Copper Origami

As a polymath, I eventually reach a plateau of ability or interest in a new or developing hobby or curiosity. That’s when I start trying exploring ideas of how else I can approach the project mixing other skills I’ve learned or exploring. I started experimenting with folding aluminum cans, the structure of aluminum is very unforgiving to folding and tends to tare. Thin foil folding, didn’t have the substance and rigidity and was pretty much the same as origami foil paper. So I started playing with thinnish copper sheets. It was forgiving, malleable, took to folding with out being to cranky. I was cold folding the metal and I had to make some custom tools to be able to long strait edges out of wood so as not to mar the crisp copper.

Fast forward a few years and I started taking blacksmithing and coppersmithing classes at The Center For metal arts when it was still in Florida, NY. This opened me up to how to work more affectively with copper, opening up a lot more options in how to control my folds and final look. As with all my interests, I am sill exploring and experimenting.