Why I Buy Origami Books

It was the 1988 Holiday season in New York City. I was walking south on the east side of a very busy Fifth Avenue when I stopped suddenly, spellbound by the image of a huge Christmas tree filled with decorations of folded paper figures revolving in the windows of a Japan Airlines office. It was … Read more

Spring Flower

I am always looking for the right moment and the right light to take a good picture for my blog posts in Origami Spirit. As I was taking a picture of the Spring Flower this morning, John, my husband, took a photo of the photographer. He captured a lovely moment, didn’t he? Here is the … Read more

Paper Makes Music at PCOC

Since the Northwest Coast of the United States is known for frequent rain, the symbol for this year’s Pacific Coast Origami Convention –PCOC* was an umbrella. The convention was held in Bellevue, WA from September 29th to October 2nd. • Patty Grodner created the lovely rainy-day-themed composition that she displayed at the PCOC exhibit -shown … Read more

Donate to Vermonters in Need After Irene

Living in Southern Vermont, a block away from the Battenkill River, I witnessed in awe as the otherwise peaceful and crystalline river, raged like an angry monster through the valley last Sunday, causing damage to many of our neighbors’ homes and properties. Up the hill, in Kelly Stand, another river, aptly named Roaring Branch, swept … Read more

Fold Origami Cranes as a Tribute to Victims of 9/11

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~Buddha “Peace goes into the making of an origami crane as flour goes into the making of bread.” ~Pablo Neruda Origami cranes were offered to visitors at the WTC Tribute Center to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Cranes are traditional paper birds from Japan. They … Read more

My Memories of Akira Yoshizawa

Photograph of Akira Yoshizawa, origami master and an origami rabbit, created by Yoshizawa and folded by Leyla Torres

The 14th of March, 2011, was a special day for all of us in the origami community: it was the centenary anniversary of the birth of Akira Yoshizawa (14 March 1911 – 14 March 2005), origami grandmaster, who is considered by many as the father of modern origami. In 1997 I had the opportunity to … Read more