ID badges. Instead of purchasing package bows or gift tags, fold a friendly origami butterfly.
When you receive a nicely wrapped gift, save some of the paper. Butterflies folded from squares cut from that wrap can become a thoughtful “thank you” that harkens back to the original present.
A beautiful butterfly provides the perfect finishing touch to gift wrapping.
We all waste too much. Some discarded materials are quite beautiful, and suitable for reuse as origami butterflies. Convert