Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Paper Boats

My desk is littered with the remnants of two days (and one late night) spent creating paper boats. A pile of unsuccessful attempts to master the art of Origami paper folding is mixed together with partially unfolded prototypes made from recycled office paper and an assortment of refined designs in various stages of completion.

It all started with a short article in the latest FiberArts magazine about an artist in Scotland who is collecting paper boats from around the world for an auction to benefit a house museum in her area called Mary-Ann's Cottage. One night this week when I couldn't sleep, I decided to try my hand at folding a boat and now I'm hooked on the little vessels. I even made one to give as a birthday card to my father's 94 year old wife.

The challenge of creating a little fleet to send off to Scotland made out of digital photos I've taken on the Oregon Coast is only part of the allure. It has more to do with participating in something bigger than myself that brings together creative people from all around the world who are forever connected by the simple task of folding paper. When we feel a connection with those in distant places we realize the differences between us are not what matters. Helping to save a little cottage in Scotland by folding a paper boat touches on the essence of what makes us all the same.

3 comments:

  1. ML - I am SO pleased you shared the link. My kitchen table, my lounge and my bed are littered with paper boast too. My bookcase is awry from pulling out books searching for pictures of my son making paper airplanes and I really should be doing something practical about the chaos of my life but first I must make my very own paper cedar carved canoe whilst the real thing looms large upon the horizons SOON....I so LOVED the way you put it here: we are linked around the world creatively folding paper against time....

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  2. Those boats sound really neat!

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