I recently bought two new books. One on working with metal, and another on paper folding. The combination might seem odd to some people, but there is actually a lot of things in paper folding that can be translated into working with metal , – some of it even translates into felting.

Some times its good to try out a new material and learn new processes of making . Not that you need to become an expert at it and start a new career – no its more about trying something new, keeping the imagination flowing and exercising those brain cells.

In many instances, in both paper folding, metal work, and in felting, you start with a flat 2D element, that you then through different processes make into a 3D object.

While the physical processes are different, Paper you use, folding,scoring and sometimes water – Metal you use , heat ,water, hammers and sometimes folding – Felting, you use water, soap, agitation and manipulation – the mental imagery is actually quite similar and I have found that one art form can and often will inform another.

My collection of “What if” – see earlier post – was based around the mathematical shape, called a two holed Scherck -what if I used the same questioning, but with one of the shapes from my new book on working with metal?

The next one has an oval as the starting point.

So quite different outcomes from a very similar starting point.

As you might have already guessed, the questioning did not stop here, but that will have to wait for another post.